Teenage "Hippies" and the New Age

Recently, media and large clothing/apparel corporations have been advertising directly to young children in high school and middle school, selling products and clothing lines similar to that of the flower-children in the '60s. Please, don't get me wrong, I love that there are new people devoted to peace and love and smoking good bud, but, it's gotten to the point where I can't ignore how many people dress brightly and wear peace symbols and at the same time, they don't believe or even comprehend half the things that went on in during the Hippie movement, and it concerns my (newly wed =]) wife and I, seeing so many people encouraging new kids to be hippies, but without teaching them morals or what their clothes stand for. I swear for every 10 teenagers who wear a peace symbol if you were to ask them what the counter-culture was and what it stood for they wouldn't know what to say.

For example: When I was a kid, (Currently 26 years old) all you got was a slap on the wrist if you smoked pot and MAYBE probation if a neighbor complained or you were growing, same thing with acid, LSD was a forbidden topic, you did it, and you kept in in your circle, but it was never advertised. Now, with the newfound "War on Drugs" people get arrested, jail time, probation, hundreds of fines and all this crazy-over-the-top shit for smoking pot. recently, a friend was caught producing and distributing large amounts of LSD, mostly to me, to my great enjoyment =P, but he was caught, and they charged him with not only illicit drug use, distribution, creation and that whole deal, but Conspiring against the government- threatening him with some not-so-fun jail time.

Honestly, I feel that the government has pushed it's NWO theories too far, and that there should be a movement, even if it's going to get us fined. Personally, I'm in no position that I can even afford my taxes, no less extra fines, but nevertheless, I cannot stand aside and let a nation of mobile appliances and Teenage Wanna-be's set the standard for what was once a counter-culture movement devoted to Peace, Love, Relaxation, Drug use, Recreation, and Music. I propose that we start an awareness program, gathering people, like myself, of all ages who are truly devoted to restoring the love that could be found on the streets of Haight in the late 1960's, and begin to "recruit" for lack of a better word and educate the ignorant teenagers and adults who do not comprehend what a peace symbol really symbolizes.

With the election soon coming (Honestly I don't give a fuck for politics), the opportune moment will soon arise, when the new president will be presented with a large array of shit he must take care of, and an awareness forum should be started, and posted throughout popular youth spots, I don't know exactly how to present it, but I have ideas, reply if you're interested or agree.


-With Love

TediRouge and Erin Alias

 

I see you'r concern dear brother
But in finnland Hippies have started coming back and evryone i know are very dedicated to hippie morales and idealism.
But i guess i just don't hang out with "fashion hippie folk"

 

yea man i def hear ya a lot of these new age "hippies" that dress in the ways of the counter culture do it cuz they think its cool to b different IMO
most of the kids around here that actually believe in the revolution dont even dress like they are hippies from the counter culture of the 60's they jus dress how they plz and do wat they feel is right in this world IMO thats a true "hippie"

 

Yep that's why hippies did look what they looked at 60's

 

This is something that has been troubling me for quite sometime dear brother. The "crowd" of people I usually hang out with dress in bright colors, wear TONS of bracelets/anklets, wear the peace sign a lot- and it TRULY troubles me. Don't get me wrong, I like to see some people trying to be hippies, but they just don't know the meaning of a hippie or the history of it! The other day I tried in vain to explain how the peace symbol was made and what for (if you know the history of how it was made you know it's a bit confusing) I was laughed at and everyone thought I was crazy. Sure the peace symbol stands for peace- but they just wear it to wear it, no meaning behind it. That's what truly angers me. If they only knew what the whole meaning behind the 60's counter culture and the history of it, if only they knew.

 

i totally agree with you.. I myself am 16 and i consider myself a hippie.. I dress how I want and am told i dress likea hippie. ..but i know what the peace sign symbolizes, and I know about the counter-culture movement.. not first hand..I studied and reserached about it because I really enjoy everything about the counterculture and wish i grew up in that era. And it bothers me to see all the teens in my school alone that wear peace signs, that dont live with the same morals and beliefs the counter-culture movement had..in one class i had the techer was teching us about the counter-culture movement and I had to correct her on most of the things she said.

 

Yeah, man. It's such a shame that the people I call my friends are somewhat fake.

 

just because the adoptions of life styles from the sixties is frowned upon by the some doesn't mean that it is a less meaningful one

 

I agree with you. it absolutely sickens me. but i guess it happens with every counter culture movement. there is no escaping it. I know im young, and one of the "teenage hippies" but i've spent time studying the culture. I know many of the big names and ideals that were practiced, mostly in Haight Ashbury. I examined the culture before I broke into it.
the best we can do is try to educate more people so that they understand where the entire culture springs from. There will always be 'wanna be's' but there will also always be true believers.
With love Jen

 

Perhaps you fail to understand: It is not an adaptation. It is the shameful result of greedy corporations (i.e. Coach) that market 300$ platinum peace symbol key chains that fails to stand for the things the peace symbol once stood for. My concern is for the ignorant children and teenagers as well as adults who indulge and take years of hardwork in the Haight community for granted. I have no problems with adaptations and improvements, but this is disgusting. If you do not share my concern then it is very likely you do not understand.

