I think that this song is an example of how what we perceive as positive strides in history can turn back and really not be accurate when given real examples.
In 1963, history tells us that the sixties were a time of strides in the movements towards equality and civil rights. A student of this history would be inclined to think that mentality was changing throughout the country so that senseless crimes like the murder of Hattie Carroll would be on the decline, and even if they weren't, fair and progressive juries would prevail in the trial.
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll is the reality of what was happening. Minds may have been changing in response to equality but this is the grim truth that hate and racism wasnt making as much progress as the history books might have liked to show.
The sat truth is something like this might still be able to happen in the US. Research has proven that if a drunk driver were to hit a white man, his sentence would be more time than if he were to hit a black man. The same principle applies here to what Dylan is writing about. The sad but real truth.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Police Band
I had to read this short story a few times, and after all of that re-reading, I'm still not sure what I think of it is what the author was really going for.
My perspective on this "Police Band" is the writer realized how influential the music of the 1960s was over the population. He also acknowledged that police officers were seen as the bad guys against the counter cultural movement that had music at its core.
I think it's rather humorous that Barthelme would think of a police unit being a band to calm and inspire rowdy or frightened crowds of people. One gets the image of SWAT units, hostage negotiating teams, riot units... but nothing that would positively calm the situation in such a way that the people were receptive to.
I wonder why Barthelme had the members of this band undercover as mail carriers and then to say something about how the narrator couldn't understand the black members not wanting to do that forever.
All in all this was a rather interesting piece to read but interesting in the fact that it promotes how music had an effect over large groups of people. It can make them happy and compliant.
My perspective on this "Police Band" is the writer realized how influential the music of the 1960s was over the population. He also acknowledged that police officers were seen as the bad guys against the counter cultural movement that had music at its core.
I think it's rather humorous that Barthelme would think of a police unit being a band to calm and inspire rowdy or frightened crowds of people. One gets the image of SWAT units, hostage negotiating teams, riot units... but nothing that would positively calm the situation in such a way that the people were receptive to.
I wonder why Barthelme had the members of this band undercover as mail carriers and then to say something about how the narrator couldn't understand the black members not wanting to do that forever.
All in all this was a rather interesting piece to read but interesting in the fact that it promotes how music had an effect over large groups of people. It can make them happy and compliant.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Gordon and Pynchon
Having only two selections to read and write about this week, and not finding anything to comment on with the first poetry selection, I am left to write on Andrew Gordon's text, "Smoking Dope with Thomas Pynchon: A Sixties Memoir."
While this was an entertaining piece to read, I was not influenced with much in the way of response or commentary, but I will give it a shot.
Gordon wrote that "they were no joke, they really happened to us, and they really happened to me" in response to America in the 1960s. I think that that idea might get lost on us as modern students in this class. We study the 1960s as something that has happened, can be analyzed and commented on. However, it might serve us to be constantly reminded that this actually happened to real people who are among us today. We read and watch footage of sit ins, 1960s drug culture, Woodstock and other concerts, but I think we fail to associate them with the humanity they touched and affected. The 1960s gets lost into the pop culture image of a "hippie" or the black and white text that is in our book for us to read as part of a mandated assignment.
Gordon went on to write that "if somebody told you the history of the decade as a story, you wouldn't believe it. You'd wonder: is this for real? Is it some kind of joke?" To elaborate on what i mentioned before, I think Gordon is wrong. I think that now as students we see it more as a story of the times. We don't know what the culture was like, at least not first hand, and things have changed so much we see it as history. History that is being presented to us in a story form. These are the people, so different and unique you can see them as characters. These are the things they did which is so far from your own reality, they can be seen as events in a long running plot. Here is Altamont and the end to the sixties, the resolution to that plot that was 10-15 years in the making. I ultimately disagree with Gordon, I think we see the 60s as some type of idolized and unfathomable story sometimes that, no matter how much research and information we gather, can only be understood and described by someone who was actually there and had the 60s happen TO them.
While this was an entertaining piece to read, I was not influenced with much in the way of response or commentary, but I will give it a shot.
Gordon wrote that "they were no joke, they really happened to us, and they really happened to me" in response to America in the 1960s. I think that that idea might get lost on us as modern students in this class. We study the 1960s as something that has happened, can be analyzed and commented on. However, it might serve us to be constantly reminded that this actually happened to real people who are among us today. We read and watch footage of sit ins, 1960s drug culture, Woodstock and other concerts, but I think we fail to associate them with the humanity they touched and affected. The 1960s gets lost into the pop culture image of a "hippie" or the black and white text that is in our book for us to read as part of a mandated assignment.
