Are You a Hippie ?

Although some may consider that Progressive Rock and hippies go together like fluff and velcro, I get the impression from reading many of the forum posts and album reviews that there is an abiding sympathy with the broader ideals reflected in the so called 'Summer of Love' by youth in the late 60's.

Given that the term hippie is believed to have its origin in hip and hipster, we could even source such an ideology from 1940's jazz, where the term was frequently used, and the Beatniks of the 1950's whose cultural dissent must have influenced the subsequent 'flower power' generation.

Identification with eastern mysticism, an anti-authoritarian world-view, pacifistic politics, non-conformity to social conditioning, awareness of environmental issues, fantasy literature and movies etc are just some of the themes that frequently appear on PA.

SO

Do hippies still exist (under the age of 40 ?)

What exactly is a hippie and does the term have any relevance in 2010 ?

Do you consider yourself a hippy ? (and if not try to explain your reason/s)

I can't answer your first two questions, but I still hate hippies. GET A JOB!

Maybe this is unfair to the upstanding scholars of Eastern religions, psychadelic music, and modern poetry, but it is my impression that a core element of hippiedom is heavy drug use. If you want to waste your life away in a drug-addled haze, you are free to do so, but I am also free to judge you. ;-)

Henry Plainview wrote: Maybe this is unfair to the upstanding scholars of Eastern religions, psychadelic music, and modern poetry, but it is my impression that a core element of hippiedom is heavy drug use. If you want to waste your life away in a drug-addled haze, you are free to do so, but I am also free to judge you. ;-)

The cynic under my fur would say that punks simply swapped weed for speed, but what you say I think is broadly true (I don't do recreational drugs, I think eastern philosophy kills two birds with the one stone by just also being really bad poetry and I can't abide hippies either)

As much as I love Bill Hicks, he was plain vanilla wrong to suggest that his anti-drug audience members go home and burn all their favourite albums (as they couldn't have been created without drugs man)
This stubborn idea of 'expanded consciousness' via external chemical agents as an aid to the creative process still prevails in many quarters. It is of course spurious bollocks ('good sh*t' might make 'bad sh*t' sound better to the listener I guess ? but who cares ?)

A Person wrote: ExittheLemming wrote: Henry Plainview wrote: Maybe this is unfair to the upstanding scholars of Eastern religions, psychadelic music, and modern poetry, but it is my impression that a core element of hippiedom is heavy drug use. If you want to waste your life away in a drug-addled haze, you are free to do so, but I am also free to judge you. ;-) The cynic under my fur would say that punks simply swapped weed for speed, but what you say I think is broadly true (I don't do recreational drugs, I think eastern philosophy kills two birds with the one stone by just also being really bad poetry and I can't abide hippies either) As much as I love Bill Hicks, he was plain vanilla wrong to suggest that his anti-drug audience members go home and burn all their favourite albums (as they couldn't have been created without drugs man) This stubborn idea of 'expanded consciousness' via external chemical agents as an aid to the creative process still prevails in many quarters. It is of course spurious bollocks ('good sh*t' might make 'bad sh*t' sound better to the listener I guess ? but who cares ?) I agree. I have nothing against the music itself, but I can't see the point in chemically tricking yourself into having a transcendental experience.

There is a really good documentary on the period called It Was 20 Years Ago Today.  That I recorded off TV and have subsequently put on a DVD by me.  I don't why it hasn't been released on DVD, maybe it came out in VHS.  But there is a book I haven't read, based on the documentary, I think.:

There tends to be a lot of distortions about the time( the term "hippie" was coined back in '67, I do believe) mainly coming from conservatives who despise their liberalism. Most of the people who embraced that lifestyle, if you want to call it that, moved on killed themselves. 

Do hippies still exist (under the age of 40 ?) possibly, but I don't think you find hippies as they were back then, only some people that have embraced the ideals both good and bad.

What exactly is a hippie and does the term have any relevance in 2010 ?
The term itself only has historical relevance at this time.

Do you consider yourself a hippy ? (and if not try to explain your reason/s)
Well, look at my hair, read my opinions and make up your own minds. 


I was trying to find one of those.


Edited by Slartibartfast - January 23 2010 at 20:04

The Pessimist wrote:

Did I mention we've had to move into an apartment temporarily and the apartment number is 420? 

Fortunately, no dirty hippies have moved in with us.


Edited by Slartibartfast - January 23 2010 at 20:23

Slartibartfast wrote: Did I mention we've had to move into an apartment temporarily and the apartment number is 420?

For the really stoned, wouldn't that would be 110100100?