American Politics & Pop Culture

When Billy suggests that they are ready for retirement in Florida, and Wyatt responds “we blew it,” they are both, in a sense, accepting and admitting their defeat. They are defeated in the sense that they started their journey searching for a deeper spiritual purpose, a way “out” of regular society and its expectations and constraints. They do not want to be a part of the “man’s” ideals and rules, but they come to realize that, for them, this is not an option. They witnessed and briefly experienced a truly alternative lifestyle was like while visiting the commune, and realized it was not for them – the struggle and difficulties facing those that chose to go against the grain and live outside society were not the ideal conditions under which they longed to live. “We blew it” is more symbolic than their trek to Mardi Gras; it encompasses the disillusionment of many that strove for the counterculture lifestyle. As much as they wanted to be the ultimate “nonconformists” they also didn’t want to struggle to survive. They realized to live the good life, to partake in the luxuries of life, such as retiring in Florida, they had to succumb to the pressures of society. Retiring in Florida is certainly against the counterculture ideal, and this is what he means by “we blew it.” Both Wyatt and Billy are recognizing that their journey for ultimate individualism and freedom only awakened their realism – it is almost impossible, in our world and society, to live completely outside of the grips of the corporate, conformist American way of life.

Posted by rinas001 at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Throughout the film, the treatment of the main characters in Easy Riders shows resemblance to the treatment of minorities during the ages. The counterculture was bred from discomfort with the mainstream culture, distinguishing themselves with the philosophy of peace of love in the time of war and conflict. The whole counter culture movement was born because of the dissatisfaction of authority by the population and because they believed they had better means of making the world a better place. Distinction creates opposition and opposition creates conflict, and as Thornton states: “Distinction is never just assertions of equal differences; they usually entail some claim to authority and presume the inferiority of others”. The countercultural and minorities in a similar way are segregated from the mainstream culture, the only difference is one is voluntarily segregated while the other is involuntary and forced submission. Considering Pierre Bourdieu’s work on taste and social structures, if we take into account cultural capital, the counterculture and any minority group would come inferior to the mainstream culture. Many of those in counterculture sought after simplicity and valued the enlightenment of one, which really isn’t valued as much in the mainstream culture so it is easy to be treated poorly. In the film where George, Billy and Wyatt enters a restaurant, all they get are snickering remarks and no services which eventually makes them uncomfortable and leave, consequentially with their brief encounter with society (typical white alpha male characters) getting lynched in the middle of the night, resulting in George’s death. If George was a black character, I don’t think it would have made much difference. It is worldly known that Black have higher incarceration rates than any other race, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a black character would be in jail, especially where the setting of the characters were in the south where racial segregation was still hot. The way George, Wyatt and Billy were ambushed was similar to how Black people were raided back in the days. What triggered the attack was the innocent encounter with the white girls that George, Wyatt and Billy had. If they were black characters, they would’ve faced the same fate. Counterculture similarly faced discrimination as minorities did, and were considered and treated as second class citizens.

Posted by lungx009 at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This film Talk to Me takes place around the time of the Civil Rights Movement and the assignation of Martin Luther King Jr. This was a time in our history when African Americans were make strides towards equal opportunity in a predominantly white society. I really enjoyed this film because it was able to capture the realness of what life was like black minorities.
Black radio at the time was something that happened overnight. Something that was not really heard of, but something that society was ready for (Newman 118). The radio was one of the ways for the African American community to say what they thought and become somewhat apart of mainstream life. Petey was one of those voices on the radio trying to make a positive impact on the African American community. He knew what his audience and knew what they wanted to hear. After the death of Martin Luther King Jr. African Americans were in utter rage and took their frustration out on the white community. Riots were started because of the pain and hate, setting cities on fire. Petey was the person that was pulling people away from the violence and trying to express to the black community that this is not what MLK would have wanted to happen. Because of this is brings up the discussion of whether or not Petey was racist. Just because he didn’t partake in the events that happened after MLK death and was trying to end the riots physically and verbally that doesn’t make him racist. If anything I believe it makes him leader.

