American teenagers as a culture force came into their own in
the 1950s, and as always, the white/middle-aged forces in control were
instantly threatened, trying to demonize kids with the over-stated “juvenile
delinquency” scare of that decade. However, the combined power of Elvis
Presley, James Dean, and the Crypt Keeper could not equal what happened to
teens in 1964. They screamed like they were being murdered. They peed their
pants. They threw themselves in front of and out of moving vehicles. They lost
complete and total control. This crazed behavior was a consequence of three of
the things the older generation most feared: sex, Rock & Roll, and
foreigners. Those foreigners in question were four youngsters from Liverpool,
England, and though The Beatles projected a seemingly wholesome image,
teenagers correctly interpreted the licentious messages of Rock & Roll like
“Please Please Me”, “Twist and Shout”, and even “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. Consequently,
they went cuckoo.
