The Counterculture
Right:
Random
hippies in
native
dress
Section 19.3
What is the Counter Culture?
Capture: Spiro Agnew
holds forth on the ‘effete
intellectual snobs’ he
blames for the
counterculture
Describe the counterculture:
• Culture adopted by many
teenage baby boomers
• Rejected “The Establishment”
– middleclass values of
previous generation (over
30)
– People that represented
power, authority, status quo
• Generation gap
– Different value, fears,
attitudes
• Communicated discontent thru
music
• Most prominent group=
Hippies
Above: some hippies on a ‘love bus’;
below: some protest music between
classes
Describe the differences between
Counterculture and the Establishment:
Values of Establishment
– Conformity
• Product of 1950s
– Hardworking
• 9-5 jobs
– Materialistic
• Consumerism
– Trusted science,
government
Values of Counterculture
– Freewheeling
• “Do your own
thing.”
– Unconventional
occupations
– Minimalist
• Take what you need,
share
– Trusted inner feelings
over intellect
– Deep distrust of
authority
Who were the Hippies?
• Most visible and shocking
group of the counterculture
• Believed in “free love”
– Sex without love
– Encouraged by “The Pill”
• Advocated
– Drug use
• Followed guru Timothy
Leary’s call for
experiments with LSD
• “Turn on, tune in, drop
out.”
– Public nudity
Above: more random hippies; below:
university officials remove protestor
Describe the new religious movements
that appeared from the Counterculture:
• New fascination with Eastern
Religions
– Rejected materialism of the West
• Believed the body is a prison!
• Moonies
– Formerly called the Unification
Church
– Members believe that Reverend
Sun Myung Moon was the new
Messiah
• Hare Krishna
– Followed ancient Hindu sect that
worshipped the god, Krishna
Above: Rev. Moon; below: a group of
Hare Krishnas
Describe City Hangouts:
• Most famous
– Haight-Ashbury
• Section within San
Francisco
– East Village
• Section of NY
• coffee houses provided an
empty room with mattresses
(Pad)
– Anyone could “crash”
there
– No regard for sexual or
marital status
• “Diggers” operated store with
free clothing
• Music, open drug use, street
performances common
Clockwise from upper left:
infamous hippie corner in
SanFran; drug addict;
college kids in the new
hippie style
Hangouts
Capture from clip on HaightAshbury
Describe Rural Communes:
• Isolated counterculture
communities
– Tried to set up their
“utopian” society
• Rejected technology,
materialistic values of
mainstream America
• Praised spontaneity
• Rejected rules, order,
etc.
• Unsuccessful
• Overcrowded with
“Weekend Hipsters
• No money, no privacy
Pictures all depict people in 1960s rural
communes: no idea why it says ‘me’ in upper
left
The Stones
Capture from clip on another
invasion: The Stones roll in
How did the Counterculture affect
Mainstream America?
• Vietnam War
– Protest movement
• Diet
– Health food, vegetarian, yogurt,
organically grown veggies
• Fashion
– Long hair, military surplus attire, tieddyed, patched clothing
• Music
– Rock & Roll
– Elvis, Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix
• Dance
– No partner but within a group
• Reflected counterculture stress of
individuality within a group
Above: Woodstock; below:
Jimi Hendrix
What was Woodstock?
• A Music and Art festival
held in Woodstock, NY
(August, 1969)
• Culmination of the
counterculture
• Three Days of Peace and
Love
• 32 of best known
performers appeared
• Tickets were $24 but
concert became free
• 400 thousands attended
Insert: poster advertising
Woodstock
Country Joe Presentation
Country Joe and the Fish on
stage
Country Joe and the Fish
Capture from clip of CJ+F
Janis Joplin
Presentation
One of Janis Joplin’s looks: round dark
glasses and a cabaret shirt
Janis Joplin
Capture of Joplin
performing
Joan Baez Presentation
Joan Baez and a young Bob
Dylan
Joan Baez Live
Hendrix
Presentation
Jimi Hendrix with
his unique guitar
Jimi Hendrix Live
Hendrix at Woodstock
The Counterculture v. The Establishment:
Vietnam
Capture shows US Capitol: clip is on clashes
over Vietnam policy
Andy Warhol
Presentation
Andy Warhol, by Andy Warhol (all
orange, in pop art style)
How did the Counterculture affect Art:
• Purpose was to
entertain
• Poked fun at
Establishment
• Andy Warhol
– Created Pop Art
– Reproduced “mass
produced” images
over and over
– The “gods” of the
modern era
– Mocked consumer
society
Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe: nine
frames with different colors, on
one poster
Clip on Andy Warhol and
‘Campbell’s Soup Can’
Capture from clip on Warhol’s can