# yoko ono **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279 "2014-07-03T16:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/1 "2014-07-03T16:42:37Z")
I don’t understand why Yoko Ono is able to get people to pay her for performances. I can see that early on, maybe people thought she was ‘artistic’ and ‘deep’ or maybe they were high, or maybe they just wanted to see a train wreck. But this is stillgoing on? I’ve never seen any who liked her performances and everyone universally thinks they are bad. Why does she still get gigs then. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/2 "2014-07-03T16:47:05Z")
Because she’s Yoko Ono, ex-wife of John Lennon? Because she has a talent that some people can enjoy? Because she had an art career prior to meeting John, and marrying the guy doesn’t mean she’s got to quit her job and stay in the kitchen? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/3 "2014-07-03T16:52:36Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Because she’s Yoko Ono, ex-wife of John Lennon? She’s actually the _widow_ of John Lennon. Anyway, she has a fan base, just like anyone who’s been famous at some point or other. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/4 "2014-07-03T16:54:21Z")
Either because people want to pay to see her or she rents the hall and loses money. Understand that even without being the billionaire widow of John Lennon that her family is one of the richest in Japan. I’m not a Yoko hater, but I do dislike her singing, including on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey. It is just awful. That said, I know how to skip a track. I wouldn’t see a Yoko Ono performance for free. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/5 "2014-07-03T17:04:14Z")
If there’s someone you can live without, then do so. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/6 "2014-07-03T17:13:18Z")
Personally, I’m torn by Yoko. Sometimes I listen, and I just don’t get it. Other times, it’s beautiful. It seems like my appreciation of her is determined by my own mind set, rather than anything in particular about her performance. She’s not the only artist I feel that way about, but she personifies it best. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/7 "2014-07-03T17:53:27Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > She’s actually the _widow_ of John Lennon. Anyway, she has a fan base, just like anyone who’s been famous at some point or other. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/8 "2014-07-03T19:53:48Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > I can see that early on, maybe people thought she was ‘artistic’ and ‘deep’ or maybe they were high, or maybe they just wanted to see a train wreck. John thought she was brilliant. I trust his opinion more than yours. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/9 "2014-07-03T20:17:43Z")
Holy shit! I just looked at her wiki page and she’s 81! Points for still being out there even if she does suck. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/10 "2014-07-03T21:48:42Z")
I don’t listen to her music, but I did attend a retrospective on her art career at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I walked in skeptical and left converted to the opinion that she was an interesting and expressive artist, with far more range and wit than those who hadn’t bothered to look credited her with. Maybe if I spent the proper time and listened correctly I might be converted on her music, too. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/11 "2014-07-03T22:03:03Z")
Yoko’s stuff on _Double Fantasy_ is as good as John’s. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/12 "2014-07-03T22:09:54Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > John thought she was brilliant. I trust his opinion more than yours. He was off his tits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/13 "2014-07-03T22:17:10Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > Yoko’s stuff on _Double Fantasy_ is as good as John’s. Mary Matlin can carry a tune better than Yoko. The songs were fine, but the singing sounded as bad as … Yoko Ono trying to sing. Her songwriting was strong, but she should have had someone else do the performing. Just my opinion. (And that of most of humanity.) And I do want to make clear that I am overall quite grateful to Yoko Ono for keeping John and the Beatles together as long as they did. Her efforts saved everything starting with the White Album to Abbey Road. She did not break the Beatles up. All four of them wanted out, especially John. > [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > John thought she was brilliant. I trust his opinion more than yours. He was in love with her and not quite rational on the subject. Linda McCartney was just as bad, if not worse, in Wings, but Paul, despite also being in love with his wife, knew she couldn’t play or sing, and spared us through the magic of mixing. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/14 "2014-07-03T22:20:00Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > He was off his tits. Big time. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/15 "2014-07-03T22:35:53Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > Yoko’s stuff on _Double Fantasy_ is as good as John’s. To someone (like me) that can’t stand _any_ of _Double Fantasy_, that gives a different judgement of her talent than you may have intended.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/16 "2014-07-03T23:07:11Z")
If there’s something you can just shove out, then do so. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/17 "2014-07-04T00:47:45Z")
I love her stuff. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-sMr0boVlM)’s a recentish collaboration with Basement Jaxx. And here’s one of my top-ten dance tracks of ALL TIME, Yoko Ono’s “[Walking on Thin Ice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzV7FiuDYKo).” Unparalleled. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/18 "2014-07-04T01:38:46Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I don’t listen to her music, but I did attend a retrospective on her art career at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I walked in skeptical and left converted to the opinion that she was an interesting and expressive artist, with far more range and wit than those who hadn’t bothered to look credited her with. I saw some of her art at an exhibit in New York (I think the theme was physically small works of art) and your description sums up my reaction as well. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/19 "2014-07-04T04:33:30Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > John thought she was brilliant. I trust his opinion more than yours. Indeed. Enjoy her dulcet tones here, particularly around 1:20 and 2:30. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U) ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279/20 "2014-07-04T05:12:57Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Indeed. Enjoy her dulcet tones here, particularly around 1:20 and 2:30. > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U) Oh my god, I haven’t laughed that hard in months. Thankys! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoko-ono/692279.md?page=2)