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John Lennon/Paul McCartney
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | John Lennon/Paul McCartney |
| Alternative name(s): | McLennon, Paul McCartney/John Lennon |
| Gender category: | Slash, RPF |
| Fandom: | The Beatles |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Common |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
John Lennon/Paul McCartney, also known by the portmanteau McLennon, is an RPF slash ship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney from The Beatles.
Canonical History
John Lennon and Paul McCartney met as teenagers on 6 July 1957 at St. Peter's Church Hall in Wolton, Liverpool, England. The pair met at a performance of the skiffle band The Quarrymen, of which John was the leader. [1] [2] [3] John and Paul became close friends and musical collaborators, with Paul joining The Quarrymen, which would evolve into the popular band The Beatles. Both also bonded over the shared loss of their mothers at a young age.
The Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership is remembered as one of the most iconic and influential in popular music. Both agreed to be equally credited on each other's songs, even ones the other wrote independently. John and Paul also founded the company Northern Songs Ltd. to publish Lennon-McCartney songs in 1963.
As the 1960s wore on, relations between John and Paul became strained. One conflict that contributed significantly to the fissure in their relationship related to business dealings such as the dispute over who should mange The Beatles after the tragic death of their manager, Brian Epstein, in 1967.[3] In addition, creative differences caused additional tension. [3][4]
After the breakup of The Beatles in 1970, John and Paul remained estranged. Both released songs in the 1970s shading the other. Particularly notable was John's seeing track "How Do You Sleep?" from his 1971 album Imagine.[3] [4]
John and Paul eventually reconciled prior to John's assassination in December of 1980.[4] John's last words to Paul in person were reportedly, "Think about me every now and then, old friend." [5]
Fandom History
It is unknown precisely when people began to pair John and Paul romantically, though this presumably stretches back decades if not to the 1960s themselves. Reports of Beatles slash fanfic date to the 1960s; however, none of these stories have ever surfaced.[6] Slash fandom had emerged related to the Beatles by the release of Anthology in 1995.[6] Discussion and speculation related to the relationship between John and Paul had definitely established an online presence by 2005, when the LiveJournal community JohnheartPaul was founded.
In the 21st Century, new fans continue to discover the music and the personalities behind it. Thus, new generations of fans constantly rediscover the Beatles and contribute to the band's legacy. This had led to many younger fans taking a proactive role in fandom, engaging in what can be deemed as "cultural archaeology." These fans gather on online platforms to compile primary sources, engage with the historiography, and create transformative works-- many of which have featured the relationship between John and Paul.[6] In 2024, Allegra Rosenberg wrote of the fan culture surrounding McLennon:
But perhaps because of the “closed canon” nature of the relationship–with decades since Lennon died, and McCartney more than half a century on from the intensity of their collaboration—McLennon shippers and even tinhatters who sincerely believe they had a romantic and/or sexual relationship abound quite publicly in online fandom. And because of that distance, they aren’t necessarily presented with the same censure as conspiracists for an active, modern-day ship.Allegra Rosenberg, "The Beatles Live!" 23 October 2024 https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/the-beatles-live
Speculation as to McLennon's Canonicity
Over the years, McLennon has become a subject of tinhatting, with fans speculating as to whether the relationship between John and Paul had a romantic and/or sexual component. Theories as to the nature of this dynamic vary--with the extent of the relationship disagreed upon.
Many people believe that John Lennon was queer, specifically bisexual. However, John left no specific confirmation of his sexuality before his death. As recently as 2015, Yoko Ono (John's widow) has stated that her late husband was bisexual.[7] During John's lifetime, he and Yoko were purported to intentionally spread rumors about his sexuality as well.[8]
John was also noted to have intense, potentially homoerotic, relationships with men other than Paul including Beatles manager Brian Epstein (who was gay, a fact known to and accepted by the band's members) and his friend/former Beatles member Stuart Stutcliffe (who tragically passed away due to an aneurysm at the age of 21).[9]
While Paul has never publicly identified himself as queer, he is a known ally of the LGBTQ+ community.[10] After his concerts, Paul is known to wave a pride flag.[11]
Evidence
Popular pieces of evidence for the argument that McLennon was real include:
In Other Media
Doctor Who
In the 2024 Doctor Who episode The Devil's Chord, the plot is resolved by Lennon and McCartney playing the piano together. This lead to several memes about how McLennon had saved the day, as well as fanworks.[12]
[masterbaiting]
how was the resolution to this episode that mclennon will save the world… beatles rpfers how are you feeling[13]
Fanworks
Meta
- Why John Lennon Was Definitely Probably Maybe in Love with Paul McCartney (Or an Essay on Why John Lennon was Probably Bisexual) / Are They Gay? - John Lennon and Paul McCartney by Alexander Avila (2015)
- Just Like Starting Over by MCLENNON (2017)
- Were John Lennon & Paul McCartney Gay? Unpacking McLennon by UnCarley (2024)
- The ethics of RPF or Why McLennon is Real (Part 1) by sorryigotsomethinginmyeye (2024)
- Just Like Starting Over by YouTube user MCLENNON is a documentary of John and Paul's relationship, which aims to demonstrate that they were romantically involved.
- dadrock manifesto (abbreviated): The Beatles Discography Is a Yaoi, a John Lennon/Paul McCartney ship manifesto slideshow that makes heavy use of quotes, pictures, and gifs
- You Just Scream: Janovs homophobia & John Lennon, as essay by phoneybeatlemania exploring the effect Arthur Janov’s therapy sessions had on John Lennon, and in particular if Janov give John Lennon ‘gay conversion therapy’
- Young John and Paul and Liverpool Gay Culture is an essay written by ljlorettamartin analysing the biographies of John and Paul though the lens of 1950s gay culture in Britain.
Archives and Communities
- JohnheartPaul, founded on LiveJournal in 2005, is a slash and tinhatting community for the John/Paul pairing. Moved to Dreamwidth in 2017.
- Works tagged with the ship on AO3
- McLennon Confessions is a Tumblr account that posts fannish thoughts submitted by McLennon shippers.
- mclennonproof is a tumblr user who collects evidence posts for the pairing.
- mclennonbook is a Tumblr user who writes about the pairing.
- mclennonwasreal is a Tumblr user who writes about the pairing.
- classicmclennon is a Tumblr fan of the pairing.
- mclennunf is a Tumblr fan of the pairing.
- mclennonaf is a Tumblr fan of the pairing.
- bead-mclennon is a Tumblr fan of the pairing.
References
- ^ https://www.beatlesbible.com/1957/07/06/john-lennon-meets-paul-mccartney/
- ^ https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/when-paul-mccartney-met-john-lennon
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/did-john-lennon-and-paul-mccartney-become-friends-again/#:~:text=Lennon%20and%20McCartney%20established%20a,over%20their%20passion%20for%20music.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/john-lennon-paul-mccartney-ended-their-feud/
- ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrynking/2023/11/02/is-the-last-beatles-song-johns-love-letter-to-paul/
- ^ Jump up to: a b c https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/the-beatles-live
- ^ https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/yoko-ono-lennon-had-sexual-desire-for-men.html
- ^ https://idontwanttospoiltheparty.tumblr.com/post/747575736146280448
- ^ https://turtleneck-redux.tumblr.com/post/128579101063/why-john-lennon-was-definitely-probably-maybe-in
- ^ https://www.nme.com/news/music/paul-mccartney-8-1199910
- ^ https://ourladylennon.tumblr.com/post/644842129562157056/after-every-concert-paul-waves-the-flag-of-the
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]