# Yoko Ono- why do I dislike her so much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635 "2009-05-16T12:34:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/1 "2009-05-16T12:34:41Z")
There is no sane reason. She has little talent for much as I can see but I see a video from the 70’s tonight with Lennon and her there with a blindfold with signs such as “hope”. Every now and then she would chant “peace”. It was Instant Kharma. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/2 "2009-05-16T13:37:37Z")
Because she would have been nothing if she had not hooked up with JL? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/3 "2009-05-16T15:50:38Z")
People simply blame her for breaking up the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/4 "2009-05-16T15:55:20Z")
She was already a successful artist before she met Lennon. His fame certainly helped her career, but it didn’t create it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/5 "2009-05-16T16:23:05Z")
The Beatles had huge problems with duelling egos. Yoko didn’t help matters, she acted more as a provocateur than a peacemaker, but they would almost certainly have broken up without her. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/6 "2009-05-16T17:13:34Z")
I have told this story many times, but once when I lived in NYC, I was walking through Central Park early one spring afternoon and saw this beautiful Asian woman with really long hair coming towards me…and yes, it was Yoko and ohmygod that is indeed John walking next to her! I was so excited - and they probably saw my face as they gracefully veered off onto another path. The point of that story is that Yoko, in real life, is actually quite attractive (at least back then) and, as a Gay guy, if I notice a woman in a crowd, that is saying something! She is also one hell of a businesswoman…I would trust her with every nickel I own. She has take sizable wealth and turned it into a huge fortune. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/7 "2009-05-16T17:26:37Z")
When JL was killed she donated a bulletproof vest for every officer in the NYPD. Pretty classy. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/8 "2009-05-16T18:01:57Z")
Personally, I love Yoko and always have. I never understood why people hate her. A feminist blogger I like a lot, who is also a Beatles fanatic, wrote an interesting piece about her, and how she was demonized by the media and whatnot. If you are serious about reconsidering your knee jerk reaction to her, you might find it informative. [http://imaginepeace.com/news/archives/5272](http://imaginepeace.com/news/archives/5272) That link goes to Yoko Ono’s site. She read the piece and liked it (even though it isn’t 100% flattery; just fair) and posted it. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/9 "2009-05-16T19:28:26Z")
I really admire Yoko. She is very intelligent, and quite frankly, being married to John Lennon–being in love with him–must have been extremely difficult emotionally. He didn’t cut her any breaks, and while there were years when it really was the two of them against the world, there were also times when he could be extremely hurtful. He’d fuck anybody he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, even with Yoko in the next room–with all their friends sitting there. He disappeared for a year with Yoko’s assistant, May Pang, just because he was bored. I’m not saying she’s the long-suffering little woman at home, but I am saying that when people deomonize her, it’s like they’re giving John a free pass, and not considering that John was a prick to _everybody_. It wasn’t easy to love him and be his partner, in any sense of the word, and the Beatles falling apart had everything to do with John and Paul’s egos (and George’s disenchantment) and not much to do with Yoko herself. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/10 "2009-05-16T19:43:16Z")
Yoko is the name I use to refer to the various domineering girlfriends my friends have periodically ended up with. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/11 "2009-05-16T19:56:11Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > I really admire Yoko. She is very intelligent, and quite frankly, being married to John Lennon–being in love with him–must have been extremely difficult emotionally. He didn’t cut her any breaks, and while there were years when it really was the two of them against the world, there were also times when he could be extremely hurtful. He’d fuck anybody he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, even with Yoko in the next room–with all their friends sitting there. He disappeared for a year with Yoko’s assistant, May Pang, just because he was bored. I’m not saying she’s the long-suffering little woman at home, but I am saying that when people deomonize her, it’s like they’re giving John a free pass, and not considering that John was a prick to _everybody_. It wasn’t easy to love him and be his partner, in any sense of the word, and the Beatles falling apart had everything to do with John and Paul’s egos (and George’s disenchantment) and not much to do with Yoko herself. I agree with almost all of this, but, to be fair, wasn’t it Yoko who insisted Pang be John’s hookup during their separation? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/12 "2009-05-17T00:06:10Z")