Posted by white968 at 07:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Miller’s hippie ideals really do show up rather blatantly in Easy Rider. His ideals of dropping out and yearning to get away from mainstream are easily seen in the Rider’s themselves. The love, nonviolence, and environmental awareness are shown in the group of ‘hippies’ that are living out in the country by themselves, trying to subsist on their own. Most of the ideals are cast in a negative light, with the group that is trying the most to stick to these hippie ideals, suffering greatly. Easy Rider is very indicative of the ideals of love and peace and freedom, throughout the entire movie, it seems like the main characters are trying to embody all of those ideals, with the girls at the brothel or the people at the commune. I agree somewhat that Captain American and Billy don’t really fit the common mold of the old-style rancher or the new-style commune, but I believe that they share many of the same ideals. I attribute the violence portrayed in the movie to be stemming from the conflict where the two groups of ideals collide. The ignorance of one or both sides leads to physical altercations. While the dialog of Woodstock does seem much more inarticulate than Easy rider, this can be attributed to the fact that the people on screen in Easy Rider, though slightly incapacitated with drugs, were still professional actors, and even though much of the dialog was improvisational. The movie doesn’t feel like it has any racial undertones. There doesn’t seem to be any racial undertones at all. When Wyatt repeats “we blew it” he feels that this counterculture that they have been trying to live just isn’t succeeding for them, he feels it the ultimate disappointment.

Posted by nemme003 at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by schr0845 at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While watching Easy Rider it became very clear that white mainstream America not only discriminates those who are minorities but also those who don't exactly agree with all of your social values and norms. There were a few scenes in this film that really stuck out in my mind. One of them was when Wyatt and Billy are in jail with George. Because George is well known and respected he was offered some tea or coffee to help with his hangover, however when Billy asks for a smoke he is quickly denied. The officer calls Billy an animal and asks if he can be trusted to use fire, implying that Billy is as dumb as a beast just because he dresses, looks and acts differently from the officer. The other scene that really had some racial undertones was when all three Wyatt, Billy and George enter that small cafe in some backwards hick town for some food and drinks. Upon entering those three stuck out like sore thumbs, everyone noticed and became very uneasy towards them. The local sheriff and his friends started making fun of those three and giving very hostile looks. One quote that I remember was that they were talking about how the long hair made them look like women and how being with a colored woman would be way better than ever looking like Billy, Wyatt, or George. After leaving the cafe those three were eventually tracked down and beaten horribly. Those kind of events happened quite a lot to minorities as well. The fear and confusion that people still happens towards those that are different is something that those of the counter-culture and minorities are very parallel. I can only imagine the amount of hate those three would have encountered if one of them was black. I don't think that anyone of them would have been able to travel and go as freely as they did. Easy Rider touches on a lot of good points and ideas about how just because someone is different than you doesn't mean that you have to discriminate or hate them.

Posted by hove0107 at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For as long as I can remember, people have always raved about the film Easy Rider. For some reason, I never really had any desire to see it. Maybe it was the unflattering picture of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding choppers on the cover that turned me away. Whatever it was that kept me from viewing the film did so rightly. After finally seeing it in class last Wednesday I knew my instincts had been correct. Easy Rider is supposedly the main film of the counterculture movement, and after learning about the truth behind the counterculture movement I could understand why. Hippies are supposed to be free and different than everyone else, when it is apparent that hippies are the most rigidly conformed group. And with no real goals or purposes that seem to matter, hippies waste their time burning out while doing nothing, and that is what Easy Rider made clear to me. The counterculture movement faded away because it had no substance. Easy rider was a pretentious student film to me. With cheesy dissolves and bad acting (except for Nicholson), there was little substance in the film as well. I'll give it credit solely because of the ending, when Fonda realizes what a waste of time the hippie life is.

