Nemo -- Sexist? Was I too flippant? I do apologise for not being deferential to others who find her music/art inspiring. I’m usually pretty good about that but not this time. I couldn’t begin to argue the merits of Ono’s recordings because I’ve never been able to warm up to any of it. But not for lack of trying. I’ve tried. And tried. And tried. I have a somewhat adventurous nose for music but my tastes have limits. Two of them are 1) It must be warm, and 2) It must be accessible. I don’t find either in her work. What I have been able to bear listening to is coldly, discordantly atmospheric at best in my opinion.
I don’t doubt that there is an audience for the art that Yoko Ono puts out. My point is that she attained her following almost exclusively as a result of her relationship with Lennon. Is that sexist? If it is, I have a blind spot to correct. Don’t we all?
Yes, I am aware of the many shortcomings Of John Lennon (pomposity was one of his lesser flaws). And Yoko Ono still loved him. In my eyes that reflects well on both of them.
Yes, more or less, from time to time, the eratosphere can be a predictable place. But it can also be the opposite. Like now, for example.
If I have misjudged Yoko Ono and there is good poetry to be shared that I’m not aware of, I’d like to know. The poem that appeared in Poetry was not offensive in anyway. It just turned me off. I have tried to understand her artistry. I gave it a chance. It never clicked -- not even a little bit -- for me.
I will give Yoko Ono credit for her activism and for keeping the activist spirit of John Lennon and the dual vision of peace and love alive all these years. John was galvanized by her. She made him the activist he became.
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