Plausible Deniability

The term "plausible deniability" refers to the strategy employed by some leaders who wish to escape responsibility for the actions of an organization. They create an intentionally disorganized chain of command so that any consequences that occur from the activities of the underlings can never be traced all the way to the top.

The Iamaphoney story has taken many twists and turns over the past couple years, but how much of the insanity that we have been following can really be attributed to the person who started a thread on the Nothing Is Real forum back in November of 2006? The Rotten Apple Army has given the man at the top quite a bit of plausible deniability.

The shadowy figure whose current identity on NIR is "Bill" started the "Rotten Apple 2" thread with four posts dated November 27, 2006. Each post consisted of a single YouTube link for Rotten Apple 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively.

Bill's member bio on NIR reads as follows:

Name: Blll
Email: hidden
Birthday: 11/20/1963
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 48
Date Registered: Sept 27, 2006, 2:15pm
Account Status: Not Activated

Another early post by "Bill" (Iamaphoney) gave a hint as to his spelling prowess, but more importantly, his primary objective:

glad you guys likes it...
There is so much more on its way...
trying to get some investers to help me out.
...hopefully it will be the big revalation film,
The film that tells the true,and the final answer from the dead man himself

-Bill 11/28,2006

The Rotten Apple thread is up to 210 pages and over 5000 responses. It spent a period locked behind a password as punishment for some nasty exchanges between Iamaphoney fans and foes. "Bill" or Iamaphoney simply stayed out of it, never defending himself from attacks and refusing even to correct his fans when they went overboard in jumping to his defense. It was surreal how intense the fighting became. The conversation sometimes bordered on perceived threats attributed to Iamaphoney, yet the subject of the conversation maintained plausible deniability by staying out of it all. Iamaphoney never threatened anyone.

The early responses gave no hint of the war that eventually emerged within the Rotten Apple thread.

As we all know, those early videos were not sophisticated, dealing mainly with reversals of speech that were received as new discoveries by his early fans at NIR. Then the videos seemed to reflect evidence that his initial request for investors had been answered. The increase in the quality of the videos (and accompanying soundtracks) coincided with some setbacks. Rotten Apple 25, 28 and 30 disappeared from YouTube for a while, possibly because of copyright infringement. Ironically, two of the three deleted videos dealt with Charles Manson and Aleister Crowley, two topics that would create much controversy in the world of Iamaphoney. The third video contained some footage from American Bandstand with Dick Clark. New versions of the three videos appeared later and featured original music and slicker editing more in line with subsequent Rotten Apple efforts.

As the quality of the Rotten Apple videos increased, so did the resistance among members of NIR, and Iamphoney was being accused of stealing ideas from the board and incorporating them into his videos. Other viewers took issue with the increase of association with Crowley, Manson, satanism and serial killers in the videos. Another thing that Iamaphoney can take the blame for was the use of major fires as backgrounds on his YouTube channels. Some considered it a sick joke, while others even insinuated that Iamaphoney was responsible for setting the fires.

Iamaphoney reached a significant crossroad at the time of Rotten Apple 65. For a brief time, there was a version of RA 65 that showed a rather straight documentary format, even featuring a voiceover by an English voice, although not the same voice known as the "English Gentleman" who said, "Paul McCartney, world renowned musical genius, a trend-setting pop star of Beatle fame." This voice was a narrator only, not someone presented as an insider.


The documentary version of RA 65 also seemed to include recent interviews with experts who seemed to be willing to talk about the Paul Is Dead rumor.

Frequent Beatles Co-Star Victor Spinetti sat down to talk to "someone" about the clues.



Another interview subject was Beatles expert and author Bruce Spizer who seemed to enjoy talking about Paul Is Dead clues.



In addition to his excellent books, Spizer had written an April Fools joke article about Paul Is Dead rumors. But I wonder who interviewed him about the Paul Is Dead clues.

There was also an interview with this unidentified woman who seemed to possess information about the Beatles' relationship with Aleister Crowley.



The documentary clip contained explorations of several clues including the name Joe Ephgrave from the Sgt. Pepper credits, the changing of the lettering of "Lonely Hearts" on the Sgt. Pepper drum head, the "Son of the Magickian" anagram and the famous "Love Code."



The documentary style was admirable and it could have been the PID aficionado's dream. There was only one problem. Compared to the trippy, spooky videos that Iamaphoney was producing at the time, the documentary format was boring. The documentary was quickly pulled and Iamaphoney committed himself back to the path of darkness. Rotten Apple 66,6 returned to Charles Manson and Aleister Crowley.



