A San Francisco journalist invented the term “hippie” to mean a hip, with-it kid who knew what was happening.
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Otherwise, there was no one sign or symbol that alerted outsiders that a “hippie” was in their midst. Hippie organizations didn't exist, and hippies could be white or black, male or female, young or old. Though some hippies dropped out of school, grew out their hair, and listened to rock, one could be a hippie and do all, some, or none of those things. The counterculture idea can be difficult to define, but there are some general ideas to explain it:
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The counterculture meant a rejection of mainstream culture, whether it was racism, being pro-war, or traditional every day values, such as dress and language.
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Experimentation, in any form, in any aspect of life, was encouraged.
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Drugs were widely accepted-it was means to escape the culture that the people of the counterculture rejected.
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Nudity was not shameful. It was acceptable and seen as natural.
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As a person living the counterculture lifestyle, one would earn money for necessities by working small jobs, and often leave them after a short amount of time. It was part of the counterculture to maintain a simple lifestyle that did not require a lot of material goods.
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Living and dwelling with large groups of people was common in both rural and urban communities.
Music was a carrier of the counterculture.
It spread the message and gathered like-minded people together. There were many music festivals, but Woodstock is by far the most well-known. The line-up included:
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Jimi Hendrix-Singer, songwriter, and self-taught guitarist. He was known for his unique techniques on electric guitar, and shocking showmanship-he once lit his guitar on fire during a show.
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Janis Joplin-Female vocalist who entered the sixties rock-music scene with a blues-inspired style.
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Joan Baez-Female folk singer who used music to communicate her social and political views.
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The Who-A British rock band who were among the first to integrate synthesizers into their performances.
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The Grateful Dead-A combination of country, folk, and blues, they also made the “jam band” popular-improvising on stage during shows.
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Country Joe and the Fish-A psychedelic rock band, some members had a folk-music background. Known for their politically charged lyrics.
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Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young-A soft rock collaborative effort between David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young. Prior to working together, each had a successful career separately with other groups.
Though the weekend was chaotic-incredible traffic jams, overcrowding, sanitation problems, a lack of food and drinkable water- it was a bonding experience for all those who attended.
How did this counterculture come to be? “The Establishment” referred to the government, armed forces, institutions, and corporations. By vocalizing protest against The Establishment, the counterculture was born. It continued to grow as youths were alienated from the rest of the population. It started as part of the civil rights movement earlier in the sixties. Younger Americans felt there was nothing wrong with interracial interactions, whether it was a casual encounter or a romantic relationship. The older generation thought this was unacceptable, and the divide did not stop there.
College students who took classes and lived on campus also expressed displeasure with their lack of rights. Student journalists were fired or suspended if they published material administrators thought too critical or inappropriate. Frustrated students began dropping out of school.
This same age bracket also had qualms with fighting in Vietnam. The draft mean that 18 year olds could be forced to fight in a war they did not agree with, even though the same young people being drafted did not yet have the right to vote, (the voting age was 21 at that time.) The younger generation thought their parents' beliefs were to blame for the war, and the kids of the counterculture refused to go along with it.
Alienation continued as hippies encountered the backlash of the culture. A group of hippies entered a restaurant near the University of Washington, a waitress called police, and the hippies were taken to the station without reason. Police near the University of Kansas arrested 30 kids in a hippie house, again without reason. These were not the only incidents of this nature, and only fueled youths of the counterculture to separate themselves from their parents' culture.