Posted by probe001 at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Easy Rider and the Miller reading both relate similar aspects of the hippie counterculture. Rebellious acts of "dropping out," as explained in the reading, were demonstrated first hand in the movie. Fonda and Hopper's characters meet a lot of different people on their cross country journey, and they aren't necessarily protrayed in the best light. The hippies they meet have all dropped out from society in some extremity or another, and the movie shows what a struggle it is for them straying from the normal way of living and thinking. "It was the disowning of a life oriented toward work status and power." The counterculture definitely struggles for the necessities of life and make do with what little they have. Instead of getting caught up in things that are of little significance in the grand scheme of things, they enjoy in eachothers company, conversation, entertainment. The hippies have a similar view of the environment to Millers aspects as well when he says "One was obligated to adapt oneself to the flow of things instead of interfering with it and trying to conquer it." The people the main characters came across outside of the towns grew, or attempted to grow, their food and raised their livestock.
The only ones who truly accept them were other hippies and the country folk they join for a meal. The hippies accepted them in the act of love and peace as they treat everyone with their similar views. The country folk readily accepted their company because by living off the land, they were not as dependent on money as the townspeople who loathe them the moment they walk into the cafe/restaraunt. Nicholson's character does a good job describing their reaction when he says "They're not scared of you but what you represent to them," They are jealous of something they know they don't have the courage to obtain themselves, freedom. In the end the main characters fate lies with the townspeople who just don't understand.

Posted by kolsu002 at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the film Easy Rider, Donald Costello's arguments show up in many scenes. First, Costello claims that, "The young of the 60s had contended that their culture was based not on exploitation but on love..." I would agree with this argument only to some extent. While it may be true that the young of the 60's based their culture on love, there is also a degree of exploitation shown in the film. The opening scene of the film shows Wyatt and Billy exploiting the Mexican community when they purchase cocaine from them for a cheap price relative to the price they resell it for in America. Also, there are scenes in which Billy is harassing a woman when he and Wyatt arrive at Mardi Gras. These exploitations contradict Costello's argument that the young generations of the 60's based their culture not on exploitations, but on love. Second, Costello claims that the younger crowds of the 60's based their culture, "...Not on violence but on peace." This is an argument that I absolutely side with. As discussed in class, the younger generations witnessed firsthand the harsh brutalities of the war in Vietnam. Because of this, these generations protested the use of violence and adapted peaceful ways of living. These ideals are exemplified in the film through images such as communal living. Also, the use of drugs was a method for the younger generations to expand their minds and live in harmony rather than violence. Last, Costello states that the younger groups lived, "...Not on restraints but on freedom." This is another point in which I would argue against Costello. I would not claim that the younger generations in the 60s did not seek freedom and limited restraints, but instead think that this was a time for them to learn what freedom meant to them as individuals. Costello claims that the young in the 60s based their culture on freedom. However, in the film, one can easily see that Wyatt and Billy are unsure what freedom is. Is it, for Wyatt, the ability to live on one's own and survive through hard work and determination? Or is it financial freedom if Wyatt and Billy were to ever settle down in Florida? I believe that to base one's culture on a specific ideal, one first has to define it and what they want out of it. In the film, it's clear that Wyatt and Billy are unsure as to what freedom means to them.

Posted by stap0069 at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is easy to see how the pair could have "blown it" on their trip to Mardi Gras. As rebels and nonconformists, they were determined to live a life free from restrictions and boundaries. However, as they travel, it becomes obvious that their entire future is based on the money being carried in the gas tank. Without it, they would be lost, while the whole point of the trip was to find themselves. Wyatt repeating that statement, that they "blew it", is simply him realizing the cold truth of survival in America. As Jack Nicholson's character puts it, "It's real hard to be free when you're bought and sold in the marketplace."
Billy's suggestion to retire in Florida reaffirms this idea, that the truth about freedom has finally dawned upon the pair. While there are hundreds of cliches to be said here, I think the most fitting is, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Clearly their trip for peace, love and freedom has been halted, and with nothing else to do, retirement seems like an enticing proposition. Ironically enough, this could be considered an extremely nonconformist action. Establishing oneself as a nonconformist, is, essentially, conforming to the identity of non conformism. Doing something that is not expected of a nonconformist (such as retiring to Florida) could be considered the epitome of non conformism. This idea is stated much more "eloquently" in an episode of South Park, where a punk/goth/emo kid agrees to join a dance group because "he is so nonconformist, he's going to conform." (South Park is considered a scholarly resource, correct?)
-Chris Hansen