Some people have consistently accused Iamaphoney of glorifying satanists and serial killers, but I don't think Manson's quote about the "Elvis Presleys and Mesca Besleys and all them guys" is exactly flattering to Manson. It is certainly not as flattering to Charles Manson as Vincient Bugliosi's description in his book "Helter Skelter." I understand the motive to make Manson out to be a genius in order to make Bugliosi a bigger genius for defeating him in a court of law. But Bugliosi even went as far as sharing a story of when his reliable wristwatch stopped for the first time ever and he looked up to see Manson staring at him and grinning. Give me a break. I also think that if Iamaphoney was a big fan of Manson, he would be doing his musical treatment to some of Charlie's songs (some of which are nearly listenable) instead of focusing on some of the most obscure tracks in Beatles history. I also think Iamaphoney would set Aleister Crowley's poems to music if Crowley were really the object of his fascination.

There have been many insinuations that Iamaphoney was a Beatles insider, but I can't find any claims of that directly traceable to videomaker/musician Iamaphoney. The closest thing to that would have been the mini biography that appeared briefly on wikipedia, but was quickly removed. The bio suggested that Iamaphoney was one Ian Paul Bill Martin Jr., a musician, recording engineer and journalist. There was no direct Beatles connection, but at least he was in the business. However, I don't know that we can say for certain that Iamaphoney wrote or approved that bio.

Another source of contempt among Iamaphoney foes and annoyance even among fans has to do with the large number of alias YouTube channels that feature copies of rotten apple videos with different names or, in some cases, entirely new videos. Iamaphoney videos about Paul McCartney are one thing, but a YouTube channel for one PauIMcCartney (with a capital "I" instead of an "l") seems like a deliberate attempt to fool real McCartney fans. But I can't find a way to prove that YouTube user PauIMcCartney is Iamaphoney, even though I am reasonably sure it is. I am reasonably sure that YouTube user BlllShepherd is Iamaphoney, and reasonably sure that YouTube user S3ANL3NN0N is not. I have no idea if YouTube user lAMAPH0NEY, who posted a four-second video this week is Iamaphoney or someone else. But Iamaphoney maintains plausible deniability by remaining silent.



There have been many references to the Rotten Apple Army and the Iamaphoney organization. We have seen the Iamaphoney actor and at least one camera operator in the videos. There has been a talk of an editor who spices up the videos. I have been contacted by individuals who claim to be members or former members of the Iamaphoney organization.

I have had a total of about five interactions with the YouTube person called Iamaphoney. Each consisted of a back and forth exchange via YouTube. Some of those interactions regarded some images that were placed in a photo album at picasaweb on a few different occasions. I published all of those photos on this blog. Some of those images turned up later in Rotten Apple videos.

I have also had a few exchanges with someone claiming to work for Iamaphoney. I believe that person was telling me the truth.

One of the more interesting contacts was someone who claimed to be a former member of the Iamaphoney organization. This person gave me some information and pictures that I published on this blog. One of the pictures was a color version of what was implied to be a Paul McCartney doodle that included the words "chase phoney."



I contacted this individual when another "former member" threatened to release seven videos that would reveal everything, and then disappeared before anyone saw the first of the seven. My contact told me that something had been worked out with the traitor. Once again, Iamaphoney had plausible deniability.

There was one chink in the armor of the former member of the Iamaphoney organization who contacted me. After about three months of silence, the former member contacted me and told me to check my "secret place." This puzzled me because the former member always used megaupload to send me things. It was Iamaphoney who used the "secret place."

I retrieved the document and published it here, but I had a question for this supposed "former member" of the Iamaphoney organization.

I asked, "Does this mean that you and Iamaphoney are together?"

The answer I received was "ono."

I followed up with, "It is just that you were always using MegaUpload and it was Iamaphoney who was putting things in the "secret place."

The "former member" responded, "your solution is in your problem."

I replied but received no answer and have not heard from the person since then.

Was the supposed traitor I was dealing with actually Iamaphoney himself? I couldn't tell you. He remains hidden under the cloak of plausible deniability.

The bigger question remains. Who is funding Iamaphoney? How is he able to jet around the world leaving suitcases that make him the object of ridicule with no apparent effort to profit financially? Who is behind the Iamaphoney organization? Whoever that is must have written the book on plausible deniability.

