The Things You Like Best About Hippie Culture

[theCryptofishist]

I hate hippie culture. I find it very unwholesome. And that's not about the sex or drugs, but the irresponsibility and collateral damage.

But I'm glad we're not living in a culture that's grown out of 1950s types and expectation. I don't really know what the influences that changed that were, but I think the hippies were a factor.

[Simon of the Playa]

the only reason they are tolerated is because they have the REALLY good drugs.

[gyre]

Depends on how you define the people, if you can.
As early as 1968, what they were was already being debated.

The ones I think of, didn't all use drugs, and seemed to want to do a lot more menial labor than I'm interested in.
Fantasizing about farmwork still baffles me.

The diggers seem to be the classic example to me.
Burning man seems clearly related to their movement in many ways.

I saw the political organizations put together in this period and maintained.
Free clinics, journalism under extreme repression and so on.

Were hippies one group with one philosophy?
I don't think so.


http://www.diggers.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diggers_(theater)

[TomServo]

I believe Hunter Thompson came frome the hippie culture....sort of....so Im torn...between my hatred of hippies and my ignorance of what they used to be....supposedly.

[gyre]

I always thought of Thompson as acultural.

Never associated him with hippies, or even counterculture.

[TomServo]

I always thought of Thompson as acultural.

Never associated him with hippies, or even counterculture.

Never thought of it that way! Youre probably right, but he did stand up for the hippies.

[Ugly Dougly]

Were hippies one group with one philosophy?
I don't think so.

+108

I want to resist generalizing about any one group.

[TomServo]

Were hippies one group with one philosophy?
I don't think so.

+108

I want to resist generalizing about any one group.

sorry, but hippies scream for generalization.

[gaminwench]

what is the definition of hippie (currently)?

[graidawg]

goddamm it! hippies can't even spell there group name consistently


google it, in one article they change between hippy and hippie indescrminately I mean if you can't get your own group name consistent how are we meant to stereotype them?

good drugs though.
i have 3 friends called hippy, one is a drug dealer, one works for the AA (car breakdown not alcoholics anonymouse) and one is proffessional landlord so it does seem to be a pretty wide group though.
Hunter S thompson was a god. may he rest in peace

[gyre]

what is the definition of hippie (currently)?

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin."

— Andre Berthiaume

[Dr. Pyro]

This is all I ever needed to read about hippies. Now I know all about them.

“THEY’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!â€

[fuck-head.]

esalen provided alot of interesting brain research i'll give stan graf that.

[delle]

Truthfully? I’d have to say that I give about as much thanks to the hippie culture as I do to the suffragettes for having helped to mold the world I was allowed to grow up in.

Like it or not, no other movement (for lack of a better term) did more to break the stifling social and moral bonds of the Victorian era.

In fact, It strikes me as strange that the prevailing attitude in here is so anti-hippie. And you do what? Yearly get together to form a commune of free give-and-take based on brotherly love, where a hug and a smile are touted by all to have more value than gold?

I find that rather amusing, personally.

It’s like you’ve decided to take all the “good stuffâ€

[Simon of the Playa]

um delle, taking.too.seriously.people.on.this.board...


this place REEKS of hippy, we just don't like to admit it and refuse to be pigeonholed as one group or another.

i'm a zippy myself, i embrace technology and regular hygiene.

[Dr Jet Sinister]

I think hippies were trying to make a valid point, but it was lost on the majority of people they were trying to influence. The negative qualities ended up being so much noise that the point couldn't be heard. What was the point? I'm not even sure anymore since there are so many different subgroups with different agendas. Too stoned to organize?

[delle]

Simon,

I half expected someone to point out that my snark-view glasses might have been a bit foggy.

I am also not at all surprised it should come from your court. (You're generous that way. Thank you)

Zippy suits you.


At the same time, I do understand that not everyone feels the same way on the matter. What saddens me is that it would be brought down to the lowest rung (dirty, irresponsible, etc.).