Posted by hanse978 at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the end of the film when Wyatt says “we blew it”, he is definitely talking about more than just their trek to Mardi Gras. In an attempt to be so different, they ended up being the same as what they were originally rebelling against. In “From Counterculture to Anticulture” by David Costello, Costello argues that those words serve as a caution to those within the counterculture. According to him, the Wyatt’s words “are a warning for a counterculture that can't really be counter if it accepts the values of the dominant culture into which it enslaves itself” (190). In such case, the whole purpose of the movement is defeated, and instead of being free, they are still bound, just bound by a different yoke that of the mainstream. Costello poses some essential questions about this freedom sought out by counterculture followers:

“Are they blowing their freedom, are they, after all, not the stuff of counterrevolution, but merely a sold-out generation? An easy rider is a pimp who lives off a whore-slave: Is the new generation made up of pimps who live off dope-slaves, whose ride is easy, without commitment, whose enslavement to easy money and instant pleasure means that when real values--of the past or the present-are there to be chosen, the only reply can be "We blew it"?” (190)

This brings up important issues surrounding the counterculture. What is the point if at the end, no gain has been made and nothing has been achieved? This was certainly illustrated in the film. At the end, after much time (and gas) had been wasted, Wyatt and Billy were really no better off than when they began this journey. In fact, they had even put someone else in danger. Costello mentions that, “Captain America and Billy carry George only to his violent death. Captain America and Billy learn nothing from George's death on the road to Mardi Gras” (190). There is no epiphany or great reflection on the matter, they just keep on going.

At the end of the film when they become “martyrs” for the counterculture, it does not seem as if living within the counterculture was worth it for any of them. At the end of their lives, what did George, Billy, or Wyatt have to show for it? How had this lifestyle helped anyone, or even themselves for that matter? The answers to these questions do not have positive responses, which makes one wonder if it all, the whole movement, was really in vain.

Posted by Jasmine Omorogbe at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The movie Easy Rider uncovers the life of the hippie counterculture during the 1960’s. The main characters, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper), travel across the country and along the way they find many people who share their alternative ideals as well as those who want them dead because of what they stand for. Even though the hippie counterculture, according to Miller, was all about peace and love, it seems that in the movie, both Wyatt and Billy have a difficult time finding either, being unable to find peace in a world that did not accept them. Throughout the movie, we see the hatred that those in society had towards those in the hippie counterculture. In fact, Wyatt, Billy, and their fellow hippie friend George, end up being brutally attacked by townspeople in the middle of the night because they were seen as a threat. This discrimination is similar to that of minorities during this time. Although hippies had more political freedoms, both groups were treated horribly and experienced violence and even death as a result of their differences from what was considered “mainstream” and “acceptable”.
One other point I found interesting was that in the movie there was such an emphasis placed on money. It almost seemed as if Wyatt and Billy were going against the beliefs of their counterculture by placing so much importance on something materialistic. At the end of the movie, Billy tells Wyatt that “they did it” and gives praise to their achievement and hope for the future. Wyatt replies to Billy’s comment by saying “We blew it”. According to Donald Costello, these words are, “clear in [their] meaning; and they are a warning for a counterculture that can't really be counter if it accepts the values of the dominant culture into which it enslaves itself” (1972). At that moment, Wyatt felt that he and Billy had lost sight of what they believed in and had placed too much emphasis on what society considered to be a measure of success. By pointing this out, he expresses urgency to those in the hippie subculture to be aware of their actions and the society that they live in.