Follow the Beatle

Paul is Dead - 36 - Follow the Beatle by grandfatheraleister may seem a little over the top with its claim of significance for all kinds of Volkswagen appearances in movies over the years, but the prominence of the VW Beatle in the Official Beatles endorsed Las Vegas show "Love" makes it fair game.



You can find some amazing insights about the meanings of various Volkswagens in the movie "The Shining" on the blog Stanley Kubrick's Masterpiece The Shining.

Sincerest Form of Flattery

QUICK UPDATE: Some other recent videos from other artists.

Ride the Rainbow by Sunssol


Hillside High by S3ANL3NN0N

MagiKman: Paul McCartney and Aleister Crowley by HeweHaarlemmer

The Fireman - Lifelong Passion Acapella (Sawain Ambient) by MikeyNL1038 (Highly recommended reduced mix)

George Harrison 1976 by walawala1973 (Highly recommended charming moment with George Harrison linked by Beatles Examiner)
_____________________________________________
Several Iamaphoney-inspired videos have appeared on YouTube recently (Click the pic for the vid):

From PaulPhoney:



From Sunssol:













From HeweHaarlemmer:





We even have a flash of unintentional PID from plasticvideo (Listen Closely):



But this is really the root object of all of the flattery (thanks to edgarator for providing the most complete version so far):

The Legionnaire

In a previous post, I pointed out that the image on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cover, known simply as the "Legionnaire" was linked to Aleister Crowley in Rotten Apple #44. This suggestion had been made previously by Jarvtronics in the Nothing Is Real discussion group.

According to the letters on his hat (RAOB), which are impossible to see on some issues of Sgt. Pepper, the Legionnaire is a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes. Like most organizations of this type, the RAOB is known for drinking and charitable acts. But like any fraternal organization, it has some possible links with Freemasonry, ancient secrets and conspiracy theories. One Freemason site lists it under "Other societies of Masonic interest."

It has always been a mystery why this individual would be on the cover of Sgt. Pepper. It certainly doesn't fit the "personal heroes of the Beatles or people they admired" story advanced by the Beatles organization.

The problem is that the majority of the man's face is covered, making it impossible to identify facial features.

This is the picture from the cover:



This is the picture with Crowley superimposed:



This is a black and white low-res picture that shows a little more of the facial features:



His face seems thinner than Crowley, but I wonder why he was chosen to be on the cover representing the Beatles' heroes.

A new Iamaphoney-related video appeared on YouTube this week: Paul Is Dead - So, It`s Paul? by GRITzz93

Although derivative, you have to love the honesty of video maker GRITzz93. When asked about the significance of the little mannequin hand, the reply was "nothing, only to make the video longer :)" Yeah gotta love a guy who admits that part of his 17-second video is filler.

The Fireman song "Highway" has made Paul's setlist after its premier at Coachella. Here is a performance from his Vegas Hard Rock Concert.

Happy Record Store Day

UPDATE: Details about the rare McCartney Acetate Here.

Paul McCartney is one of the supporters of Record Store Day, an event on April 18, 2009 in support of Independently Owned Record Stores.

Quoted in the University Star of Texas State University, McCartney said: “There’s nothing as glamorous to me as a record store,” McCartney said. “When I recently played Amoeba in Los Angeles, I realized what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I’m more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come.”

But the most compelling thing about this was the article in the Charleston City Paper that said that "Paul McCartney will release six (only six!) acetates of one song at a secret location."

If you have any secret locations in your area, it is time to visit them.

If this is true, I think this would be the third rarest McCartney record of all time after the song called "Linda," (one copy) which he gave to his late wife as a gift and "Paul's 1965 Christmas Album" (four copies).

I could not find any mention of Paul McCartney on the Official Record Store Day web site. There was also no information about this on Paul's Official Web Site.

So what is the "one song?" Something tells me it will not be the song "Shoes."

If you catch any details, please drop me a comment or an email. Big thanks to the commenter who shared the link about this.

The Hollywood Star ceremony for George Harrison featured a surprising cast of stars. In addition to Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Eric Idle, Gary Wright, David Foster and several other luminaries, this guy showed up:



Here is a BBC video report on the event.



There is another Iamaphoney-related channel on YouTube: THEFlREMANMUSlC

And finally, we already have a cover of Shoes!

Shoestrings

Update: Steve Marinucci in his Beatles Examiner column wrote, "So what's this new Paul McCartney song that's popped up on YouTube? (See above.) You'll see lots of Beatles and Wings references." Mmm Hmmm.

