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In the 21st century, rabid fans could turn their attention to a whole swath of pop stars in the making when the reality TV program American Idol hit the airwaves in 2002. Beatlemania was at such a fever pitch that Life magazine cautioned that “a Beatle who ventures out unguarded into the streets runs the very real peril of being dismembered or crushed to death by his fans.” The BBC publicized the trend and perhaps added to it by highlighting the paraphernalia for fans to spend their money on: “T-shirts, sweat shirts, turtle-neck sweaters, tight-legged trousers, night shirts, scarves, and jewelry inspired by the Beatles” were all available, as were Beatles-style mop-top wigs. The crime rate that night dropped to its lowest level in 50 years (Ehrenreich, et. ![]() Their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was seen by 73 million people, or 40 percent of the U.S. When the British foursome touched down at New York’s Kennedy Airport in 1964, they were met by more than 3,000 frenzied fans. Though other performers like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were no strangers to manic crowds, the Beatles attracted an unprecedented amount of attention when they first arrived in the United States. The “Jenny rage” that the savvy Barnum was able to create was not a unique phenomenon, however a little more than a century later, a new craze transformed some American teenagers into screaming, fainting Beatlemaniacs. Barnum’s marketing expertise made Lind a household name and created an overwhelming demand for a singer previously unknown to American audiences. Enthusiasts could purchase Jenny Lind hats, chairs, boots, opera glasses, and even pianos. A town in California and an island in Canada were named in her honor. Congress was adjourned specifically for Lind’s visit to Washington, DC, where the National Theatre had to be enlarged to accommodate her audiences. shores, she was greeted by 40,000 ardent fans another 20,000 swarmed her hotel (Barnum). When the Swedish soprano’s ship docked on U.S. Ever the savvy self-promoter, Barnum turned his huge investment to his advantage by using it to create publicity-and it paid off. Barnum promised Lind an unprecedented $1,000-a-night fee (the equivalent of $28,300 in 2009) for her entire 93-performance tour of the United States. #Im not earning steam achievments for the binding of issac on mac seriesand Barnum & Bailey), a shrewd marketer and self-made millionaire, is credited with spreading “Lindomania” through a series of astute show-business moves. Barnum (who would later go on to found the circus now known as Ringling Bros. In 1850, an epidemic swept America-but instead of leaving victims sick with fever or flu, this epidemic involved a rabid craze for the music of Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. Just as fans could purchase Jerry Lind hats, Beatles fans could purchase Beatle wigs (as pictured above). Paul Townsend – 1960s Beatlemania Fashion – CC BY-ND 2.0.
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