John Lennon's Death Was Faked

[davidswanson]

The shooting of John Lennon in 1980 was staged, or at least he didn't immediately die. Or at least that's the premise that launches a hilarious work of fiction called "Life After Death (For Beginners)" by Michael Gerber, in which -- among other things -- Lennon tries to discover who killed him and whether it was for money or politics or love.

I guess it doesn't sound very hilarious, and I'm guessing that Yoko Ono, who has been a friend to the peace movement all these years, might not find it hilarious, since she serves as the butt of many jokes. Other butts of jokes include John himself, the other three Beatles, their manager, Jackie Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gloria Swanson, Elvis, and above all the human race -- which sort of makes it nothing personal for all those other people.

But now it sounds mean-spirited. "Life After Death" may be cynical, but I went into it loving John Lennon's music and his politics and -- more or less -- humanity, and I came out the same way, only with a little extra appreciation for Michael Gerber, as someone who could make me laugh out loud more times than I kept count of -- not to mention rewriting the 60s as an orchestrated plot set in motion by a stand-up comic, plus including the full text of his stand-up routine rather than skipping over that as if it were sex, like most novels would. I do recall a good deal of hilarity in the scene -- I'm not giving much away -- in which John accuses Paul of his murder. I also came away with added appreciation for John Lennon as a man who could inspire someone to invent things he never did or said that are not just hilarious on their own but that gain depth from the idea that it's John Lennon doing them.

I don't know if I could laugh at this book if I were one of the people its characters are based on, except maybe Paul. I think I'd be too busy hiring lawyers to try to prevent the book ever being made into a movie. Luckily, most of us don't show up in these pages at all -- or so we can easily tell ourselves. I'm afraid that if John really were still alive he'd be telling us the joke was on us, that we could only laugh at madness created by beings we more or less recognized as the same type of people we are.

We turn out to be as fragile as Plastic Ono Band, as insane as Sgt. Pepper's, and as embarrassing as a naked photo on an album cover.

[HopeHoops]

1. I've been saying that for years. He hangs out at the 7-11 with Elvis, Michael Jackson and BatBoy.

[Lance_Boyle]

2. You forgot Andy Kaufmann.

And Poland.

[HopeHoops]

5. Well DUH! Andy Kaufmann faked his cancer death.

He did that so he could start a new career as Jim Carrey. I thought everyone knew that. Only Andy Kaufmann could play The Grinch.

[cbdo2007]

4. Hey - TOO SOON!!!

MJ's only been gone for like...um....14, no 16 months now!!! Haver some rspect!!! hhahaha

[daleanime]

6. Was that Jim Morrison...

busing tables?:evilgrin:

[HopeHoops]

7. No, he was the stoner in the corner booth sucking back Bud Lite's.

Asshole lost ALL respect for good beer after he went into hiding.

[daleanime]

8. .....

:spray: :rofl:

[HopeHoops]

10. Yeah, well, he keeps getting thrown out of Hooters for playing air guitar with the waitresses.

The NERVE of some guys.

[kimmerspixelated]

16. In Paris?

I don't think anyone really knows what happened to MoJo risin. I bet that there is a very good chance he just disappeared into french society, at least for awhile until he drank himself to death.

[guardian]

3. Yes.

His 'fake' death was actually planned by Elvis Presley and Jimmy Hoffa. John Lennon still produces music under a pseudonym from his studio located at Area 51. :sarcasm:

Where do these people come from?????

[SalviaBlue]

9. "work of fiction"

[HopeHoops]

11. Yes, John Lennon was a work of fiction. He never existed. Paul wasn't dead either.

And who the fuck the was the walrus?

[asdjrocky]

15. Paul wasn't dead?

Seriously? Have you heard anything he recorded since the Beatles broke up?

[kimmerspixelated]

17. Not to mention, THE EGGMAN!????

[Wednesdays]

18. Well, that's been solved...

[lunamagica]

19. Oh, it's so cool to diss Paul.....yawn.......nt

[Luminous Animal]

20. I love it when people only read the title of the OP but think they know enough to comment, anyway.

[MilesColtrane]

12. He's living in Canada.

http://www.lethimbe.com/

[Cheap_Trick]

13. There's a movie in the works called "Paul is Undead"

Based on this book: http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Undead-Alan-Goldsher/dp/1439177929

"In this humor-filled splatterfest, the rise and fall of the zombie Beatles unfolds through eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, and interviews. Violence and music go hand-in-hand as the zombiefied Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney fight, eat, and rock their way to fame and popularity while ninja lord Ringo Starr tries to keep them out of trouble. Nothing can stop them--not even a vampiric Pete Best, zombie-killing Mick Jagger, rival ninja Yoko Ono, or bad reviews. In fact, their only enemies may be one another, as personal conflicts threaten to break them up for good. Roughly paralleling the real-world career of the Beatles, this alternate history reimagines successes, failures, and rivalries with over-the-top bizarro charm."

[walldude]

25. The book was pretty funny...

I hope they don't screw up the movie... and I'd love to see Mick play himself :)

[gateley]

14. Where did you find this? I looked on amazon and eBay --

:shrug:

Sounds good!

[Luminous Animal]

21. Here...

http://www.lifeafterdeathforbeginners.com/?page_id=41

[gateley]

22. Thanks! nt

[underpants]

23. He was shot at close range with a 38 - that is what handguns are for

sorry to any handgun lovers but they are made to kill humans

[Zambero]

24. Yes, Lennon teamed up with another faux-corpse, Brian Jones,

his pal from the Rolling Stones. They underwent radical surgical identity transformations and resurfaced a bit later as Milli Vanilli. The fact that they didn't have to sing or play on their records or in concert removed all the performance pressure and creative expectations while they raked in the dough. When finally exposed as a hoax, they committed double suicide, and are now officilly (albeit belately) dead.

[Wolf Frankula]

26. He's living on an Island called Blue Hawaii with Elvis, Frank Zappa

Marvin Gaye and Frank Sinatra.

Wolf Frankula