Posted by colb0086 at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The establishment of many countercultures is often obtained through the forced recognition by a defying group, sometimes turning to aggression and violence in order to gain attention from the rest of society. For example, the shocking motives and views of the group known as skinheads provides a clear illustration of such shock value obtained through aggression. In contrast to this, the counterculture known as hippies and the stereotypes that they’re often associated with developed in a much different way. Rather than demanding attention and shock of the rest of society, the hippies so called “rebellion” was not a concept that this core group of people craved awareness for, but rather a notion that was created in the minds of a judgmental and narrow-minded portion of society. This negativity and disapproval is very prominently shown throughout the film Easy Rider. Two men exploring the country, although not bothering anyone seem to run into an endless amount of segregation for such petty reasons.

In the reading from Miller he states, “For most hippies, love meant nonviolence.” The fact that a counterculture whose views are centered around hopes to see a change for the better and live in a world filled with less violence and more pleasure is often looked down upon and ridiculed by the rest of society only exposes the lack of apathy and ethical value that is so disturbingly common among a majority of mainstream culture.

Posted by munoz047 at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the reading, Miller outlines several aspects of the hippie counterculture such as love, nonviolence, antimateralism, hedonism, the hippie lifestyles's political implications, environmental awareness, "droping out" of established society. I see most of his ideals in Easy Rider. For example, there was a simple of anti-materalism in the scene where Wyatt throws away his watch on the road. The two of them just need money to fill up their gas tanks, so they can travel around. They don't need any extra money or possessions. They don't need any thing fancy to wear or to eat. There is a group of hippies in the film having hard time to grow their own crops. They then prayed for "simple food for simple taste". Then they went to perform for food. They portray a lifestyle of freedom and love. They are not under any authority. They movie portrays them as a group of hippies who are willing to share food and love to one another.
Then comes the scene where Wyatt, Billy, and George go into a local restaurant in Louisiana. They are threatened and verbally abused by the local men in the restaurent. They now portray themselves as nonviolent and peaceful. They leave without saying anything to the men and any fighting nor confronting. There is only one comment from George which leads to his death later on, "This used to be a good country, I don't understand what went wrong with it". Because of this comment, he is killed by those men that night when he and the other two are sleeping. His sentence is significant in a way. It is symbolic statement of how many people (hippies) did not like the way things worked in America. It is saying the United States is not the way it was supposed to be anymore. It was about freedom, love, not war, fighting, and violence.

Posted by truon052 at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was really excited about watching this film because I had heard that it was an important representation of the counterculture movement. I actually plan on watching it again some time soon because there are a lot of parts that I would like to pay more attention to.

There are so many different stylistic attempts to portray the hippy ideals and I feel that Easy Rider did a fantastic job. This is not because Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper accurately played out all of the counterculture values, but because they portray the lack in concrete definition of principles that members of the counterculture were striving to follow.

As Wyatt and Billy are traveling across the country we continually learn more about what they believe are their counterculture values. We see, however, that their actions don't always represent their supposed hippy ideals. This is not depicting that they are failed members of the counterculture, but instead that all members have somewhat slanted views that cannot be in direct opposition to mainstream society or the establishment. I agree with Costello in saying that "the values of the counterculture were becoming indistinguishable from the values of the mainstream" (189). This is shown best at the end of the movie while the two main characters are once again sitting around a bonfire reflecting on their ideas. Billy announces, "We did it, man. We did it, we did it. We're rich, man. We're retirin' in Florida now, mister," and instead of agreeing, Wyatt sadly responds, "You know Billy, we blew it." Striving to become rich and desiring to retire in Florida are not principles of the counterculture. On the contrary they are commonly goals of mainstream culture and it seems that Wyatt understands this. Throughout their journey they learned that they don't seem to fit anywhere and therefore they have "blown it" by even losing themselves.

