#hope I havent come off as patronising either tho lol

[phoneybeatlemania]

Previous anon. I think you're right that I chose the wrong time to jump into the discussion. Because George's relationship with Paul really isn't the main thing I struggle with. George's general jokes about the Beatles (especially when they feel directed at fans), occasionally Ringo, and others also make me feel this way. It's more an overarching thing around how to be funny and kind silmultaniously. But I think you still made a really good point about British humor that is helpful to me. (1/2)

Anon Ask 2:  I'm not English and maybe cultural differences play a bigger in role in my discomfort than I recognized.

Reference to last ask

Hiya again! Thanks for getting back to me on this :)

When it comes to making a more general point about Georges sense of humour (and whether the things he said really were Just Jokes, or if they went any further then that), I think theres an interesting discussion to be had there. And while I think his sardonic and deprecating humour was for the most part harmless (or intended to be harmless), theres times where humour can definitely be used as a malicious tool, so within some contexts I think you could make a solid point. 

The thing about George’s mockery of the group though (which included specific members and fans), is that I think this was a way of dealing with fame for him? Like if I had to deal with That Amount of fame, I can imagine that the only even remotely healthy coping strategy I would have would be to just joke about it a lot; so I guess its just worth keeping in mind that theres only so many ways one can go about dealing with immense fame.

When it comes to like Cultural Boundaries, I obviously wouldn’t know where in the world you’re from anon, but if perhaps you’ve grown up somewhere where humour isn’t generally very sarcastic or dry I could see why some jokes would rub off as insensitive, but ultimately his jokes (about the band, fans, legacy etc.) aren’t ultimately going to be representative of his entire experience with fame, legacy and/or the band. It was just a complicated relationship that Im sure he had with all these things. 

There was something interesting I read in Teatles Fanzine recently, which id like to share because it just brings to mind how much George really struggled with fame:

Beatlemania took a genuine toll on George. In the Anthology he said, “All the time, constantly, I felt frightened by things.” As early as 1963 he was having reservations. Allistair Taylor recalled an incident where George had failed to show up to the airport when The Beatles were meant to be flying to London from Liverpool. Taylor phoned him to find out what was going on, and he responded, “I don’t want to be a Beatle.” This cause Taylor to panic enough to go talk to him in person. He stated, “George didn't like all the pressure and the frenzy of the crowds and the fans.”

—Anxiety and the Quiet Beatle by Rose, The Teatles Anthology

As I said in the beginning of my response, I do think theres room for deeper discussions about Georges jokes, and whether they were harmless or hurtful. I would advise you though to just keep in mind that his experience with fame is something none of us are likely to ever be able to truly understand—so while it can be difficult to comprehend some his actions or choice in words, imo we should try remain somewhat sympathetic to that experience too. And while I wouldn’t personally want to ‘psychoanalyse’ George or anything because I don’t consider my self That Much of an expert, what i’ll say is that separating himself from the myth and the legacy I think in part was just a way of staying sane for him, because at the end of the day, he was just a guy*.

[*I think in particular as well, George just didn’t really have the personality type of someone whose kind of Built to do well under fame. Like the amount of fame they all experienced Im sure would take a toll on anyone, but I think theres certain people who would find it more manageable just because it suits Who They Are better, if that makes sense.]

But I can tell from the way you’re writing anon that like, you’re not necessarily seeking out things to dislike about him or trying to be hyperbolic etc. Like I do get that sometimes things about these men are just Hard to understand, because their lives are just Very Different to any of ours. So I appreciate that, and as I say, its a discussion worth having—I just think its important too to try and understand things from his perspective though.