Counter Culture - Hippies By: Meg, Rose, Molly

Who they were During late 1960s a lot of younger people were dissatisfied with the war In Vietnam and the way society in general was going. Because they espoused a lot of seemingly radical ideas, like free love, tolerance and anit war attitudes, the media deemed their views counterculture Flower Children- hippies, they created new styles of dress, experimented with psychedelic drugs, lived communally and developed vibrant music scenes. Some formed commune to live as far outside the established as possible After Summer Of Love, it spread from san Francisco and Berkley to many US and Canadian cities, as well as European capitals As members grew older and moderated their lives and views the counterculture was largely absorbed by the mainstream Practiced acts like reusing trash and recycled materials to bid geodesic domes for shelter Hippies were often vegetarian and believed in eco-friendly environmental practices. They championed free love and sexual liberation, particularly for women. They also promoted the use of psychedelic drugs which they believed expanded their consciousness.

What is the Counter Culture? Counterculture of the 1960s was the anti-establishment cultural phenomenon that developed first in US and UK then spread throughout much of the western world between the early 1960s and mid 1970s with London, NYC, and San Francisco being the hot beds of early counter culture activity A counter culture is a culture of a group of people, particularly among the young, whose values and lifestyles are considerably different and often diametrically opposed to those established culture. Started because of general distrust of government, practiced free love, mid altering us of psychedelic drugs and localized notion of freedom

1960s – originate on college campuses 1964 – Free Speech Movement at University of California, Berkley. It had its roots from the civil rights movement in the South It was mainly among young people It began with issues from the Vietnam war, and drafting and arose with people talking about social issues around campus Social issues- the remain issues talked about were dress code, student freedom, course requirements, and discriminations Students began non violet protests on campus such as sit ins and taking over college buildings SDS started a nationwide protest against the draft Hippies- the main areas for hippies were Urban locations such as San Francisco and East Village in New York Woodstock Festival, in New York was a “ three days of peace, music, and love.” and was about 300, ,000 to support love and peace in the United States Hippies wanted peace and there nonviolent protests, festivals, and organization were there way of expressing that to the world an making change. Where, When, and Why?

Music Big music names in this era:  Bob Dylan  Grateful Dead  The Doors  Janis Joplin  Jimi Hendrix  The Who

Musical Influence During this era music “fearlessly” put drug references into their lyrics. Since famous musicians decided to make this drug use public, more people were being opened up to “safe” drug use. An entire new genre of music called “Acid rock” was formed. Some examples – The Doors: “Break on Through”- alludes to the new insights gained from drugs and the chemical stimulations in the brain they produce. Bob Dylan: “Subterranean Homesick Blues”- starts off with the lyrics “Johnny’s in the basement mixing up the medicine”. Which is also a reference to drugs and the making of them. “Rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, and The Who not only sang of drugs but also became avowed users, frequently celebrating the creative consequences of some elixir.”

Art Jan 14th 1967 human be-in in San Francisco organized by Michael Bowen caught the culture and media’s attention Drop art= painted rocks that were dropped off a loft roof and onto sidewalk by John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg), Drop City= success, after visitors would take the idea of communes and spread them As with film, press, and music, art in the 1960s responded to the new counterculture, primarily in pop art and psychedelic art. For example, pop art challenged traditional fine art by including imagery from popular culture such as advertising, news, etc. The concept of pop art refers as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that it led to, and Andy Warhol is often considered representative of this type of art. Psychedelic art also emerged in response to the counterculture, and is defined as any kind of visual artwork inspired by psychedelic experiences induced by drugs such as LSD. During the 1960s, psychedelic visual arts were often a counterpart to psychedelic rock music. This psychedelic art also represented the revolutionary political, social and spiritual sentiments that were derived from these drug- induced, psychedelic states of consciousness

Drug culture- “turn on, tune in, drop out” The counterculture movement included a lot of new recreational drug use. LSD and marijuana were the two drugs that went major in this era do to the want to “expand” one’s mind. The dangers of drugs were not known or as well known as they are today. Scientists were trying to decipher if the use of LSD could be beneficially and truly expand the minds’ of the users. At most festivals, including the Summer Of Love, ambulances were readily available to the public since it was known that everyone would be doing drugs.

The Summer of Love Known as the “Wild Hippie party” included free food, medical care, entertainment, and communal living. The Summer of Love took place in San Francisco. Most of The Summer of Love took place in Haight- Ashbury section of the city.

Sex Sexual experimentation began as a way to have fun and yet another way to not meet the expectations of society. The Counter Culture Movement stressed the idea of free love for all. The Free-Sex Movement was the introduction of the idea that people could have sex with as many people as they wanted Public nudity also became more welcomed and popular. Society's rules were being bent. “ People were beginning to regard sex the same way they regarded marijuana, if it's relaxing and pleasant with no major side-effects, why not?”

Critical reading questions The hippies were certainly no strangers to controversy; and, what got them into the most trouble was their use of illegal drugs. Which "hippie" drug, however, was perfectly legal until 1966? Most hippies loved to protest; and, the Vietnam war provided an ideal excuse to complain loudly. On October 21, 1967 in Washington DC, what did close to 70,000 war protesters gather in an attempt to do? Rock music was most often the sound that accompanied the hippies when they gathered or traveled. This music was new and exciting, influenced by rock and roll, folk, country, and the blues. The hippie musicians also started to mix rock with their ever expanding minds, and psychedelic rock was born! Which of these is generally considered the first psychedelic band The hippies were usually aged between 14 and 26; the boys often grew their hair long; and, many hippies walked around barefoot. What style is generally NOT associated with them? The peace sign is a well known hippie symbol. It was designed in 1958 by British artist Gerald Holtom. Originally, it was created for use by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War. The symbol was not copyrighted; so, it began to appear all over the world. How did Gerald Holtom come to create his peace symbol design?

Citations “Singleton, Carl.” The Sixties in America.” Pasadena, California: Salen, Print. Howard, Gerald. “the Sixties.” New York: Washington Square, 1982; Print. Dickstein, morris. “Gates of Eden: American Culture in the Sixties.” New York, Print Source: Boundless. “Art and Music.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 16 Sep Retrieved 20 May from textbook/the-sixties /counterculture-221/art-and-music / textbook/the-sixties /counterculture-221/art-and-music /