Love Or Hate Hippies From The 1960s Here Is The Best Documentary To Understand Them
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Published 2017-03-13
They were part of the counterculture. They mostly lived in the countryside. They provoked a national interest in organic food etc. Smoked dope for sure. Did a lot of other strange things and probably for the most part had loose free sex relationships. But they weren't the ones who for example, spit at returning Vietnam soldiers at the various airports of the United States. A very small group of political radicals did that who were aggressive and sometimes violent. Hippies had philosophies which many just went along with but some created.
Aggressive behavior was disapproved of even if only spoken. Hippie clothing was unique. Fabrics were "natural". Art was very flowery some of the time. Travel through America and traveling the world to other hippie centers was a part of life. When the city got too hard, you went to the countryside. There were many hippie behaviors based on values and ethics and then repeated by people who wanted to be part of the community.
Was it a cult? Some of the time. Was it a movement? Some of the time. Was it just teenagers not wanting to grow up – having a good time – living off the land or off mommy and daddy's money? Some of the time.
I interviewed many hippies or as some of them call themselves "x hippies" for my television series and for other films that I have made and most like that they were part of that generation and that movement. Some became practicing born-again Christians.
Some became farmers. Some became stockbrokers and businessmen. Some teachers and social workers. To categorize their actions after the 60s as any one thing is incorrect (such as that they are all greedy business people today).
I am very proud of the TV series I made for PBS called Making Sense of the Sixties. I had the chance to spend a year examining my youth and how I became an active member of the 60s generation. If you are from that generation or a child of the 60s, I think you would find the entire series of value.
Here is a quote from Hesiod in the 8th Century BC “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient of restraint"
All Comments (21)
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This is an outrageous television show from that time regarding the hippies - https://youtu.be/Tc6Zc-FtFT0
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I grew up during the 50’s & 60’s. I wanted to be a hippy. I was enthralled with the idea of the Summer of Love. But I grew up on a farm in Southeast Texas. High school had dress and hair codes. But I wanted to be a hippy. Then I joined the military and spent 12 years there. But I still wanted to be a hippy. Then after college I spent 30 years on a police dept. I retired. And I still wanted to be a hippy. So, now I am. I have not cut my hair in 5 years; I spend time in my garden growing organic things; I get to smoke pot legally; and I feed cats. My time is mine and I’m pretty happy. So, the moral of this story is: it’s never too late to be a hippy. Be cool and get in your groove!
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I remember when my older brothers started to grow their hair long and of course my mother hated it but my grandmother said she liked it because it reminded her of Jesus. Loved my grandma!
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My dad kicked me out of the house at age 17 just as I started my senior year of high school because I wouldn't cut my hair. One of the best things he ever did for me. I learn to take care of myself that year. I never considered myself a hippie but I may have been perceived as one by others. When covid shut down my barber shop I decided to grow my hair long again. Some people may perceive me as an old hippy now but in reality I'm just a self employed (musician) 68 year "old man". "Old hippies never die, they just smell funny".
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As a preteen during the 60s Loved riding my bike up to hippies and talking to them. I remember them being kind and fun to talk to. I have only fond memories of the hippies.
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As a young person myself, I am little jealous of the young people in the 60s..they are just so full of life and colorful, and they don't give a damn about how the world perceives them. Looking around, my peers look tired and depressed since their early teens and are constantly searching for approval of the mainstream society.
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I can remember as a very young kid in the early 70’s like 72 or 73 is when I saw a bunch of hippies! My dad told me don’t go into a certain set of woods cause their were these dirty hippies in them! So of course I had to see fo myself! I went out a they built like the greatest tree forts and other little box buildings that were painted all these crazy colors! I just remembered talking to them and they were all so nice and happy! This was in Jackson Michigan! We ended up moving to New Yuck in 1977 but my short few years of going and hanging out with hippies in my youth was a very pleasant experience every single time! They never hurt me, or tried to get me to get them anything! They just talked about regular stuff! I remember one of them opened a seashell that contained a bunch of weed! So from then on till I knew better, I thought it came from the ocean! It was cool cause they let me be me! They answered any questions I had and they treated me like a kid brother only a cool kid brother! I had fond vivid memories of 20 something hippies being genuine and peaceful and fun and decent! I hope they all go to Heaven and I see them again when it’s my turn to be with the great Spirit in the sky!!!!! God bless everyone and happy days to all!!!!!!!!