____________________________________________________________

There are some aftershocks of Rotten Apple 74.

The Iamaphoney treatment of Paul's improvised song "Shoes" can be found on a couple more YouTube Channels.

paul mccartney - shoes (rare) on BlllShepherd

Paul McCartney - Shoes on PauIMcCartney [Note: This one has an intact ending, and it is different from a nearly identical version on a nearly identical YouTube channel that I linked the other day. Thanks to a commenter for pointing this out.]

I had made a comment that the song "Shoes" was improvised by Paul when prompted by the "cutest girl in the world" (or something like that). I was asked to provide a picture, but that won't do it. You have to see her engaging personality in action, along with the chemistry of her interaction with Paul. Here is a bit of the interview that produced "Shoes." Notice that in the interview he speaks some gibberish, describes God, imagines Elvis naked from the waist down and recalls a time he wore a fake mustache.



As Jammie pointed out, the voice giving legal advice to someone in this video (as well as Rotten Apple 53) sounds very much like documentary film maker Paul Saltzman, who published a book of pictures taken while he was with the Beatles in India.



Letter B suggested at Nothing Is Real that the recipient of the legal advice could be Iamaphoney himself. That would be something. Really would be something.

Speaking of NIR, Skyward wrote an outline of Rotten Apple 74:

some quickly flashed sequences of letters, perhaps rebus like.

-----------------

u ra (from Electric Arguments) the imagine (cursive writing image) opd (patch)

there are 3 RA

know who we nursed

the nurse o (apple pic) who in 2007 saved replicas life lost her own.
----------------------

First "topic" of RA 74 is the April 10th significance, Aspinall, Titanic, Sutcliffe, Aiwass, etc.

Then, we get the interview with Mr. Accenta Obscura, and the guy with the Beatles photos from India at a convention. The strange accent guy has negatives and from 1:01-1:03 or so, there is a rapid fire of inverted black & white photos and there is a pic of a car crash and a mummy with hair.

Seconds after this raPID fire montage, we see the normal pics (not inverted).

We see a shoe store BIBA, and the mentioning of Thomas Nutter, McCartney's tailor in 1969. There seems to be a comparison to the road where BIBA is located with the Abbey Road album cover.

Then, there is a doodle note pad from that calender schedule book with Liberal L Legis along with doodles of hand signals or gestures/motions that signify the Letter N as well as another.

Then there is the note about Phil Specter.

Then, the recent pic of Macca wearing the CLOWN Beatle shirt at the Grammys. CLOWN = CLONE. Say it like GROWN. Mummy, Replicas, Clones?

Then we have a rapid fire montage of the Pepper photo op and we see what I think is a Yellow Submarine pin on the lapels of Ringo and George.

Then, another doodle of what appears to be the MMT bus and possibly some script.

Also, the 'More popular than Jesus' line is seen being typed.

We again see THEBEA parchment.

A Magical Mystery Tour album sleeve with 'LOOT' scribbled and crossed out. And a LOOT (the play?) stage pamphlet?

A napkin signed ONE MORE PAUL, P.M.

A Nazca line image of two outstretched hands.

A 'Chase Phoney' scribble on paper.

Red Skeleton Hands

Robed guy making arm and hand gestures.

Maharishi disappeared

Ira Levin disappeared

Home video of Mal and Bean Pole Paul

Apple meeting/Signing. John with PIG '68.

23 seen on megaphone/bullhorn and cash register.

Iamaphoney and Paul McCartney mirror image in handwriting,

The Winged Beetle is compared with the upside moustache symbol we have seen from the CODE image. One way, it is a fake moustache, flipped vertically, it is an image of a winged thing, in this case, the Beetle, or Wings.

After each section of images is shown, we get a 'check' mark, as it seems to imply that these are all the clues that are being checked off.

Finally, after a brief absence, the "schedule" is back up on the Iamaphoney YouTube page.

1/4

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Name: Billy
Age: 45
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Country: United Kingdom

Rotten Apple 74 - Updated

UPDATE: I believe the photo exhibition shown in RA 74 is the Paul Saltzman collection, The Beatles In India.


_____________________________________________________________

If the shoe fits...or NOT



While promoting "Memory Almost Full," Paul McCartney did an interview with one of the cutest girls on the planet. On "15 Big Ones" she cajoled him into making up a song on the spot with her.



