Hippies in the Media

[Gary Blanchard]

Carol and i have been watching the old Ironside TV shows; we just watched an episode from about 1967-68 that "portrayed" the Haight-Ashbury scene. Needless to say, the hippies shown in that program aren't people you would want your kiddies hanging out with. Actually, I can forgive that portrayal as the scene was new, and scary to the straights, and this was a knee-jerk reaction.

I have more trouble with newer (relatively speaking) programs and movies that get it wrong. The main one that springs to mind is Forrest Gump. I was quite peeved by the end of that movie. Ironically, I felt that the newer Beatles-themed "musical," Across the Universe, was just as bad. Can you name some other offenders? Ones that get it right? (Woodstock comes to mind there.) :hippie:

[CowboyHippy]

i think a good portion of us werent there to know, he he he

old timer

I think it's the fault of the media still kinda being steered by the government akin to all the ww2 propaganda of the 40's vietnam hadn't yet been the turning point (although it was happening) and counter culture meant counter government at that time. if you aren't for the us you're against it. so all the stuff that got recorded for posterity was pretty much the extremism. people so strung out they couldnt talk, walk or sometimes even eat. they didn't want to show happy hippies.

the movie that comes to mind is easy rider, one of my favorites. Luke Askew and his hippie commune entourage gave me a full spectrum, the oddball mime troupe to the people trying to scratch out their living without much to work with. no one really wanting to hurt anyone.

[Gary Blanchard]

i think a good portion of us werent there to know, he he he




You young whippersnappers better respect your elders. :D

[PEACE FROG]

Okay, the hippies portrayed on "Adam 12" or "Dragnet" were ridiculous. I thought the ones at the "Freedom School" in the movie "Billy Jack" were spot on, and I think to this day is an image I carry with me. Now this newer movie "Into the wild", it was set in the 90's, but this kid was a hippy. Oh, what about "Hair" or the character "Penny Lane" in "Almost famous"? Whadda ya think Gary?

[StellaBlue]

I'm guessing Alice's Restaurant got it right.

[CowboyHippy]

I'm guessing Alice's Restaurant got it right.

i'm still trying to figure out how that movie came about from the song....

[Gary Blanchard]

I have mixed feelings about the musical Hair. I'm not sure about the writers, and I tend to distrust most musicals, but that's my prejudice. I never saw the musical - some of the songs I heard were good, some sounded like they were written by outsiders. I haven't seen "Almost Famous" or "Into the Wild," so I can't comment.

The Alice's Restaurant movie was an odd thing. It certainly was pretty accurate, though I'm not sure how much was added for drama and how much was true biography. It did reflect the times.

Thanks to all for talking with me about this. I like hearing how others look at these things.

[Unkle_John]

What about the PBS show, American Experience?

The Summer of Love (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/love/)

It can be watched online. I thought it was pretty good and found a lot of it very interesting, like the city tours of the Hippie area (Haight/Ashbury), that part just made me laugh. I was doing my own voice over with the smiling old ladies on the bus. Something like "Well Maybelle I bet them youngin's got some good smack for our tea party."

[PEACE FROG]

I have mixed feelings about the musical Hair. I'm not sure about the writers, and I tend to distrust most musicals, but that's my prejudice. I never saw the musical - some of the songs I heard were good, some sounded like they were written by outsiders. I haven't seen "Almost Famous" or "Into the Wild," so I can't comment.

The Alice's Restaurant movie was an odd thing. It certainly was pretty accurate, though I'm not sure how much was added for drama and how much was true biography. It did reflect the times.

Thanks to all for talking with me about this. I like hearing how others look at these things.

Hair just because of the way Treat Williams took a bullet for John Savage cuz he loved him. And my friend you need to see "Into the wild". You'll know why I brought it up after you see it. The main character Supertramp had such an honest, pure, loving soul everyone he met loved him. Me too! Oh and you did'nt comment on Billy Jack. One of my top favorites from the day.

[Gary Blanchard]

The Summer of Love DVD is on my wait list from Netflix. I can't wait to see it.

[StellaBlue]

According to Arlo himself, the movie is pretty accurate. At least from his point of view. The real Office Obie was in the movie, and even the 8x10 glossy pictures were the actual ones from the "crime scene".

[shaggy]

Howdy Fellow Freaks,

Oh I LOVE this thread!! If you check my post yesterday on the H.H. intro thread, you'll see that I am a sixties cultural historian, and I have a fairly good reference library of books & videos.

I found Alice's Restaurant kinda boring, but pretty right-on as to the times. I love the movie Hair (which is different than the play), and it never fails to bring a tear or two to my eyes as it brings back "the day" to me.
The play can still be seen at a few playhouses across the country. I've never seen Summer of Love, but it will go on my want list (Unkle John - thanks Bro).

Documentaries are great, as they are usually very accurate. A recent acquisition was The Weather Underground - about the radical faction of the SDS known as The Weathermen. The Abbie Hoffman biography - Steal This Movie -is a well-done look at my favorite cultural revolutionary. BTW - the movie soundtrack of Steal This Movie is far-out, and one of my favorites.

I think my favorite sixties culture movie is the NBC television mini-series "The '60s". It is a montage based on actual historic events. It is centered around a catholic family whose kids take part in the famous events of the era: the Vietnam War, civil rights marches in the South, Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury, seizure of Columbia University, Weather Underground accidental apartment bombing, Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival (he was booed for going "electric"), and so much more. Wavy Gravy, who is a hippie-God, plays a character at Woodstock, while a younger actor plays Wavy Gravy. This is a gotta see movie. Many of the movie's characters are based on real sixties characters.

Pax,
Shaggy

[Gary Blanchard]

Welcome Shaggy, since I haven't posted on the intro thread. :)

I have the 60's also in my queue at Netflix. I agree the documentaries are much better than recreations. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and see the movie of Hair - I am veeeerrry biased against musicals. :o

[shaggy]

Gary,

The movie Hair is more a story than a musical. Yeh, they sing songs like Aquarius, Hair, Sodomy, etc. - but it ain't like a bunch of cornballs singing "Oklahoma". In the induction center scene, you'll see a runt standing naked in his socks - refusing to remove them because he has painted toenails. The actor is Sesame Street's Mr. Noodle/Michael Jeter.

Shaggy

[redthewitch75]

I LOVED "Into the Wild"...that kid definitely had a true hippie soul.

As for "Across the Universe"...I think it accurately portrayed what most people think of as "hippies"...but not the actual counter-culture lifestyle. I think it was a cute movie, nothing more.

[Darkstar]

I've been lucky enough to get wind of but the most fun time was when a friend of mine and I went to see Merle Saunders and NRPS for Halloween at the House o' Blues in L.A. and Wavy emceed. He came out in a banker's suit, all black...it was really spooky!

After some tunes from NRPS, he came back out in tye dye just to let us know he'd only been in costume! I got to meet him, he kissed my hand and my feathered glove tickled his nose...it was funny! I love us old people!! LOL :hippie:

[sleung]

Youtube Hippies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrMcwy2UnjU

[Gary Blanchard]

The YouTube hippies was rather out there, but that is typical South Park. It's hard to be offended by a program that goesout of its way to offend everyone. :D I've never been a South Park fan, but they sure do know how to push buttons.