Is hippy chic? Or have we just run out of ideas?
As the days become seemingly longer, the nights become
apparently lighter and the weather becomes debatably warmer, we’re officially
letting go of that dreary winter air and letting spring be sprung upon us. And
as much as this means that the short-wearing season is just about among us, and
we’re ‘probably going to have to actually stick to that diet we’ve been
planning for 5 months’, it’s hard not to notice an air of positivity lingering
about our noses.
But it’s not just the season that’s brought this sense of happiness with it. Social media, we all know, is becoming a sure-fire way of passing on your views to others in a very short space of time, and the ‘newest’ fad is a somewhat radical one. Vegetarianism. Veganism. Retro-ism. It seems as a nation we’ve recently taken a leap back into the 60s; the era that ‘make love, not war’ derived from.
In the 60s, being a hippie meant you were opposed to war and violence, lived an alternative lifestyle and ultimately didn’t believe in conventions - not to mention more than a passing connection to drugs and strong belief in the benefits of sex. It was a culture that was brought about in a time that some may say most needed it; a time where that light of positivity was completely necessary in lifting people from the recent melancholy of war and the hardship and rationing of the 50s. Now, in the 21st century, instead of Woodstock, people are skipping into the depths of Reading and Leeds to mosh to indie-rock and the debate is raging over the use and abuse of so-called legal highs.
So why now? Why is the hippie movement starting to make its way back? Maybe it’s just plagiarism; maybe we’re so desperately lazy that we can’t even think of our own ideas, even to the extent of something as significant as changing our lifestyle, and so posting a picture on Instagram with a tofu and lentil burger instantly makes the poster superior over all meat-eaters. Or maybe we’re all starting to see the light a little bit clearer, and realising that inhumanely keeping and brutally slaughtering animals is both unnecessary and merciless (those lines are partially down to Morrissey). No doubt different people are doing it for different reasons.
But take too the coming election. The Green Party – a party that were almost invisible until Caroline Lucas became MP for Brighton and Hove in 2010 – is striving harder than ever for political, social and environmental justice and hoping to add to its share of the vote. The party has seen a huge increase in its following recently. Why? 1. Because a large-scale social outcry to abolish Farage and his particularly small-minded views is, in fact, increasingly important and 2. Because many of us are now starting to see the importance of preserving resources on Earth and moving forward into a more sustainable future. But how did most people find out about their policies? Through social media. Many are suddenly advocating their views towards parties in the 140 characters that is a tweet, others through – sometimes not very well thought out – statuses on Facebook, some through Tumblr posts, etc. In this modern age, it seems beneficial that our views can disperse in such a quick way. But it’s important that we don’t forget to research before we advocate. Many would be happy to wave a green flag and say how wonderful the Green Party is, and how their policies are outstanding, without being able to name any
But that’s enough about politics. Some may say the real reasoning behind this sudden psychedelic movement is simply the way youth culture works; a pride in straying from a conventional route. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however it still requires a degree of thought. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and not wanting to necessarily ‘conform’ to eating meat is a great thing, and if you were influenced by someone else to do that then so be it. But I’ll reiterate now that you must remember to research before you advocate, otherwise you’ll end up being a soya milk-drinking life-lover without fully knowing why, other than the fact that you saw someone else do it and thought it looked cool.
So to summarise, the sudden growth of Johns and Yokos is exciting, and to me it means we’re starting to exercise our human rights; looking and learning from the world around us. I’m not necessarily a vegetarian, and I’ll be honest, I have a strong bond with many dairy products, and I disagree with using drugs. But it’s nice to know that alternative lifestyles are thriving, and that one day, if my views change, I could change too.
Before you scoff at the idea of being a hippy, or scroll away to look at other things, here’s a thought from John Lennon to keep in mind: ‘If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there would be peace.’
Lucy Powderly
But it’s not just the season that’s brought this sense of happiness with it. Social media, we all know, is becoming a sure-fire way of passing on your views to others in a very short space of time, and the ‘newest’ fad is a somewhat radical one. Vegetarianism. Veganism. Retro-ism. It seems as a nation we’ve recently taken a leap back into the 60s; the era that ‘make love, not war’ derived from.
In the 60s, being a hippie meant you were opposed to war and violence, lived an alternative lifestyle and ultimately didn’t believe in conventions - not to mention more than a passing connection to drugs and strong belief in the benefits of sex. It was a culture that was brought about in a time that some may say most needed it; a time where that light of positivity was completely necessary in lifting people from the recent melancholy of war and the hardship and rationing of the 50s. Now, in the 21st century, instead of Woodstock, people are skipping into the depths of Reading and Leeds to mosh to indie-rock and the debate is raging over the use and abuse of so-called legal highs.
So why now? Why is the hippie movement starting to make its way back? Maybe it’s just plagiarism; maybe we’re so desperately lazy that we can’t even think of our own ideas, even to the extent of something as significant as changing our lifestyle, and so posting a picture on Instagram with a tofu and lentil burger instantly makes the poster superior over all meat-eaters. Or maybe we’re all starting to see the light a little bit clearer, and realising that inhumanely keeping and brutally slaughtering animals is both unnecessary and merciless (those lines are partially down to Morrissey). No doubt different people are doing it for different reasons.
But take too the coming election. The Green Party – a party that were almost invisible until Caroline Lucas became MP for Brighton and Hove in 2010 – is striving harder than ever for political, social and environmental justice and hoping to add to its share of the vote. The party has seen a huge increase in its following recently. Why? 1. Because a large-scale social outcry to abolish Farage and his particularly small-minded views is, in fact, increasingly important and 2. Because many of us are now starting to see the importance of preserving resources on Earth and moving forward into a more sustainable future. But how did most people find out about their policies? Through social media. Many are suddenly advocating their views towards parties in the 140 characters that is a tweet, others through – sometimes not very well thought out – statuses on Facebook, some through Tumblr posts, etc. In this modern age, it seems beneficial that our views can disperse in such a quick way. But it’s important that we don’t forget to research before we advocate. Many would be happy to wave a green flag and say how wonderful the Green Party is, and how their policies are outstanding, without being able to name any
But that’s enough about politics. Some may say the real reasoning behind this sudden psychedelic movement is simply the way youth culture works; a pride in straying from a conventional route. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however it still requires a degree of thought. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and not wanting to necessarily ‘conform’ to eating meat is a great thing, and if you were influenced by someone else to do that then so be it. But I’ll reiterate now that you must remember to research before you advocate, otherwise you’ll end up being a soya milk-drinking life-lover without fully knowing why, other than the fact that you saw someone else do it and thought it looked cool.
So to summarise, the sudden growth of Johns and Yokos is exciting, and to me it means we’re starting to exercise our human rights; looking and learning from the world around us. I’m not necessarily a vegetarian, and I’ll be honest, I have a strong bond with many dairy products, and I disagree with using drugs. But it’s nice to know that alternative lifestyles are thriving, and that one day, if my views change, I could change too.
Before you scoff at the idea of being a hippy, or scroll away to look at other things, here’s a thought from John Lennon to keep in mind: ‘If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there would be peace.’
Lucy Powderly