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Born in 1957 made me 10 to 15 years old during the late 60s, early 70z. I've always felt deprived of having the full experience of the hippie movement and it has made me sad. But it definitely influenced my life. There was so much happening at that time. Vietnam, the Black Panthers, Woodstock, Kent State, the Denocratic National Convention in Chicago, drugs, sex, rock n roll. All while I was going through a critical growth phase. In my late 20s, early 30s I finally got to have my own mild "hippie experience" I have no regrets. It was the best time of my life.
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The best thing about those times is that we were out directly experiencing life. Hiking, going to concerts, hanging out with friends, having deep conversations/ rapping, writing poetry, doing art, discussing tumultuous current events, making our own hippie clothes, sewing patches on jeans, etc. We walked everywhere. We were directly living life, because there was no internet, no cable TV. We just had the broadcasted channels. When UHF channels came about, it was a big deal. What we have now would have seemed like science fiction then. Life was about doing. I love the internet, in doses. But I don't want to live life through a screen.
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it is more complicated than this. I am a 68er and there were many things we all had in common. Number one was to sound interesting. There was no internet, so you had to read to fit in, or belong to a spiritualisits union or some such alternative thing. We read books round the clock and the level of conversation was very different to the conversations I hear from young people in Berlin. The drugs were actually very weak compared to today's THC levels. I remember the ladies to be very independent and impossible to pin down. They were free spirits, dressed in old clothes and didn't rely on surgery or influencers. They were truly independent young ladies and quite a challenge. Buddhism and Hinduism were very popular so we were pretty cool about most things. Controlling your wants and desires was part of the experience as well, and respect for all life, all people, all animals and insects and fish were sacred. It was complicated and you didn't really understand it until you looked back on it and realised how it had formed your life forever. I can't escape 1968. It was an amazing year.
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To me it's like we need another youth movement. The 60s was a time of rebels trying to break from norms of a restrictive society. The 20s could be a ballancing act. Now we are rude, selfish and always in search of a kick. Maybe we need to find a middleground between the 50s and 60s. And yes... bring back rock and roll.
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As a kid in the early 1960s, I met a guy who was riding his Harley across America. He told me about his life on the road. He worked odd jobs from cleaning mortar from bricks in brickyards to pitching hay and cleaning horse stalls on farms. He slept in fields and in wooded areas off the highways. He just wanted to be free from the constraints of the everyday grind. I asked him what got him interested in living the way he did. He said, "A guy named Kerouac wrote this here book called, 'On the Road.'" "That's all it took for me, kid," he added.
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I was born in 1964. Graduated in 1982. Best childhood ever! Best music and memories! My husband is 9 years older than me. I married a hippie! Nothing better!
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I'm so old, I do my protesting from home now. I yell at the T.V. a lot.
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The Hippie was more than just “ sex, drugs and rock n roll”. It was a movement of “ rebels against society’s norm and cultural dogmas”.❤️
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Ah, the memories .. though I was in the (disciplined) Air Force at the time and didn't do anything stronger than a joint on occasion (which made me paranoid), I STILL maintain the the beautiful, peaceful, flower child mentality of my hippie life to this day and I'm about to turn 75.💕 ☮🌹🕊
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I watched this on PBS in the early 90's. I wish all the episodes were still available, but unfortunately they are not. Thank you so much for posting this one. SO MEANINGFUL!
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If I could go back in time to visit an era it'd absolutely be the 60s, I'd just love to experience the counter culture of that time
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I never did the drug scene, but people were nice, we accepted each other the way we were. We looked for a simple life style, back to the simple living, we soul searched. I was no hippy but i do have good memories. Love was in the air!
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Born in 1953 has given me incredible sight & hearing to know what I am seeing and listening to over the past 3 years is total B.S. Another fantastic documentary worthy of sharing with everyone I know. THANK YOU DAVID!
