The Beatles never existed!

The Beatles never existed?

Official Story

In the 1960s, the English Rock Band, the Beatles, was formed. Comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, the group, one of the most successful bands in the history of music, broke many sales records. The group led the “British Invasion” in the mid-1960s when many aspects of the British culture became popular in the United States. The group also influenced the social and cultural revolutions in the 1960s. It remained one of the most popular groups until the split in the 1970s. Later, one of the group members, John Lennon, was fatally shot in his residence in New York City in 1980. George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Although the remaining two group members still remain active in the music industry, their impacts are incomparable to the heyday of the Beatles.

Conspiracy Theory

In early 1967, a rumor surfaced that Paul McCartney was dead because fanatic fans noticed some discrepancies in his photos. In his later photos, McCartney appeared to be taller. Fans then speculated that McCartney had died in a car crash. To not disappoint the fans, the group found a look-alike to replace McCartney known as William Campbell. Although the rumor declined in popularity after an interview with McCartney in 1969, a new conspiracy theory regarding the Beatles as a group has gained momentum. According to the new conspiracy theory, the Beatles never existed. Conspiracy theorists analyzed many photos of the group members and found discrepancies among all of them. In an example, they compared the photos of John Lennon over the years and found that the shape of his mouth has changed. In addition, they found the shape of his nose has also changed shape over the years. They speculated that John Lennon was replaced by a body double. If Lennon was replaced by a body double, then why the rest of the members did not say anything? The theorists concluded that the rest of the members was either threatened or already replaced by body doubles. Therefore, none of the group members said anything regarding John Lennon’s change in appearance. Because the group was replaced by body doubles, it broke apart in the 1970s when they risked the chance of exposing the conspiracy.

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Evaluation

I will evaluate the conspiracy theory regarding the existence of the Beatles using Mandik’s definition of a conspiracy theory. According to Mandik’s definition, a conspiracy theory is
1. An explanation of
2. Historical events in terms of
3. Intentional states of multiple agents (conspirators) who, among other things,
4. Intended the action to occur and
5. Keep the actions and intentions secret

The conspiracy theory is an explanation of the Beatles’ split in the 1970s. The split is a historical event. According to the theorists, the conspirators attempt to keep the conspiracy secret by constantly denying the allegations. The conspirators involved include the group members and other people in higher positions. The action is intentional because they want to cover up for the disappearance of John Lennon. Also, the group members and people in high positions want to keep the replacement secret. In doing so, they can continue to sell music records in the name of the Beatles. Because the theory fits all the requirements outlined by Mandik, the theory is a conspiracy theory.

Should We Believe it?

Because the theory fits Mandik’s definition of a conspiracy theory, we should not believe in it. It is prima facie unwarranted when it fits all the requirements.

Bibliography

1. https://www.theawl.com/2014/10/the-beatles-never-existed/
2. https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2459770/crazy-conspiracy-theory-claims-the-beatles-never-existed-and-the-whole-band-were-body-doubles/
3. https://blogs.adams.edu/thepawprint/the-beatles-some-history-behind-the-influence/

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