Gordon went on to write that "if somebody told you the history of the decade as a story, you wouldn't believe it. You'd wonder: is this for real? Is it some kind of joke?" To elaborate on what i mentioned before, I think Gordon is wrong. I think that now as students we see it more as a story of the times. We don't know what the culture was like, at least not first hand, and things have changed so much we see it as history. History that is being presented to us in a story form. These are the people, so different and unique you can see them as characters. These are the things they did which is so far from your own reality, they can be seen as events in a long running plot. Here is Altamont and the end to the sixties, the resolution to that plot that was 10-15 years in the making. I ultimately disagree with Gordon, I think we see the 60s as some type of idolized and unfathomable story sometimes that, no matter how much research and information we gather, can only be understood and described by someone who was actually there and had the 60s happen TO them.
Altamont
I had always heard about Altamont but never really delve into what it really was and how it fit into the 60s culture. I knew it was supposed to be a recreation of Woodstock but the extent to which it failed was a mystery.
I had a few questions come to mind when I read Michael Lydon's account of his experiences as an Altamont concert goer. Who in their right mind would think that the Hells Angels were a good idea to allow to have that kind of power? Especially since they were being paid with $500 worth of beer... one can only assume as their consumption of their profits increases so will their violent and unpeaceful tendencies. I also think it was an interesting choice by Lydon to refer to them simply as the "Angels" throughout the text. I know it was the shorthand way to refer to the Hell's Angels, but its a bit ironic that the violent driving force for most of what went so horribly wrong at Altamont was referred to as Angels. A term that typically is referred for a biblical reference or someone who is good and well-intentioned.
I also liked that Lydon makes the distinction early in his article that Woodstock was an event because it was made into one. Altamont was an event because it was produced as an event. Reading this account of Altamont makes it clear that if the concert-goers had not tried to recreate a "Woodstock" of their own, it might not have turned out as bad as it did. They simply were trying to hard. I am sure I am not the only one to make the point that something like Woodstock will never happen again. It was unique to that one point in history where the right location, people, music and atmosphere combined to create something great and noteworthy. If you try to recreate that you will inevitably get a mixture of elements and people who are there to recreate something they never knew or could really understand in the first place.
I had a few questions come to mind when I read Michael Lydon's account of his experiences as an Altamont concert goer. Who in their right mind would think that the Hells Angels were a good idea to allow to have that kind of power? Especially since they were being paid with $500 worth of beer... one can only assume as their consumption of their profits increases so will their violent and unpeaceful tendencies. I also think it was an interesting choice by Lydon to refer to them simply as the "Angels" throughout the text. I know it was the shorthand way to refer to the Hell's Angels, but its a bit ironic that the violent driving force for most of what went so horribly wrong at Altamont was referred to as Angels. A term that typically is referred for a biblical reference or someone who is good and well-intentioned.
I also liked that Lydon makes the distinction early in his article that Woodstock was an event because it was made into one. Altamont was an event because it was produced as an event. Reading this account of Altamont makes it clear that if the concert-goers had not tried to recreate a "Woodstock" of their own, it might not have turned out as bad as it did. They simply were trying to hard. I am sure I am not the only one to make the point that something like Woodstock will never happen again. It was unique to that one point in history where the right location, people, music and atmosphere combined to create something great and noteworthy. If you try to recreate that you will inevitably get a mixture of elements and people who are there to recreate something they never knew or could really understand in the first place.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Psychedelic Rock Posters
After reading Sally Tomlinson's essay about the Psychedelic rock posters, I began questioning why the posters were such a giant focal point for the era. Yes, at the time they served an important purpose. That purpose was to advertise and inform hippies about events such as the concert dances. Almost all of the posters shared some similar characteristics, which we talked about in class when discussing the advertisement for the festival in New York this summer. Intricate lettering and bright, vibrant colors were some of the elements that made these posters different from those that had come before and after. Tomlinson touched on a point that I had never thought of when she wrote that, "deciphering the posters required concentration, which dovetailed handily with 'the state of mind which occurs when high'" (302-3). So much of the hippie culture we are learning about had to do with knowing the 'in' things. They dressed a certain way, dressed a certain way, had certain phrases and language they used to identify them as part of the counterculture. I guess I had never considered that the ability to read and interpret these posters were also a way of identifying one's presence in the counterculture.
I had also questioned why posters would be something that warranted such high regard so many years later. Yes they may have been great representations of culturally relevant art, but so many things are that get neglected. After talking about this essay with some friends I had one person ask me if I ever heard news stories that referenced controversy coming from a Blog. My answer was yes. They then asked me if the news stories surrounding email misuse (like the Philadelphia news anchors) had gained a lot of local attention. Of course, the answer to that is yes. This followed by references to the cultural impacts of Myspace pages, Facebook profiles and other electronic forums/media content that influence our current culture.
