ABSTRACT
From its etymological roots in “madness” and “lunacy” to its more current usage in psychiatry as a hyperactive mental disorder, the word “mania” has long served as a marker for irregular and potentially destructive behavior. Given this history, it should come as little surprise that the arrival of Beatlemania in the United States-punctuated by large demonstrative crowds of hysterically sobbing and screaming teenage girls-aroused the attention of numerous sociologists, pop psychologists, and behavioral specialists.1 In keeping with this spirit, the Seattle Daily Times arranged for its own child expert, Dr. Bernard Saibel (the supervisor of the Washington State Division of Community Services), to attend and report on the Beatles’ August 21, 1964 concert at the Seattle Center Coliseum. Saibel’s alarmed response, fearful of the sexually charged “orgy” that was unfolding before him, demonstrates the degree to which Beatlemania was indeed perceived as a mania, and one that thrust into the media spotlight the moral concerns surrounding teenage female sexuality.
