Why did John need glasses
ANNE-MARIE DE BRUIN
NH> From: Norm Hill <nh...@ix.netcom.com>
NH> Well...why? What was wrong with his eyes?
I was reading in some book or another that John was short-sighted...
I guess maybe that's why Sean wears glasses too - he inherited the
shortsightedness.
--- Maximus 2.02
* Origin: Infoboard - Auckland - (09) 833-8788 - (199:310/40)
Maren Williams
performing he couldn't see past the front of the stage.
Maren 'Bob" Williams
Gurzeler
It is funny (or maybe not so funny) how such a simple question can result
in so many dumb-ass replies. Remember: There is no such thing as a stupid
question, only stupid answers.
People need glasses for many reasons; they may be either nearsighted
(myopic), farsighted (hyperopic), or require reading glasses (presbyopic).
They may need glasses because they have astigmatism which is an irregular
curvature of the cornea and results in blurred or distorted vision.
John was, by all accounts, nearsighted. I do not know when he started
wearing glasses, but judging by the photos of the glasses he wore I'd
hazard a guess he was somewhere between 20/100 and 20/200. If any ODs are
reading this post your input would be greatly appreciated.
How did I arrive at those numbers? First, ultra thin lightweight plastic
lenses did not exist in John's time so his lenses were made out of glass.
Since the lenses of his "granny" glasses are small and thin (assuming, of
course, he wore those glasses in order to see well and not just as a
prop), he couldn't have been extremely nearsighted (say, 20/600) because
his lenses would have been as thick as coke bottle bottoms. The only
contact lenses available at the time (ca. 1965) were hard lenses and
anyone with experience with such contacts knows they are uncomfortable,
easily lost, and a pain to maintain. Personally, I think John wore his
contacts as little as possible and eventually switched back to eyeglasses.
It would be interesting to know for sure what John's eyechart reading was;
he may have been able to see Paul and George next to him on stage but not
see past the fifth row of seats!! I'll bet asute students of the visual
sciences could watch John on film and tell if he's wearing contacts or not
(squinting is one clue).
Fred
LiveLetDie
gurz...@aol.com (Gurzeler) wrote:
>John was, by all accounts, nearsighted. I do not know when he started
>wearing glasses, but judging by the photos of the glasses he wore I'd
>hazard a guess he was somewhere between 20/100 and 20/200.
>It would be interesting to know for sure what John's eyechart reading was;
> he may have been able to see Paul and George next to him on stage but not
>see past the fifth row of seats!! I'll bet asute students of the visual
>sciences could watch John on film and tell if he's wearing contacts or not
>(squinting is one clue).
From Pete Shotton's book, I gather that John was wearing glasses at a
fairly young age (grade school). Some speculate that his poor
adjustment to school was due in part to his bad vision. A lot of
folks attribute John's intimidating "in your face" way of looking at
people ("Give us a kiss!") to be due to the fact that he hated
wearing his glasses and he had to get close to really see people. I
have also read that although he did wear contacts for a while, he gave
up wearing them on stage because the glare of the lights was made
worse by contacts. Now if I only could remember where I read some
of this stuff . . . If I could find my glasses I would check my books!
liveletdie
saki
In article <4t8ale$k...@mtinsc01-mgt.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
LiveLetDie <livel...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
>From Pete Shotton's book, I gather that John was wearing glasses at a
>fairly young age (grade school). Some speculate that his poor
>adjustment to school was due in part to his bad vision.
Sounds to me like more of an adjustment-to-discipline thing. :-) John
was an avid reader at home, and by his aunt's account devoured classic
literature as well as writing and drawing literary tomes of his own.
But he was not an admirer of authority, neither from his aunt nor from
his schoolmasters.
>A lot of
>folks attribute John's intimidating "in your face" way of looking at
>people ("Give us a kiss!") to be due to the fact that he hated
>wearing his glasses and he had to get close to really see people.
I can also recall numerous fanzines explaining John's apparent
stand-offishness and "cool appraising stare" resulting from his
inability to see properly. If you watch him in interviews from the
early sixties, particularly 1963-65, he seems less inclined to break
down the barriers between himself and his questioners. Clowning around
with comrades was quite a different thing, as these same newsreels
will show.
