Selects: John Lennon and the FBI
Summary
This episode explores the FBI's surveillance and harassment of John Lennon in the early 1970s, driven by Nixon’s fear of his influence on young voters. The hosts discuss how the administration sought to "neutralize" Lennon through deportation threats and drug investigations, ultimately forcing him to abandon his political activism. They also examine the role of journalist John Wiener in uncovering these files and the lasting impact of this government pressure on Lennon’s artistic career.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Dell and Lowe's
Intro: John Lennon and the FBI
Yoko Ono's performances and activism
Lennon as a working-class hero
Bed-in protest and Nixon's reaction
J. Edgar Hoover and FBI tactics
Yoko Ono's custody battle and deportation
Strom Thurmond's warning to Nixon
Tangent: 30 Rock reference
John Wiener and FOIA document releases
Sponsors: Amica, Eating Interrupted, AT&T
1968 London arrest and COINTELPRO
John Sinclair and New Left connections
FBI perception of Lennon's threat
Planned anti-Nixon concert series
Wiretapping and the Dakota apartment
Definition of 'neutralizing' Lennon
FBI incompetence and wrong addresses
Sponsors: Amica, Eating Interrupted, McCormick
Lennon's paranoia and legal strategy
Celebrity support and visa extensions
Lennon's retreat from activism
Impact on Lennon's art and health
Document releases and First Amendment
Listener mail: Haunted real estate
Sponsors: Vivgar, Empower, UAGC
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