When fans of a celebrity identify so strongly with their idol that they see them as a demi-god and this idyllic image is subsequently shattered by the fact that they are merely human, the results can indeed be tragic. Chapman had been an avid fan of the Beatles and particularly of Lennon, but his admiration later turned to obsession and, eventually, resentment. Apparently, Lennon's new visibility fueled Chapman's insanity enough to compel him to travel to New York and stalk him.
Twenty five years later this past December 8th, the Strawberry Fields memorial was packed with fans paying tribute to Lennon. The memorial consists of a garden in Central Park, directly across the street from the Dakota on the corner of West 72nd Street and Central Park West. The central part of the memorial is a circular mosaic. In the center is the single word "imagine"--which is, of course, the title of one of the most famous of Lennon's songs.
Once again, people gathered in tribute. Once again, I felt a slight twinge of uneasiness at the sight of tearful fans and aging ex-hippies strumming Beatles tunes on their guitars. Yes, it was certainly touching and appropriate, but a little part of me said to myself: Don't these people have a life? What would Lennon think of all this?
It is of course impossible to say what Lennon would be doing today if he were still alive. I like to imagine that he would still be living in New York, perhaps still making music, and probably protesting the Iraqi war as vehemently and outspokenly as he had once protested the war in Vietnam.
As things stand, Mark David Chapman lives on. His identity will forevermore be merged with Lennon's--which, I suppose, is what Chapman ultimately dreamed of.
Article comments
1 - Greg
Imagine= Best song ever hands down!!!
2 - Elvira Black
Here's a cool pic of the Imagine memorial in Strawberry Fields.
3 - sr
Elvira. Best song ever. Dont agree with much of what you say Elvira, however Elivra the song was the best.
4 - sr
John Lennon sucked.
5 - Elvira Black
sr:
Thanks for the comments--wish you'd elaborate a bit on what you said though. In what way did Lennon suck? As a person? As a Beatle? As a solo performer? You've got my curiousity piqued!
6 - Scott Butki
Great piece. Just one question: Who is BG? Big Guy?
Barry Gibb?
7 - Elvira Black
Hey, thanks, Scott!
Yep, I forgot to clarify who BG is. BG is my comrade in arms/boyfriend/tormentor/fellow crazy person.
BG stands for Bowleg Guy. Bowleg is a word he and his kin devised to refer to two things:
a. Pot
b. Bowlegger=a bumpkin.
Though BG fancies himself a seasoned New Yorker, having been here for decades, he still retains some of the guilelessness of the "rube" in my opinion. Kind of a Joe Buck character who had his share of Ratso Rizzo hangers on back in the day.
8 - Scott Butki
Ah. thanks for the explanation.
9 - RH
>> As things stand, [The Loser Nobody Murderer] lives on. His identity will forevermore be merged with Lennon's--which, I suppose, is what Chapman ultimately dreamed of <<
And you played along, rewarding him with recognition, even though you realized it was his motive in the first place.
Nice going, Ms. Insightful. If everyone called him The Loser Nobody, the next guy who wanted instant fame might have second thoughts about killing someone to get it.
10 - Elvira Black
RH:
Um, I don't see any point in denying that Chapman did what he did. I'm not rewarding him--what I was doing was trying to point out that some of the "regular people" out there also seem a bit batty to me--just to a lesser degree.
Should we not mention Lee Harvey Oswald';s name in connectioni with JFK? etc etc? This is part of history, albeit an ugly part, and all we can do is try not to be doomed to repeat it. That may not be possible, but I think giving this guy a "special" name is also making him into more of a notable person, in a sense. At least I'm not giving him a nice nickname, like "Ted" for Theodore Bundy....
Many, if not most, celebs nowadays have stalker problems--as do many non-celebs. It's a serious issue that shouldn't be swept under the rug. Big celebs cannot just lead normal lives. A good example, perhaps, of the old "be careful what you wish for" caveat.
Profilers and other investigators often turn to convicted murderers to try to gain insight into what motivates people to stalk and kill. I think this info can be valuable in the long run. I don't think Chapman should make any money off interviews, books, etc--if any money is made, it should go to the victiim's families.
I think Chapman will forever be one of the most reviled individuals in our culture. That's fame of a sort, but not any kind I'd want to have.
Hope this clarifies my position a bit.
11 - Elvira Black
RH:
PS--Do you have an a URL that works? The one you provided didn't, at least for me.
12 - Scott Butki
RH - I don't understand or agree with RH's criticism