So what exactly is a Hippie?
July 5th, 2008
Is a Hippie (Hippy...British English) some kind of freak?
Well technically speaking ...YES!
You see, these terms all come from the same era which is the mid sixties to the early seventies and they include many words such as groovy, far out, chick, peace man, chill etc.
In reality though, Hippies have their origin in the somewhat earlier Beat generation which started the whole funky lyrical thing.
But besides the lingo what else makes a true Hippy?
In todays age it’s hard to know because the original Hippie was a result of their era, circumstance and surrounding. They were in a time of mental revolutionary outburst when the younger generation no longer wanted to be subdued by the forces of authority and anti-war protest were a typical daily outing for the disgruntled youth. The doors of mental perception were kicked violently open causing an explosion in music, fashion and art which all seemed to come together to form an inseperable union of cacophonic psychedelia. It was as if society prior to Hippie times was a black and white photograph which was suddenly thoroughly smeared with cans of rainbow coloured oil paint.
Of course... there have always been rebels but Hippies took the establishment by surprise because of their passive nature and the free love principles they openly practised. Self expression was encouraged and ethical or morally instilled boundries torn away like sheets of newspaper in order to discover the mysteries underneath. Freedom of body, mind and soul became the ultimate goal and through this sexual inhibitions melted away to gender bender fashion. Long haired men in frocklike flowery long shirts began to get in tough with their inner selves. Women took up arms against patriarchal oppressors as never before. The human psyche was being ass-kicked forward whether they wanted it or not.
Today though, most Hippie types are mere parodies of their foregone brothers and sisters. The ideals forgotten and the fashion now being for costume parties and fun. The so called cyber Hippies are those who can afford to spread watered down philosophies to perpetuate their shallow straw grasping facades. True Hippies, like Punks from the 80’s, have surpassed the outfit and realize that these ideals are not made up of cloth and leather but are carried for life in the heart and soul.
