1969 Woodstock Festival anniversary....again! - Bilge

T thejab Grand Member (1 year) Tradewinds Apartments, Alameda, CA Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 2992	T thejab Posted posted on Mon, Aug 22, 2005 11:23 AM On 2005-08-22 09:05, donhonyc wrote: Over the years I have heard alot of what I've found to be unecessary mocking of what happened back then with the youth and popular culture. Some of the mocking, actually is definitely justified, but I think there is too much emphasis on the drug use and 'spaced-out hippie' vibe. At least people, young people that is, had a sense of what was going on around them, and were willing to speak up about what they thought was wrong, and at least TRIED to make a difference no matter how idealistic other people thought it was. And even though alot of kids today may LOOK like they were in that field in '69, they certainly don't mobilize themselves like they did back then, and with all that's happening in the world today that will effect them now and in the future, you just have to say that that's a damn shame. [ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-08-22 09:45 ] I agree with part of your statement donhonyc, in that today's youth don't mobilize themselves as much to effect change and it's a shame (although many young people are active in environmental and civil-rights groups these days), but I believe that a vast majority of the folks in the "hippie" scene and at Woodstock were into it for social reasons - to fit in, meet people, get drugs, have sex, and hear music - rather then for political reasons. Not that there is anything wrong with those motivations; they are what youth is all about! But why don't they just admit that they wanted to party? The "hippie" generation is constantly putting their scene and era up on some pedestal, when in reality they were NOT able to stop the Vietnam war (it in fact got worse in the early 70s), increase civil rights (most of these accomplishments were in the 1950's and early 60s), or influence political or social change to any great extent (without getting into a political discussion just look at what has happened in the past few years). The only success story that some of them contributed to was the women's rights movement. I don't think the "hippie" era needs any defending against criticism. I feel that the media (especially the music media) gives them too much positive attention already. Listen to the Mothers of Invention's album "We're Only in it For the Money" (a great parody of Sgt. Pepper's and much better and funnier IMO) from 1967 for an interesting alternative viewpoint of the Summer of Love.

On 2005-08-22 09:05, donhonyc wrote:
Over the years I have heard alot of what I've found to be unecessary mocking of what happened back then with the youth and popular culture. Some of the mocking, actually is definitely justified, but I think there is too much emphasis on the drug use and 'spaced-out hippie' vibe. At least people, young people that is, had a sense of what was going on around them, and were willing to speak up about what they thought was wrong, and at least TRIED to make a difference no matter how idealistic other people thought it was. And even though alot of kids today may LOOK like they were in that field in '69, they certainly don't mobilize themselves like they did back then, and with all that's happening in the world today that will effect them now and in the future, you just have to say that that's a damn shame.

[ Edited by: donhonyc 2005-08-22 09:45 ]

I agree with part of your statement donhonyc, in that today's youth don't mobilize themselves as much to effect change and it's a shame (although many young people are active in environmental and civil-rights groups these days), but I believe that a vast majority of the folks in the "hippie" scene and at Woodstock were into it for social reasons - to fit in, meet people, get drugs, have sex, and hear music - rather then for political reasons. Not that there is anything wrong with those motivations; they are what youth is all about! But why don't they just admit that they wanted to party?

The "hippie" generation is constantly putting their scene and era up on some pedestal, when in reality they were NOT able to stop the Vietnam war (it in fact got worse in the early 70s), increase civil rights (most of these accomplishments were in the 1950's and early 60s), or influence political or social change to any great extent (without getting into a political discussion just look at what has happened in the past few years). The only success story that some of them contributed to was the women's rights movement.

I don't think the "hippie" era needs any defending against criticism. I feel that the media (especially the music media) gives them too much positive attention already.

Listen to the Mothers of Invention's album "We're Only in it For the Money" (a great parody of Sgt. Pepper's and much better and funnier IMO) from 1967 for an interesting alternative viewpoint of the Summer of Love.

Post #181159 by thejab on Mon, Aug 22, 2005 11:23 AM