Sir Paul McCartney has been dealing with fan requests for more than six decades, but there is one he will always decline: posing for selfies. The 83-year-old former Beatle explained his reasoning in a recent podcast interview with The Rest is Entertainment's Richard Osman and Marina Hyde.
McCartney said that smartphones have transformed fan interactions, with many now reaching for their phones when they meet him. He told the podcast: “I say: ‘I’m sorry, I don’t do pictures.’ And that is radical these days.” He added that he once told Oprah Winfrey the same thing, and when she asked why, he simply replied: “I don’t want to.”
The singer-songwriter elaborated on his refusal, saying he does not want to feel like a performing monkey. He compared the experience to a man on the beach in Saint-Tropez who charges tourists for photos with his monkey. “I really do not want to feel like that monkey,” McCartney said. “And when I take a picture with someone, I do feel like him. I’m not me anymore – I’m suddenly something else.”
McCartney also criticised modern influencer culture, admitting he does not understand it. He noted that some people without apparent talent become incredibly famous, but acknowledged that such views make him sound “very old-fashioned”.
Earlier this month, McCartney surprised fans with a secret playback of his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, at Abbey Road Studios.