Iamaphoney has taken this scrap of a tune and turned it into something quite enjoyable that would make a nice B-Side to any McCartney single. I think the production values are outstanding and that many would be fooled. Maybe that's the part of this thing that some people don't like. "Shoes" has been added to a site that someone not familiar with the Iamaphoney adventure would think is a legitimate Paul McCartney site.

Yes, that is a bit misleading. If Paul saw this, I don't know if he would get angry or ask Iamaphoney to produce his next album.

Rotten Apple 74 contains all of the elements that made me an Iamaphoney fan in the first place. It is interesting that the video contains some nasty language that we have heard before about Apple's lawyers. This time it accompanies what appears to be a photo exhibition of The Beatles trip to India. Interestingly, later this month there will be an exhibition of Beatles in India photos in Tel Aviv, Israel.

This video also gives us a brief, partially obscured, but clear picture of our friend with the accent.



Is he a photographer? Is this Iamaphoney and he going through pictures?



This was an interesting still from the video:



And another:



I would think that who enjoy the artistry of Iamaphoney would be quite happy with this effort. For those expecting a revelation, there will be lots of activity at your local churches this weekend.

April 10, 2009

As I had reported previously, Iamaphoney had told some people who in turn told me that April will be an interesting month. Well it certainly has been, with Paul and Ringo playing together at Radio City Music Hall and the announcement that the remasters will finally arrive on 09/09/09.

Now, as the alarm clocks ring around the Santa Susana pass in California, on this anniversary of Neil Aspinall's exit from Apple and, not to mention the famous Iamaphoney interview that never happened, which I will not mention, we wait in anticipation of something or other. Other options include proceeding with our day and we normally would.

We'll certainly keep our eyes open today for developments as we pray that Iamaphoney is not a fan of the movie "The Next Voice You Hear."

The David Lynch Mob

Well, history was made the other day when Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr played together at the benefit for the David Lynch Transcendental Meditation Worldwide Foundation (Thank you Guru Dev). From the initial reports, Paul's performance was excellent. Unfortunately Ringo seemed to be suffering from a case of laryngitis, but he soldiered on anyway and gave Beatles fan a night to remember.

This video starts a little rough, but becomes more watchable after about 20 seconds.



Those who have seen Ringo in concert in recent years know that he can carry a tune much better than this. He also flubbed some lyrics in his songs, so I'm guessing he wasn't feeling too great either. But I don't think the fans minded. Hopefully the sound engineer will be nice to Ringo by the time this comes out on video.

One perplexing thing that I noticed on Ringo's last tour and in his performance on April 4 is that he has changed the melody of "With A Little Help From My Friends" slightly. On the line, "And I'll try not to sing out of key," the note on the word "key" is supposed to be G#. He had sung it that way on the original recording and in all of his performances for years. But for some reason I cannot fathom, he changed it to a natural E, and seems happy for it to be that way. It's not like the G# was too high for him. The most challenging part of the song, which mostly consists of just five notes, is the final note, a high E an octave above the lowest note of the song. There are stories of the other Beatles encouraging him in the studio to nail that note on the original recording. During his All Starr tours he usually gets help with that last note, but at the Lynch Benefit he didn't even seem to attempt it.

Despite Ringo's throat problem, which I assume is temporary, you can't help but feel good when you watch that video.

Another highlight from the show was when Ringo joined Paul on the song "Cosmically Conscious." The song shared some of the same inspiration as John's "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey."



The projections in the background during the song are quite interesting. We get to see Mal Evans living the Beatles legend.



TMZ.com made a big deal out of Paul getting a louder response from fans than Ringo did after the TM Press Conference. I felt that was unnecessary, but it was good to see some candid footage of both of them leaving the venue.

In addition to iamaphoneyHD who I told you about previously, another YouTuber has joined the Iamaphoney supporter list. HeweHaarlemmer has combined some Rotten Apple videos and even added a couple new ones. The user also seems to have an interest in conspiracy theories in general.

We are just a few days away from an expected Iamaphoney appearance of some kind. Maybe something will happen, but I did notice that his "schedule" has been taken off his main YouTube channel again. Drop a comment here if you see something happen before I do. I am also inviting our hero or his Rotten Apple Army to slip me the answer anytime. The same goes for any of the other mysterious figures who have given me insights and information along the way.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Master Race

We all know that one of the people who nearly made it on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was Adolf Hitler. You can see Hitler's image in this video of shots from the photo session.



Hitler's presence, of course, would have alienated some Beatles fans, but are there other people in that group on the cover who shared similar views when it came to racism, antisemitism or the Eugenics movement?