--
"It's a modern, changing world, everything is moving fast. But when it
comes to love I like what they did in the past...."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
sa...@evolution.bchs.uh.edu
Chris Rigda
Fred wrote:
"It would be interesting to know for sure what John's eyechart reading
was; he may have been able to see Paul and George next to him on stage
but not see past the fifth row of seats!! I'll bet asute students of the
visual sciences could watch John on film and tell if he's wearing
contacts or not (squinting is one clue)."
You can tell in Help! that John probably wasn't wearing contacts because
he seemed to be squinting a lot. Just take a look at the scene where
Spinetti (mad scientist) is doing that experiment on Ringo and says "with
ring like that..." John stands close behind him and gets very close and
squints. There is also the restaurant scene and the jeweler scene. It
made him look more tough indeed.
So contacts didn't appear until 1965? I could swear there is a scene in
AHDN when they are at the nightclub instead of doing fanmail where the
camera pans directly at John and it looks like he has contacts in. I
must be seeing things (yes, I had MY contacts in!).
I'd like to thank Mandy for bringing this up. I had never really noticed
this stuff before, and what the heck, that's what this group is for.
--
Christine Rigda
Youngstown State University
cri...@cc.ysu.edu
Danny Caccavo
In article <8C523E1.0248...@powerlink.iconz.co.nz>,
anne-mari...@powerlink.iconz.co.nz (ANNE-MARIE DE BRUIN) wrote:
> NH> From: Norm Hill <nh...@ix.netcom.com>
>
> NH> Well...why? What was wrong with his eyes?
>
> I was reading in some book or another that John was short-sighted...
> I guess maybe that's why Sean wears glasses too - he inherited the
> shortsightedness.
>
> --- Maximus 2.02
> * Origin: Infoboard - Auckland - (09) 833-8788 - (199:310/40)
I have often thought his myopia was the reason he often looked so removed
on stage (I mean, he was REALLY nearsighted - imagine playing in front of
those screaming fans, and not being able to see them.....)
But...what's with the picture of Paul on the cover of Lewisohn? With
glasses? -DC
Bob Grubb
Chris Rigda wrote:
[snip]
> I'd like to thank Mandy for bringing this up. I had never really noticed
> this stuff before, and what the heck, that's what this group is for.
>
Jeffrey D Mason
Gang, I'm worried. We haven't heard from Mandy in a while. Do we think that
the clods hurt her too badly? scared her off? If so, shame on them. As far
as most of us are concerned, come back Mandy!
JMason
Gurzeler
Chris Rigda <cri...@cc.ysu.edu> wrote:
"So contacts didn't appear until 1965?"
I'll have to recheck my original post, but I hope I didn't say that!
Contact lenses have been around longer (but not much) than 1965; soft
lenses came later.
Anyway, why was John shy about wearing glasses in public? Was it not
considered "cool"? Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison destroyed that stigma some
time before. Thinking about good ol' Roy makes me wonder if John's
sunglasses had prescription lenses; I think he pretty much wore the same
pair throughout 1965 and in 1966 it became chic for rock stars to wear
glasses, albeit with small frames and tinted lenses. In this one case I
think the Beatles followed a fad rather than leading one; I'm almost
positive the glasses thing originated with Bay area bands such as
Jefferson Airplane, et al.
On the otherhand, I recall reading that Elvis wore contact lenses although
I can't recall if it was because he was nearsighted or if his lenses were
specially tinted to make his brown eyes blue. And Elvis was John's
idol...
See? A question as simple as why did John need glasses doesn't mean the
answer has to be simple, too!
Fred
saki
In article <4taq6b$q...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
Gurzeler <gurz...@aol.com> wrote:
>Chris Rigda <cri...@cc.ysu.edu> wrote:
>
>"So contacts didn't appear until 1965?"
>
>I'll have to recheck my original post, but I hope I didn't say that!
>Contact lenses have been around longer (but not much) than 1965; soft
>lenses came later.
I think that the original statement is mine, and what I meant was that
for John contacts didn't appear on the horizon much before c. 1965. I
don't have an exact prescription date. :-)
>Anyway, why was John shy about wearing glasses in public?
Glasses were not considered cool. Shades were, of course (viz, Stuart
Sutcliffe in various James-Dean poses), but in the late fifties and
early sixties, glasses were not in vogue.
>Was it not
>considered "cool"? Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison destroyed that stigma some
>time before.
Actually not. While Paul once gave an interview asserting that John
liked wearing his glasses after both of them became enraptured with
Buddy Holly, there was actually limited global imitation of Holly's
horn-rims and John in particular *did not* take to wearing his horn-
rims in public.
