Brian Wilson always had a special connection with Paul McCartney—particularly during the mid-1960s, when both The Beach Boys and The Beatles were at their most experimental, soaking in pivotal new influences. The two songwriters shared a lot of musical hallmarks: unusual chord structures, ornamental melodies, a knack for orchestrations and studio trickery. And their albums of this era engaged in a sort of cultural dialogue, each one inching popular music forward.
In his 2016 memoir, I Am Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys mastermind wrote about first meeting McCartney in the '60s. During that in-studio encounter, Wilson learned that the band’s 1966 classic "God Only Knows" was one of the Beatle’s favorite songs. "It’s the kind of thing people write in liner notes and say on talk shows," he reflected. "When people read it, they kind of look at that sentence and keep going. But think about how much it mattered to me when I first heard it there on Sunset Boulevard. I was the person who wrote 'God Only Knows,' and here was another person—the person who wrote 'Yesterday' and 'And I Love Her' and so many other songs—saying it was his favorite. It really blew my mind."
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Wilson said they kept in touch—McCartney even came over to his house and played him the new Beatles ballad "She’s Leaving Home." That intimate moment had a profound impact: "[He]...told me about the new music he was working on," Wilson recalled. "'There’s one song I want you to hear,' he said. 'I think it’s a nice melody.' He put the tape on and it was 'She’s Leaving Home.' My wife, Marilyn, was there, too, and she just started crying. Listening to Paul play a new song let me see my own songs more clearly. It was hard for me to think about the effect that my music had on other people, but it was easy to see when it was another songwriter."
Wilson and McCartney developed a sort of mutual admiration society—one, perhaps, built on healthy competition. The commonly accepted narrative is that The Beatles’ folky 1965 LP, Rubber Soul, had a big influence on The Beach Boys’ cinematic 1966 masterpiece, Pet Sounds, which then lit a fire under McCartney for The Beatles’ psychedelic 1967 classic, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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"We ended up [with] kind of like a rivalry," McCartney told Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood in 2013. "We’d put a song out, and Brian would hear it and do one," he said. "You’d kind of try to top each other all the time. He eventually came out with his 'God Only Knows' on Pet Sounds. I just think it’s a great song...It’s my favorite Beach Boys song…I got to sing it with Brian once. We did a benefit together. And I was OK on the actual performance—I held it together—but at the soundcheck I lost it. Because it’s very emotional, that song, I find. I’m thinking, 'Oh, my god, I’m singing it with Brian."
Wilson, sadly, died on June 11, 2025 at age 82. As tributes poured in across the music world, McCartney shared a special remembrance of his inspirational friend: "Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special," he wrote in a statement. "The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows.' Thank you, Brian."
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This article originally appeared in May.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.