Culture & Counterculture In the 1960s

Early 60s Pop Culture Early 60s culture, such as fashion and film, still looked very 50s. Traditional values emphasized; stereotypes around gender and race still seemed to prevail in many cases Early 60s music was the exception subtle evolution in R&B away from blues and toward Motown and Soul (fuller sounds, more instrumentation, more melody and baseline variation) By 1963 and 1964, both the “hippie” and “mod” fashions began to become more apparent Mods (or modernists) Bright colors, clean lines (even geometric-looking), very stylized, miniskirts

Television in the 1960s Television came of age in the 1960s Kennedy assassination (unifying national moment) A great deal of live programming emerged Americans were now having a mutual experience of their collective culture AND history – in real time! T.V. was the platform on which Americans got to know one another and themselves, not only making it easier to spread awareness of important issues, but also making possible to develop a collective identity and national unity People of color finally began to appear on television shows besides American Bandstand New female characters began to appear (other than the homemaker/wife/mother role) By 1963, Americans were watching an average of 4-5 hours of T.V. per day Advertisers increased their grip on programming, and product placement on television proliferated

The Counterculture of the 1960’s Counterculture was a movement made up of mostly white, middle-class, high school and college-aged young people who were disillusioned with the war and injustices of society Like the Beatniks before them, they rejected the materialism and consumerism that had flowered during the 1950s; sought creativity, originality and spirituality that they believed was missing from modern society Members of the counterculture were known as “Hippies” Youth were suddenly in the spotlight; America was watching everything they did; their activities, music, fashion, philosophy and culture were for the first time, more important and more relevant than that of their parents The concept of the“Teenager” reaches full maturity!

Hippie Culture and Fashion Rock ’n’ Roll, Folk Music Sexual Revolution (Free Love, other expressions of sexuality outside of marriage) Marijuana and LSD ( Recreational Drugs) Eastern Religions (Zen Buddhism, Hare Krishna) Jeans, tie-dyed garments, military garments, love beads, Native American and Asian jewelry and clothing styles Long hair and beards Many joined communes, renouncing private property Haight-Asbury District of San Francisco a was major center for hippie culture and lifestyle Casualness, permissiveness, and acceptance: “Do your own thing”

Music of the 1960’s Coffeehouse culture of the beatniks gave rise to 60s folk music Beat poets gave way to wholly original singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell Folk music acquired a focus on political and social commentary during the 60s British Invasion: music that grew out of African-American rhythm and blues of the 1950’s – the new Rock n’ Roll The Beatles, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Who These groups brought back the blues to mainstream America; it had survived in the black community, but in mainstream America, it had faded with the advent of Motown and Soul. The new Rock n’ Roll inspired a whole new generation of American musicians and groups: The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead

The Conservative Response The counterculture’s impact on mainstream America included a more casual approach to social and sexual behavior A conservative backlash ensued, culminating in Nixon’s election Nixon, Agnew and J. Edgar Hoover publicly expressed anger and concern over the counterculture and the threat to traditional values Many conservatives saw the values of the counterculture as decadent, un-American, immature, and irresponsible Conservatives presented their own solutions to the perceived “moral corruption”, and to what they perceived as “crime and lawlessness” (beginning of the “tough on crime” stance – response to 60s protest action)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56gtyi 7:20 – 35:00