I thought she told May to basically “give herself” to John because John was attracted to her, and because John was going to leave anyway. In the interview I read of May’s, she made it sound like it was an open relationship sort of deal, and they had Yoko’s blessing, but she told May that somebody needed to take care of John. And to be fair, that was probably a pretty accurate assessment during that time. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/13 "2009-05-17T01:27:16Z")
I’ve heard Yoko Ono was well off before she met Lennon, is this so? Did her family have money? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/14 "2009-05-17T06:38:46Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Yoko is the name I use to refer to the various domineering girlfriends my friends have periodically ended up with. Why? Given Lennon’s reputation, it’s seems unlikely that Yoko was the the dominant one in that relationship. I kind of like Yoko. I find her music interesting and experimental. I’m not sure I would call it “good”, but she had some interesting ideas. She certainly doesn’t deserve the demonization she’s gotten. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/15 "2009-05-17T07:07:53Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I’ve heard Yoko Ono was well off before she met Lennon, is this so? Did her family have money? I honestly don’t know if she was well off, but she was already well-known and well-regarded as an artist. She didn’t need John for fame/money/attention/etc. I always found it strange that Yoko received so much heat when Linda McCartney was “guilty” of many of Yoko’s so-called crimes–and Linda stood to gain a LOT more by hooking up with Paul. She was a professional photographer, after all. Of course, I think most of the “horror stories” came from Paul, and so he wasn’t going to say “Well, yeah, Yoko was always in the studio being a pain in the ass, but when Linda was there, it was like a tea party!” But both John and Paul had the same need/desire to have their new girlfriends/wives on hand at all times. One of my favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is **The Yoko Factor** precisely because Spike summarized the situation so well. > [@](#): > > Spike: Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Beatles? > > Adam disconnects the cable and closes his face plate. > > ADAM: I have. (stands) I like “Helter Skelter.” > > He crosses to the other side of the chamber. > > Spike: What a surprise. The point is, they were once a real powerful group. It’s not a stretch to say they ruled the world. And when they broke up everyone blamed Yoko, but the fact is the group split itself apart, she just happened to be there. And you know how it is with kids. They go off to college, they grow apart. Way of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/16 "2009-05-17T07:29:05Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Because she would have been nothing if she had not hooked up with JL? But surely most of us are equally nothing yet we are not despised by others for it. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/17 "2009-05-17T07:42:37Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Why? Given Lennon’s reputation, it’s seems unlikely that Yoko was the the dominant one in that relationship. > > I kind of like Yoko. I find her music interesting and experimental. I’m not sure I would call it “good”, but she had some interesting ideas. She certainly doesn’t deserve the demonization she’s gotten. I find her music revolting. We used to have a contest in the 1970’s of sitting and trying to drink a yardglass of cider whilst listening to Yoko Ono through a pair of headsets. Not many lasted the full LP. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/18 "2009-05-17T10:46:59Z")
All I remember of her was that John Lennon album, where one side was Yoko Ono’s-she screamed unmercifully for 16 minutes! THAT was horrible!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/19 "2009-05-17T11:43:14Z")
She was a poseur. “Weird” does not equal “artist.” And I don’t believe for one second that she’d have been taken seriously at all had her audience not been completely stoned. For instance, one of her pieces was a real apple with the label “Apple.” Another was climbing a ladder and looking through a magnifying glass to read “YES.” Her music consisted of her standing on stage and screaming to feedback. Her poetry was nothing more than streams of consciousness. The fact that she had the audacity to present herself an “artist” is a slap in the face to people who commit hundreds of hours into learning and honing their craft. That she felt worthy enough to contribute ANYTHING to a very successful, indisputably talented band is an indication of her chutzpah. She was a hack and doesn’t deserve the title “artist” any more than Linda McCartney deserves the title “musician.” Add this to the fact that she was a manipulative, jealous, ruthless bitch who tried to keep Lennon away from his mates, his wife, and his son and you’ll understand why she’s so universally disliked. Note: That doesn’t diminish Lennon’s share of the blame here. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635/20 "2009-05-17T11:51:46Z")
Well I guess that diminishes my kneejerk reaction 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono-why-do-i-dislike-her-so-much/496635.md?page=2)