Dezo Hoffmann, the Fabs' early publicity photographer, spent some time
persuading John to be photographed with them, but although this was
done, John would not allow the photo to be used.
Orbison wore shades. See "cool/James-Dean", above. :-)
>See? A question as simple as why did John need glasses doesn't mean the
>answer has to be simple, too!
Absolutely. :-)
His glasses *were* legal, right? :-)
Maren Williams
Maren "Bob" Williams
Edmund Schlussel
Danny Caccavo wrote:
> I have often thought his myopia was the reason he often looked so removed
> on stage (I mean, he was REALLY nearsighted - imagine playing in front of
> those screaming fans, and not being able to see them.....)
> But...what's with the picture of Paul on the cover of Lewisohn? With
> glasses? -DC
He wouldn't even have to be that nearsighted. I'm only about 20/50 and
without my glasses everything past ten feet is illegibly foggy. All John
would have seen is a sea of dark skintones with no facial features.
However, that doesn't necessarily explain his "far look." I've seen that
expression mostly on musicians who aren't looking at anything because
they're too busy listening to the other three band members. Rhythm people
especially have this problem; if they lose a beat it's hard to get back
in sync.
The only times I've seen Paul wear glasses are during his "Holly Days"
Buddy Holly banquets. Is that it?
Edmund
B. Pham
gurz...@aol.com (Gurzeler) wrote:
>Anyway, why was John shy about wearing glasses in public? Was it not
>considered "cool"? Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison destroyed that stigma some
>time before. Thinking about good ol' Roy makes me wonder if John's
>sunglasses had prescription lenses; I think he pretty much wore the same
>pair throughout 1965 and in 1966 it became chic for rock stars to wear
>glasses, albeit with small frames and tinted lenses. In this one case I
>think the Beatles followed a fad rather than leading one; I'm almost
>positive the glasses thing originated with Bay area bands such as
>Jefferson Airplane, et al.
>
I bet John didn't wear glasses publicly because of vanity. The thick-rimmed
glasses that he wore in private didn't fit with his image as a "tough" guy.
I've been wearing glasses since I was 17 and I hate it. Even though they're
very stylish (to me), I usually only wear them when I'm driving. As soon as
laser eye surgery becomes safe and affordable, I'm getting rid of my
glasses!
b
Bob Stahley
saki <dl...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
: LiveLetDie <livel...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
: >From Pete Shotton's book, I gather that John was wearing glasses at a
: >fairly young age (grade school). Some speculate that his poor
: >adjustment to school was due in part to his bad vision.
: Sounds to me like more of an adjustment-to-discipline thing. :-) John
: was an avid reader at home, and by his aunt's account devoured classic
: literature as well as writing and drawing literary tomes of his own.
: But he was not an admirer of authority, neither from his aunt nor from
: his schoolmasters.
Ah, but near-sightedness could have made it hard to see a blackboard, or a
teacher's facial expressions, either of which could make it hard to follow
a lecture.
Considering that John's hunger for intelectual stimulation manifested
itself in seeking out reading materials outside of school, it's a sure bet
he wasn't getting his needs met in the classroom.
(Yeah, I know: "Duh")
--
__ __
_) _) bo...@primenet.com
__)__) fenix, azirona Why is a raven like a writing-desk?
Roger Wiseman
jdm...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jeffrey D Mason) wrote:
>Gang, I'm worried. We haven't heard from Mandy in a while. Do we think that
>the clods hurt her too badly? scared her off? If so, shame on them. As far
>as most of us are concerned, come back Mandy!
<singing> "Oh, Mandy, ....." a Barry Manilow reference
--
cr...@ovnet.com (Crow(Roger Wiseman)) #(:)o]
Guitarist
__________________________________________
Jeet Kune Do/Kung Fu martial artist @)
__________________________________________
"Love is the answer..." John Lennon
Eric Johnson
Gurzeler wrote:
>
> It is funny (or maybe not so funny) how such a simple question can result
> in so many dumb-ass replies. Remember: There is no such thing as a stupid
> question, only stupid answers.
>
> People need glasses for many reasons; they may be either nearsighted
> (myopic), farsighted (hyperopic), or require reading glasses (presbyopic).
> They may need glasses because they have astigmatism which is an irregular
> curvature of the cornea and results in blurred or distorted vision.
>
> wearing glasses, but judging by the photos of the glasses he wore I'd
> reading this post your input would be greatly appreciated.
>
> How did I arrive at those numbers? First, ultra thin lightweight plastic
> lenses did not exist in John's time so his lenses were made out of glass.
> Since the lenses of his "granny" glasses are small and thin (assuming, of
> course, he wore those glasses in order to see well and not just as a
> prop), he couldn't have been extremely nearsighted (say, 20/600) because
> his lenses would have been as thick as coke bottle bottoms. The only
> contact lenses available at the time (ca. 1965) were hard lenses and
> anyone with experience with such contacts knows they are uncomfortable,
> easily lost, and a pain to maintain. Personally, I think John wore his
> contacts as little as possible and eventually switched back to eyeglasses.
>
> he may have been able to see Paul and George next to him on stage but not
> see past the fifth row of seats!! I'll bet asute students of the visual
> sciences could watch John on film and tell if he's wearing contacts or not
> (squinting is one clue).
>
Well, speaking for myself I did say John had myopia, and even stated
that it was a form of near-sightedness, and for this reason I think you
should give me an 'A'
-Eric
John C. Arnold
The replys to this question remind me of the saying, " opinions are like
assholes, everyone has one."
Raymond Arritt
In article <4taq6b$q...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
Gurzeler <gurz...@aol.com> wrote:
>Chris Rigda <cri...@cc.ysu.edu> wrote:
>... I'm almost
>positive the glasses thing originated with Bay area bands such as
>Jefferson Airplane, et al.
More likely the Byrds, specifically [Roger|Jim] McGuinn. (By the
way the Byrds were from the LA area, not the Bay area.) The Byrds
are known to have influenced the Beatles musically, so it's
reasonable to suspect that McGuinn's glasses-wearing may have had
some effect on Lennon.
(Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane did wear glasses -- he wasn't really
a fashion-setter, though he was a highly regarded and influential bassist.)
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond W. Arritt e-mail rwar...@iastate.edu
Dept of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 USA
"The largest flying land mammal is the absent mind." - DVV
saki
In article <4tj6po$s...@news.iastate.edu>,
Raymond Arritt <rwar...@iastate.edu> wrote:
>More likely the Byrds, specifically [Roger|Jim] McGuinn. (By the
>way the Byrds were from the LA area, not the Bay area.) The Byrds
>are known to have influenced the Beatles musically, so it's
>reasonable to suspect that McGuinn's glasses-wearing may have had
>some effect on Lennon.
Certainly on all the Fabs; they all sported Byrd glasses
(non-prescription, so it seems, if you look at the colorful lenses)
during 1966.
I believe that the Private Gripweed glasses John wore in character for
"How I Won The War" was the influential moment for his return to
decorative as well as functional eyewear.
Angela Liljestrand
I recall seeing still pictures of Paul wearing glasses in the studio
during the '65 era of the Anthology on ABC. I wondered the same thing, why
was he wearing them? Is he nearsighted?
--
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUNSHINE--
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\
/ \/ \ / \ \/ \
/~~~~\~~ / \ / \
/ \ ~~~~~ \~~~~~~
/ \ \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeffrey Mills
They were all wearing shades around the "Revolver" period.
saki
In article <4tkdtv$6...@tali.UCHSC.edu>,
Angela Liljestrand <bn...@freenet.uchsc.edu> wrote:
>
> I recall seeing still pictures of Paul wearing glasses in the studio
>during the '65 era of the Anthology on ABC. I wondered the same thing, why
>was he wearing them? Is he nearsighted?
These look a bit like John's glasses; Paul's also pictured wearing
similar glasses on the cover of "Recording Sessions". Either it was
done for a lark or some other unexplained purpose. I'm not aware that
Paul had any vision problems at that time.
--
"I practice every day to find some clever line to say
to make the meaning come true...."
-----------------------------------------------------
sa...@evolution.bchs.uh.edu
Ben Kington
Maren Williams (mhwil...@panda.uiowa.edu) wrote:
: >>>>
: the evil norm has locked her in the dungeon. we must rescue her!!!
: Maren "Bob" Williams
I'm sorry, but I haven't been on this news group very long. Who is Norm
and what's the deal with Mandy's Email address?
--
-=-Ben Kington-=- Email: bkin...@freenet.columbus.oh.us Go Buckeyes!
"It must be one of those unidentified flying cupcakes."-Cartoon Ringo in
Yellow Submarine.
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/7700/index.com