Some people consider Karl Marx's work "On The Jewish Question" to be antisemitic.



Although he didn't target a specific group of people, George Bernard Shaw said some shocking things about people "who are more trouble than they are worth."



H.G. Wells was a believer in Eugenics.



In discussing Francis Galton's work, H.G. Wells said, "I believe .. It is in the sterilization of failure, and not in the selection of successes for breeding, that the possibility of an improvement of the human stock lies."

Aldous Huxley wrote: So far as our knowledge goes, negative eugenics - or the sterilisation of the unfit - might already be practised with tolerable safety. On the positive side we are still very ignorant - though we know enough thanks to Mr Fisher's admirable work, to foresee the rapid deterioration, unless we take remedial measures, of the whole West European stock. Eugenics are not yet practical politics. But propaganda could easily make them practical politics, while increase in knowledge will make them also purposive and far-sighted politics. (Source)



I guess it all depends on whether you see Huxley's "Brave New World" as a warning or a blueprint.

Sir Robert Peel had an interest in Genetics (and probably Eugenics) and is even credited for the development of the Tamworth Pig.



Marlon Brando portrayed a scientist performing eugenic experiments in the film "ISLAND OF DR MOREAU," which was based on a story by H.G. Wells.



According to the book "Controversies in Psychology" by Philip Banyard, Sigmund Freud (partially obscured on the cover of Sgt. Pepper) believed that "it is possible to divide people into leaders and those who are led. The led 'constitutes the vast majority: they need a high command to make decisions for them, and to which they for the most part offer an unqualified submission.'" Banyard said that Freud advocated educating the best and brightest to lead the masses.



Freud's colleague C.G. Jung was accused of having sympathy for the Nazis, especially after he said, "Hitler belongs in the category of the truly mystic medicine man. His body does not suggest strength. The outstanding characteristic of his physiognomy is its dreamy look. I was especially struck by that when I saw pictures taken of him in the Czechoslovakian crisis; there was in his eyes the look of a seer. This markedly mystic characteristic of Hitler's is what makes him do things which seem to us illogical, inexplicable, and unreasonable."



Jung vehemently denied accusations that he was a Nazi sympathizer.

Eugenics devotee Edgar Rice Burroughs is not on the cover of Sgt. Pepper, but his creation Tarzan is.



In his memoir, Tony Curtis felt the need to clarify his well publicized comment that kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler.



Curtis wrote: “After the scene on the yacht, some of the crew and I stood around to watch the rushes, and afterwards they wanted to know what it was like to kiss her. I figured a question that stupid deserved a stupid answer, so I flippantly responded by saying, ‘Kissing Marilyn is like kissing Hitler.’ I was right—it was a stupid answer. What I should have said was ‘What do you think kissing her is like, birdbrain?’ Or I could have had the good sense to just say nothing. But my thoughtless comment became public knowledge, and the story still makes the rounds. So let me set the record straight once and for all: I hated Hitler. As a Jewish kid in New York, I threw condom bombs on pro-Nazi parades. I loved Marilyn Monroe. And she was a terrific kisser.”



If this all sounds like a conspiracy tabloid, please remember that I am resisting the temptation to suggest that Marilyn Monroe was a victim of Operation Monarch, a CIA project involving former Nazi scientists. I also won't say anything about rumors that actor Errol Flynn was a bisexual Nazi spy who had an affair with Sgt. Pepper character Tyrone Power. And if you look hard enough, you can find a website that claims that Hitler was replaced by Aleister Crowley. I refuse to stoop that low even in the month of April.



It is important to note that The Beatles were once unfairly accused of being racist when someone dug up an ancient outtake from the "Get Back" sessions.



John Lennon was once questioned about an unfortunate remark that he allegedly made to Maureen Cleave regarding a relationship between show business and the Jewish religion. Journalist Larry Kane said that he was once angered by a slur about Jewish people from the back of a plane where the Beatles and Derek Taylor were seated. Kane seemed to believe that one of the Beatles said it even though Derek Taylor took the blame. But there is very little evidence that any of the Beatles really believed in any kind of racial or ethnic superiority.

There are in fact several people on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper" who fought for human rights, including Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Temple, and Marlon Brando (not to mention John, Paul, George and Ringo). Albert Einstein was hated by the Nazis. Marlene Dietrich, star of "Judgment at Nuremberg" recorded anti-Nazi songs. It is just that whenever you try to find connections between some of the individuals on the Sgt. Pepper cover, some surprising patterns emerge.