Lecture Outline: a New Climate of Protest in a Changing Time

Lecture Outline: A New Climate of Protest in a Changing Time

I. Appearance: All aspects of hippie hair and clothing were designed to fight the establishment. These members of the 1960s counterculture fought to express their opinions and political beliefs through their appearance. a. Long Hair i. Designed to be sensual, as an expression of their sexual freedom and their communion with nature ii. Challenged the norm of crew cuts, suits, and suburbia. Long hair was an immediate sign of individuality and of refusing to live a cookie-cutter lifestyle. b. Clothing i. The clothing of the counterculture often included jeans, fringe, tie dyed shirts and other bright colors, leather, including leather vests, flowers, beads, peace signs, sandals and bare feet and everything natural. ii. The clothing they wore was significant to the movement and the ways in which the movement was protesting the establishment and the materialism of American culture. 1. Cohen v. California. Involved a young man wearing a jacket saying “Fuck the Draft” in a California courthouse. The case marked a turning point in American conceptions of freedom of expression and another marker of the importance of clothing as a form of protest. Clothing became a form of protest against Vietnam, the draft, and everything that the leaders of our country stood for. II. Music: The music of the counterculture played an important role in spreading the ideas of protest across the nation. The most popular bands of the era sang songs of protest; these songs were listened to almost all young Americans. a. Major Artists i. Credence Clearwater Revival: a band that originated in El Cerrito, California in the 1960s; band members included Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and Tom and John Fogerty; group’s sound had a raw, gospel-tinged, rural southern sound to it; most popular protest songs are “Run Through the Jungle” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain” ii. Buffalo Springfield: another group that hailed from California; formed in 1966, its members included Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, Dewey Martin, and Jimmy Messina; their song “For What it’s Worth” became an anti-establishment anthem iii. Bob Dylan: born on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota; grew up playing the piano and the guitar; influenced by many genres of music; his lyrics were some of the most powerful opposition to the Vietnam War, the establishment, and 1950s conformity iv. Jimi Hendrix: born on November 27, 1942 and died on September 18, 1970; has been hailed as one of the most creative and influential musicians that ever lived; very well known to this day, for his anti-war rendition of the Star Spangled Banner which he performed at the Woodstock festival in the summer of 1969 b. Themes of the Music i. Not only did the songs express reaction to particular events like the Kent State shooting or the human cost of the war, they also expressed broader concerns like the growing lack of confidence in government ii. “Masters of War”: In 1963, when major combat forces had yet to reach the jungles in Southeast Asia, Bob Dylan penned “Masters of War.” The song is a stinging criticism of the military-industrial complex and the establishment. Dylan’s anger was so deep that he wished death upon the “masters of war” and said that “even Jesus would never forgive what you do.” Like many of his time, Dylan claimed to “see through [their] masks.” iii. “For What it’s Worth”: In 1967 Neil Young performed “For What It’s Worth” with Buffalo Springfield. As the title shows, this song questioned the value of American involvement in Vietnam and its lyrics hinted at the growing protest to the war at home. The line “Young people speaking their minds, getting so much resistance from behind” is a clear reference to the New Left and its antiwar efforts. iv. “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die”: Country Joe McDonald offered up stinging sarcasm in their antiwar song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” in 1968. With lines like “What are we fighting for? Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn” or “Whoopee! we’re all gonna die” Country Joe captured the feeling among protesters of the hopelessness of American involvement and senseless loss of life, both on the side of the United States and Vietnam. III. Media: The 60’s counterculture had a great impact on the media of its time and greatly influenced the attitudes taken by television, film, newspapers, and books a. Underground Newspapers and Other Literature i. Mainstream media refused to print unbiased coverage of events so underground publications were started ii. There were 150 underground newspapers mostly started by students; these papers reached two million readers iii. Focused on student rights, minority rights, women’s rights, gay rights, anti-capitalism, rock music reviews, new art forms, class struggle iv. New books were also being produced having this same mentality of openness, a prime example of this would be On The Road by Jack Kerouac v. New forms of journalism as well including interviews and speeches with profanity, slang, sexual openness, and psychedelic imagery b. Television i. Began reflecting rebellious attitudes of the time ii. “The Munsters” is an example of one such show: it aired in the 1960s and mocked the values of an ideal 1950s family c. Movies i. Movies also became more provocative and portrayed real life scenarios as opposed to dream like situations ii. Examples include: “The Graduate,” “Easy Rider,” “Night of the Living Dead,” “Guess who’s coming to Dinner?” IV. Legacies of the Counterculture a. Appearance and Speech i. Hippie fashion still remains popular today – including jeans and miniskirts. For examples go to www.hippieshop.com ii. Words and phrases made popular during the 1960s and 1970s are still widely used today. b. Music i. Bob Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone” is listed as the #1 song in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest songs of all time ii. The Beastie Boys released their song “In a World Gone Mad” in 2003; similar themes of protest iii. Outkast released their song “Bombs Over Baghdad” in 2000; another song about war but in Iraq this time c. Media i. Underground newspaper “The L.A. Advocate” began in the late 1960s and is still in circulation today ii. TV coverage of the War in Iraq mirrors TV coverage of Vietnam