All in all, my friend was pointing out to me that the posters of the 1960s would have been equivalent to an event invitation to certain people on Facebook or a band's profile on Myspace. The concept of attracting the type of people you want to attend certain events has not changed, the method however has evolved.
I had also questioned why posters would be something that warranted such high regard so many years later. Yes they may have been great representations of culturally relevant art, but so many things are that get neglected. After talking about this essay with some friends I had one person ask me if I ever heard news stories that referenced controversy coming from a Blog. My answer was yes. They then asked me if the news stories surrounding email misuse (like the Philadelphia news anchors) had gained a lot of local attention. Of course, the answer to that is yes. This followed by references to the cultural impacts of Myspace pages, Facebook profiles and other electronic forums/media content that influence our current culture.
All in all, my friend was pointing out to me that the posters of the 1960s would have been equivalent to an event invitation to certain people on Facebook or a band's profile on Myspace. The concept of attracting the type of people you want to attend certain events has not changed, the method however has evolved.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Counter Culture Movement
Emmett Grogan's piece From Ringolevio has confused me a bit. This text presents the Human Be-In as something that benefited the Haight-Ashbury community in a monetary form. The HIP group had also called in the media. This conflicts with the previous notion I had about the Haight community as being money hating and being against the objectification of them by the media. The video we viewed on Monday gave me those ideas and this text seems to shatter that. I don't know which is correct, the personal interviews which stated they didn't have much money by choice, or Grogan's view that the Be-In was for gain.
I really enjoyed Country Joe McDonald song "I feel Like I'm fixin'-to-die Rag." I like how he appeals to the mainstream culture and their desire to be up on the times and supporting the war. He satirizes the "all American war effort" mentality of being the first to enlist and the honor of going to war for the US. McDonald brings the satire in when he embraces that tone but to the effect of , be the first to send your son off to war and you'll be the first to get him back in a body bag. This song is the last thing Joe Suburb would like to hear because this counterculture artist is telling him that what he is doing is going to end up as his worst fear. That mentality might add to the counterculture's existence because artists like McDonald were more than willing to expose the side of the war that nobody in the mainstream wanted to acknowledge or think about as they sent their boys off to war.
I really enjoyed Country Joe McDonald song "I feel Like I'm fixin'-to-die Rag." I like how he appeals to the mainstream culture and their desire to be up on the times and supporting the war. He satirizes the "all American war effort" mentality of being the first to enlist and the honor of going to war for the US. McDonald brings the satire in when he embraces that tone but to the effect of , be the first to send your son off to war and you'll be the first to get him back in a body bag. This song is the last thing Joe Suburb would like to hear because this counterculture artist is telling him that what he is doing is going to end up as his worst fear. That mentality might add to the counterculture's existence because artists like McDonald were more than willing to expose the side of the war that nobody in the mainstream wanted to acknowledge or think about as they sent their boys off to war.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Free Speech Movement
As a whole, the readings assigned from Part Three of the Sixties Reader remind me a lot of the image I used for my semiotics paper. The image I chose to write about was of a young man placing a flower in the barrell of an officer's gun at an anti-war rally. The most famous relation to this image is of a woman doing the same thing... which I believe actually took place at Berkeley.
Just as these students were demonstrating and protesting, the young man in that picture was practicing his right to freedom of expression. It is his way of expressing his free speech.
"Hey Mr. Newsman" also reminds me of the video we watched dealing with the Haight Ashbury district and how people flocked there to take pictures of them like they were in an exhibit. Kampf writes, "Hey, Mister Newsman, how come you're taking pictures of me? Is it 'cause of my long hair or 'cause of my boots up to my knees?" (199). The tone here of disgust and annoyance echos the same as most of the people who were interviewed in the Summer of Love videos about how it felt to be gawked at and objectified as a tourist attraction. They truly felt they were serving a purpose and those outsiders were coming in for amusement.
Just as these students were demonstrating and protesting, the young man in that picture was practicing his right to freedom of expression. It is his way of expressing his free speech.
"Hey Mr. Newsman" also reminds me of the video we watched dealing with the Haight Ashbury district and how people flocked there to take pictures of them like they were in an exhibit. Kampf writes, "Hey, Mister Newsman, how come you're taking pictures of me? Is it 'cause of my long hair or 'cause of my boots up to my knees?" (199). The tone here of disgust and annoyance echos the same as most of the people who were interviewed in the Summer of Love videos about how it felt to be gawked at and objectified as a tourist attraction. They truly felt they were serving a purpose and those outsiders were coming in for amusement.
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