Ringomania!

Let's argue about it on the internet!

Mary Elizabeth Williams

Location: New York,
Birthday: November 09

Bio: I work here. In my other incarnations, I'm the culture critic for PRI's The Takeaway, and my book, "Gimme Shelter" comes out from S&S 3/3/9.

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JULY 31, 2009 1:53PM

Rate: 5 Flag

I guess when enough of the other guys die, Ringo Starr starts looking better and better.

(In truth, gentle reader, when I was a kid, Ringo was my hands down fave. Because I'm awesome.)

First, in 500 Days of Summer manic pixie dreamgirl Summer reveals, adorably, to her new love that Ringo is her favorite Beatle. Why? Because he's nobody's favorite.

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We know the romance is heading south when, later, young Tom holds up a Ringo album for her amusement -- and it's like she doesn't even get it.

And now, we come to Funny People, which features heavy use of Starr's "Photograph" in the trailer.

Why Ringo, why now? Maybe it's that he represents the underdog on rock's ultimate winning team, and that he speaks to these rather loserish times (or at least loserish characters). Or maybe he's just a badass, finally getting his due.

Ringo, folks. He rocks.

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I remain proud to have been one of the nine people who purchased "Stop and Smell The Roses" on vinyl.

Verbal Remedy AKA Denise

July 31, 2009 02:07 PM

Ringo had some of the best lines in "A Hard Day's Night", and he was the only one who had an extended "solo" sequence (when he goes out "parading" on the advice of Paul's grandfather). I kind of feel sorry for anyone who had to try to hold a candle to Lennon and McCartney, though. It must have been really hard.

Jeanette DeMain

July 31, 2009 02:15 PM

In later years Ringo came to look more like Yassar Arafat and Mick Jagger came to look more like Don Knotts

noah tawls

July 31, 2009 02:28 PM

I don't have "Stop and Smell The Roses" on vinyl like Verbal but my well worn cassette tape has since been converted to CD and now he graces my iPod.
It was love at first sight for Ringo and me. I never was a pretty-boy kind of girl. His unique voice and underdog status struck a chord with me which has lasted through the years.
Thank you!

Sharon Kay

August 01, 2009 06:17 AM

Well, plus he had the coolest name in the Fab Four!

BuffyW

August 01, 2009 12:13 PM

Not bad, but my favorite quasi-Beatles sounds were from Badfinger.

Kevin Lee

August 01, 2009 12:26 PM

I do love his "Don't pass me by" vocals - from the White Album. And of course, "Octopus Garden." The fab four would not have been the same without him.

dorelvis

August 01, 2009 01:09 PM

Love Ringo. (there's a bad joke , "The Beatles are dying in all the wrong order...")

Bob Eckstein

August 01, 2009 09:43 PM

Ringo's always been cool - he was way underestimated as a drummer, he has the most gorgeous blue eyes in a band of brown-eyed guys, and he married a Bond Girl!

sioux01721

August 02, 2009 12:49 PM

---

shae davis

August 02, 2009 03:21 PM

People generally thought of Ringo as the Beatle who wasn't: wasn't as smart or funny as John, wasn't as cute as Paul, wasn't as deep as George, but I always liked him for being the EveryBeatle. And he said one of the things that I quote most frequently: asked at one of the Beatles' early press conferences in the US why he was always so sad, Ringo replied, "I'm not, man. It's just me face."

Floyd Elliot

August 02, 2009 05:43 PM

And Ringo's best quote ever (even if it was written for him): "Funny, really, 'cause I'd never thought of it, but being middle-aged and old takes up most of your time, doesn't it?"

Truer words were never spoke.

Jeanette DeMain

August 02, 2009 05:51 PM

Mrs Bee and I listened to "Breakfast with the Beatles" on KLOS radio in LA yesterday (it's also on Sirus/XM), and we were very taken with some Ringo music they were playing. The theme this week was live performances, and the version of"It don't come easy", from the concert for Bangladesh, was awesome.