That's like saying geeks are all rule-whipped stuffed shirts with no sense of fun. (and truthfully, I'd love to see a "hands up if you're a geek" count in here.)

edited for a misplaced period. (one I couldn't blame on my age)

[Simon of the Playa]

i know plenty of hippies that do shower regularly, i am of course being facetious.

the cross-over factor amongst hippies and geeks is indeed great, with zippyism being a nice middle ground.

since everything evolves or dies, we must assume that this is the case for social movements as well.

what was once "Hippy thinking" is now being incorporated into corporate america in our eating habits, our social mores etc.

the "greening" of america was prodded by scientists and hippies, and San Francisco is a perfect example of the continuing progression towards a new way of living.

i don't hate the hippies, far from it, at the end of the day we all sit down and smoke the same bong together.

[Dr Jet Sinister]

i don't hate the hippies, far from it, at the end of the day we all sit down and smoke the same bong together.

Can we just hate the ones that won't sit down with us?

[Simon of the Playa]

Dr Jet, i know what you mean, the self-righteous "you're doing it wrong" intolerant hippies only make me wanna puke in their chai latte...

intolerance in any form really, but you would like to think they would know better.


"live and let live, please dont fuck with my burn"

i'm done fighting, this is my new mantra.

[Dr Jet Sinister]

Dr Jet, i know what you mean, the self-righteous "you're doing it wrong" intolerant hippies only make me wanna puke in their chai latte...

intolerance in any form really, but you would like to think they would know better.


"live and let live, please dont fuck with my burn"

i'm done fighting, this is my new mantra.

I'm prone to a bit of intolerance myself from time to time, but I'm working on it!
I like your mantra. I think it sums it up for all of us nicely. You even said please.

[Simon of the Playa]

"Please" and "thank you" are two of the most Effective words on earth, i hope we begin to use them more often.


i'm a sucker for polite.

[moonrise]

Ayup, grown up hippies are kewl.


delle, some of the hippies were sleeping under vehicles in the dirt! I thought it was a joke, then I SAW it for myself, ouch...got any spange man?

A hippie got into cooking for a camp I know, one day i notcied he was gone, they caught him pissing in one of the kitchen pans!! They let him come back, after he promised to use a jug for dawgs sakes! I sorta stopped eating there, chips please! Hahaha, anything in a BAG will do, thank you!

Edit: to add last part

[Simon of the Playa]

thats ok, i've slept in stranger places.


it's up to us to temper their free spirits with the practical.

Embrace the Starving Artist by feeding him.


Give the dancer shoes.

provide the poets with pencils.

[ygmir]

thats ok, i've slept in stranger places.


it's up to us to temper their free spirits with the practical.

Embrace the Starving Artist by feeding him.


Give the dancer shoes.

provide the poets with pencils.

checking jacket pockets for K-Y

[Simon of the Playa]

fine, we can be all-inclusive....


give the perverts Lube!

[Zhust]

I hate hippie culture.

I, too, like defining subgroups of people with undesirable traits then boldly claiming to hate them.

Snark aside, I tend to respect people who abide by the behavior they desire in others and tend to dislike people who demand behavior in others they do not embrace in their own lives.

I couldn't tell what I think a "hippie" is without preconceiving whether I want to support or despise their existence. I like the parts that challenge society's underlying assumptions except when those things go too far. Here's some examples:

• Question ownership: if you buy something but never actually touch it (i.e. land you've never seen), do you really own it? Taking it too far: because you have a TV, I should get to have one too.
• Question morality: what's wrong with nudity? Taking it too far: why can't I rape you?
• Question garbage: if you dispose of something, I can take it and use it for free (i.e. broken vacuum cleaner, dumpster diving). Taking it too far: you're eating a sandwich and get up to use the bathroom, so I get to eat your sandwich.
• Question freedoms: I should be able to walk all over the country without proof of identification. Taking it too far: my right to free expression includes banging garbage cans by your bedroom window all day for weeks at a time.

I guess I mean there's a way to challenge assumptions, but some assumptions come from valid reason.

[Ugly Dougly]

goddamm it! hippies can't even spell there group name consistently

At least this thread yielded some humor.

[Simon of the Playa]

i hate people from Rochester.

[graidawg]

Dr. Pyro don't sugar coat the pill, say what you really mean. Although that was IMHO the best piece of abuse i have EVER read the swearing, repeating the insults in new and improved ways. being sure you got youe point across in no uncertain terms. Dr Pyro I APPLAUD YOU