 

We Hippies will never totally vanish...we just get older....get mellower...and pick our battles a little more carefully...its not about clothes...or hair or barefeet..its about who you are inside...we will still be around in 3000....just like the Catholics...and other religions...

 

I come from a wealthy family, but I decided to give up the really expensive crap I could have and instead I do things that I want to do, not things that people expect me to do.

 

I agree that just wearing the fashions without the morals of peace and love (not as a cliche, but as a philosophy and a way of living) is disturbing. I also agree that people have always done that, that the majority of the hippie dressing crowd are just going with fashion, not really dedicated to any philosophy at all, and that companies will advertise to whoever they think will buy their crap. It seems shallow to me. but, unfortunately, it is a part of reality. I see kids (i'm 35) dressing sort of hippie ish, and think, hey! people who think like me! but they don't. they're just in it for the fashion, as were most of the people in the 60's. they dont even smoke pot =(... Just thank the gods for people like Rep. Barney Frank, who tries to fight for the rights of us pot smokers. But I digress. Dress however makes you feel good and groovy, and forget about the posers. They'll always be there, but only you know what's in your own heart.

 

Spoken from a true child of the counter culture. Amen man, amen!

 

I agree with you. I remember I've took off my peace sign chocker 2 years ago, when we had some music fest in my town. 'cause there were so many "hippies", who were more like snobs :/
it was horrible I really felt sorry for all peace signs they were wearing, lol

 

gah!
everyday i go to school I see kids with their huge peace signs printed in metallic on their shirts, their messenger bags that state "Think Green" or "Go Green" , and let me not forget the black t shirts with "Rock" printed in pink running across their chest. And it makes me so nauseous because I cannot seem to grasp the reason why anyone would wear something they don't support or they know absolutely nothing about...I'm not going around wearing a fucking swastika on my t-shirt or messenger bag...but I would be if Hitler had not tainted it (hell yea it was tainted, but they don't teach you that in history...it was pure Indian Sanskrit). This girl I know had a sweatshirt reading "Think Green" so I ask her ".....do you use paper or plastic" and she says, "Plastic crys, why?" and when she asked me I took the time to explain to her the significance between her sweatshirt and that question. And another day I was sitting next to a girl in class who it just so happens, has the same name as me, she was wearing a t shirt with a peace sign so i drew a peace symbol on the desk and asked her if she knew what it meant and she held up two fingers and that's when I went off into a rant about nuclear disarmament...you know the story. Anyway, I'm just happy I had the chance to help those two young ladies.

Oh yeah...I totally agree with you!

 

People here that are around my age just buy what they see in shops (supre and...other shops that young people shop at...I don't even know what they're called) and in teen fashion magazines. So here at the moment it's 'cool' to wear peace signs and bohemian style clothes etc. It doesn't mean anyone understands what they're wearing. It doesn't mean they care at all.
To them it's just a trend, and soon they won't see many people wearing those clothes and decide it's no longer cool and stop.
Before this trend it was cool to wear skulls and punk style clothes. But that kinda passed, and now it's this. But I seriously think that it will pass too. I live in melbourne, australia, so I'm just talking about what I see here.
People that don't understand the meanings of the messages they're putting across (all the environmentally friendly tshirts and shiz) are just ignorant and don't deserve too much attention
At the start when I realised the new trend, with people dressing more similar to how I was dressing I was pretty pissed, it's like my aim in life to be different but it's ok, nothing's permanent, especially because they don't even know what it means!

peace and love
Jane xx

 

hahah man i thought hippies shopped at tropical trends?! There are seriously countless people at my school that wear the peace sign shirts and have those bags that say live green/eco chick and crap like that. Its funny watching the same people wear hollister, throw papers and plastics in the trash and not the recycle bin right next to it and then to sum it all up they hop in their suv to drive home like 7 blocks away. I just hope for their sake they dont think theyre hippies because theyre livin a lie.
Last week i was walking outside behind a person in a tie dye peace sign shirt. I saw a younger looking squirrel kind of limping and moving slowly on the sidewalk. I was gonna go snatch it and see if i could help it but the "hippie" dude in front of me stomped on it!!!!!! He was standing on it so his friend could look and laugh. i was fuckin outraged and still kind of hoping i could help the little guy so i shoved the kid off it. he then turned around and punched me on the top of the head. it took every ounce of my moral juice not to go freakin crazy on that kid. i just looked down at the poor little squirrel and saw bloodiness and just looked back up at the kid and said look what you did asshole. and just walked away. of course he started laughing but not for long because my friend tackled him to the sidewalk and proceeded to punch him in the stomach repeatedly. im not gonna lie it kind of put a smile on my face for a second but i pulled him off. Poor squirrel though, i know i could have helped it. Reminds me of my baby chipmunk named Ike i found in a windstorm from hurricane ike. I did everything i could for him but sadly he died too

 

The same people that wear the diamond peace signs wear Hollister and Abrocrombie.
LIVE YOUR PHILOSOPHY.

Oh, and I read somewhere on this thread about "where hippies shop".
I don't shop. At all. :]