It was a joke so obvious that people on Twitter could not possibly take it literally – or could they?
The Bee Gees once regretfully sang “I started a joke”, and Twitter user Rachel Burns might be feeling the same way this morning after a quip about former Bee Gee Barry Gibb’s Glastonbury performance escalated quickly into a modern media tragedy in its own right.
Alluding to the array of Bee Gees hits that have been recorded by other artists over the years, Burns tweeted:
Shame Barry Gibb hasn't got more of his own material. First he covered Take That, then Boyzone, now Steps. #Glastonbury2017
— Rachel Burns (@RachJBurns) June 25, 2017
While plenty of people enjoyed the joke, not everybody got it, and some were at pains to explain just how wrong Rachel was.
No hunny, he actually did the songs first and then THEY covered them
— Keith Mbabawo (@KeithThePoet) June 25, 2017
Haha - he's written more wonderful songs than you've had hot dinners!
— Adam Gaunt (@AdamTGaunt) June 25, 2017
Some wanted to argue about the joke at great length.
And Rachel showed the patience of a saint with some of them.
There are always people who can’t accept that maybe a joke has gone over their head.
Rachel seemed to have an apposite reply for each occasion.
Of course, eventually people started asking silly questions on purpose.
How much of the money Mr Gibb is paid for his performance has to go to the artists whose songs he is stealing?
— Dom Joly (@domjoly) June 25, 2017
And Rachel got on a roll misattributing later examples of things that the Bee Gees did.
Gibb was visibly moved at the end of his solo set, having played songs written and recorded with his late brothers in a 45-year career as a trio. Maurice died in 2003 due to complications from a twisted intestine, while Robin died in 2012 after suffering from colon cancer.
In a nod to their disco years, during the course of his Glastonbury set, Gibb was persuaded to wear a sparkly fancy dress Bee Gees jacket handed to him from the crowd.
Jacket required! Barry Gibb borrows 'a Bee Gees coat' from the #Glastonbury2017 crowd, before bringing his set to a close with Tragedy! pic.twitter.com/TzqA3peE2q
— BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) June 25, 2017
Barry Gibb hit after hit & then he puts on a gold jacket from crowd True Legend!!!! #Glastonbury2017 pic.twitter.com/9B0NSE8u2N
— Catherine Fookes (@organiccath) June 25, 2017
I bet that Barry Gibb never thought that he would end up doing his biggest gig wearing a gold bomber jacket from Primark.#Glastonbury2017
— Darren Smith (@AnInfiniteDaz) June 25, 2017
One of Glastonbury’s better banners this year was a play on a Bee Gees song and the notorious risk of muddy weather at the site.
Gibb’s set also had a treat for the crowd, as the security staff and stewards had prepared a dance routine at the front during Bee Gees anthem Stayin’ Alive.
"Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'" #Glastonbury2017 is Stayin' Alive with Barry Gibb! Watch live: https://t.co/bgnWmYDQT5 pic.twitter.com/LaVyUWKvS9
— BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) June 25, 2017
But if that was the best organised dance routine of the Glastonbury weekend, there were people happy to hand the accolade of best tweet to Burns’ joke.
Best tweet of #Glastonbury2017 . You really have to wonder if humour is actually wasted on 99% of twitter!
— Uncle Monty (@barberville) June 25, 2017
You win again, Rachel.
By way of a mad coincidence I bought this today from a charity shop, for my husband. It's one of his (not)guilty pleasures. #Glastonbury2017 pic.twitter.com/LclBjCCUEc
— Rachel Burns (@RachJBurns) June 25, 2017
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