[BluesDuke]

First the Beatles and the Jesus comment...

I remember the comment well - it was John Lennon in 1966 who had said, somewhat offhandedly (he was discussing religion with a journalist in England and saying he believed at the time that Christianity would shrink) that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. Amidst the hoopla the comment inspired (especially when it did appear in the U.S., in Datebook magazine, and taken slightly out of context, as I recall), there was one vicar who replied, "There is a lot of validity in what Mr. Lennon said. To many people, the golf course is more popular than Jesus Christ." But certainly John Lennon observing the Beatles more popular than Christ in 1966 (and those who were there at the time could tell you that it probably seemed true enough, considering) isn't even remotely close to the grotesquery of Lee Ryan saying "Who give a f@ck about New York when elephants are being killed?"

[hsszionist]

The lessons of history provide general repercussions of behavior. Individual ego versis the standard of recognition of the time. Beatles, self centered statement-reaction-decline of popularity and public revulsion. Will the historic example hold true for this event, we'll have to wait and see.