View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Culture
8 August 2018updated 30 Jun 2021 1:32pm

How social media killed the pop star interview

Listening to Radio 4’s Archive Hour is a stark reminder of the loss of pop’s great philosophers.

By Antonia Quirke

“You don’t think that you’ve saved lives? Oh my dear boy! You’re living in a Never Never Land!” An Archive Hour on the subject of the political and philosophical outpourings of pop stars (7pm, 4th August) contained a clip of a famous confrontation: John and Yoko in 1969, post bed-in, being interviewed by New York Times Vietnam correspondent Gloria Emerson. “If I’m gonna get on the front page I might as well get on it with the word ‘peace’,” starts John. “But you’ve made yourself ridiculous!” withers Gloria, and on it goes.

This was during a short period when Lennon’s charm was outweighed by his anger and sense that he had wasted time (I hate the Beatles… Peace peace peace, and so on). If you watch the confrontation online you see him, toxically pale in a black polo neck that looks like an oil slick. But hearing the interview stripped of image only made it all the more striking, and exciting. People strongly disagreeing on serious matters while remaining (vaguely) respectful!

You realise the extent to which the pop interview as a form is, 50 years later, over. Paul Morley, one of the show’s contributors along with the New Statesman’s Kate Mossman, mourned this. No famous songwriter would now expose themselves to that live moment when they can control things so thoroughly on social media. (One thing you can say for Morrissey is that he believes in the interview as an art form. That’s why he’s always quoted saying hateful, crazy things. Nobody is stopping him.) Morley also made the excellent point that people don’t now expect pop stars to say anything mind-blowing – they look instead to Silicon Valley. He’s right. But isn’t that more to do with material aspiration? Fifteen-year-old boys look up to guys such as Elon Musk – made Bruce Wayne-ishly wealthy by a culture of naked capitalism via (ironically) post-Jobsian, 1960s anti-materialist Ted Talk waffle!

Capitalism has encouraged an iron belief that technology will cure our problems in an Ex Machina way. Not politics, social interaction or personal morality. The god complex is no longer with pop stars, it’s with those quickest with an algorithm. Said Lennon, when he’d regained his sense of humour: “The more I see, the less I know, for sure.” 

Archive on 4
BBC Radio 4

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

This article appears in the 08 Aug 2018 issue of the New Statesman, The rise and fall of Islamic State

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU