Anthems of Whose Generation?
This chapter discusses millennial Beatles fan culture and Beatles tribute bands, slash fiction, YouTube, heritage culture, Beatles walks, LeakyCon, and Potterverse. These manifestations of Beatles fandom epitomize the desires of millennials who want to inhabit Beatles art and twist the music and lyrics into new cultural forms. Millennial fans want to be playful with canons and reimagine songs and films. Millennials’ digital “cultural construction” and remix bricolage texts represent a desire to reorganize anthems of the past to make them relevant to the present. Millennials are active fans who mash fan vids, set up Facebook groups, bring personalized signs to McCartney concerts, and collect ’60s memorabilia. Unlike boomer fans, they are not content to be passive: millennial tribute bands, slash fiction, YouTube videos, conventions, and heritage culture make Beatles culture fresh, new, and exciting. This chapter includes interviews with millennials and postmillennials for insight into these fans’ new direction.