Posted by weir0041 at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Counterculture is an interesting thing to grasp, but I think that “Easy Rider” succeeded in portraying all of the hippie ideals of counterculture that Miller outlines. Especially present were the desire to “drop out” of established society (illustrated by the entire on-the-road and spontaneous lifestyle of Wyatt and Billy), the political implications of this lifestyle (shown in the scenes where Wyatt, Billy, and George enter the café and are the subjects of universal criticism, and also the ending of the film where Wyatt and Billy are ruthlessly killed), environmental awareness (shown by Wyatt and Billy living off the land within the hippie commune they are taken to by the hitchhiker), anti-materialism (Wyatt throws off his wristwatch in the beginning of the journey, and the pair wear almost all the same clothes throughout their journey), and love (of course at the hippie commune, indicated by conversations amongst the members there). Costello described this film as “a warning that the values of the counterculture were becoming indistinguishable from the values of the mainstream,” which is indeed evident in the film, but I can also see how, as Costello goes on, members of the counterculture purposely blinded themselves from this warning. Becoming so defiant against mainstream society gave them such a feeling of power and individuality that it was hard to accept that their hippie ideals would eventually die out.

Also, Costello discusses the Woodstock film as having virtually no easy to follow dialogue, and I do think that “Easy Rider” compares to this quite a bit. As we learned in class, much of the lines in “Easy Rider” were improvised, and as we saw in “Woodstock,” the entire thing was impromptu. Costello says of “Woodstock,” “The motion picture is the art form of the young precisely because it can do what ‘Woodstock’ did: exploiting sights and sounds to a hyperrealism, it can create myth”. In the case of both “Woodstock” and “Easy Rider,” this myth was the belief that there would exist a strong foundation of the counterculture in our society. Recall that we saw and heard many of the same ideals among the Woodstock crowd. In the case of “Easy Rider” in particular, this “myth” created was also in a sense the “myth” of the American Dream for Wyatt and Billy. We see them accomplishing anything and everything of their choosing, when in the end, Wyatt describes that they “blew it,” probably due to their misfortunes and bad tidings all along the way.

Posted by joh02361 at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyatt, Billy and George, although they are white, are subjected to similar prejudices and persecution as an African American would at the same time period in the South. First, Wyatt and Billy are jailed because they were "parading without a permit". In actuality, they were put in jail because they had long hair, rode motorcycles and represented freedom, which the Man did not like. This is similar to how an African American would be treated; put in jail for a made up reason, just because of who they were. As a result they were put in jail, were they meet an ACLU lawyer named George. George saves Wyatt and Billy from being shaved by rusty razors, which was apparently common practice to do to "longhairs" in that police outfit. George comments to them that he can get them out of jail "as long as they didn't kill anybody...at least nobody white". Upon their release, George hints at wanting to join the two on their journey, which he does, and along the way they introduce George to marijuana.

A major episode where the three of them encounter an experience parallel to that of a Black person's is in the diner in Louisiana. The three of them walk in and the conversation amongst the patrons comes to a halt. They sit down, and immediately the conversations throughout the room change subjects to them and how they are "girls", "yankee queers", etc. The sheriff and an inbred local conversed about what they should do with them. They were not offered service of any kind. They guys soon realized that it was in their best interest to get out of there. Later, at their campsite, some of the guys from the diner ambushed their campsite, killing George and beating Wyatt and Billy. They had done nothing wrong, except not fit in to the ideals of the conservative south. They were treated on par with how African American's were treated at the time. Judging from the outcome of the diner experience, it wouldn't have made any difference if George were black. The only possible difference would be that the guys would have been beaten up right away instead of later at their campsite. George said it best at the campsite before they fell asleep: "You know, this used to be a hell of a good country, I can't understand what's goin' on."

Posted by smit1989 at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If George had been cast as a black character, it would have been too obvious. With racial tensions as they were at the time, if George was black the message of the film would have been a 'one trick pony' that is just representing the hippies that support the civil rights movement. I don't think a lot of other messages that can be interpreted from the film now, would have been so prevalent if George was black and had been killed. It was important for the audience to identify with george as the normal one of the bunch, and the mindset of society was that everyone was white. If we were in that situation, we (the audience) would have been the George. The normal one who has tried pot but pretty much sticks to boos. I'm sure I wasn't the only one jarred when George was killed savagely. So in a sense we were killed. Society wasn't a safe place anymore when "we" were being killed senselessly. I think this also represented the anguish over the war in Vietnam.

The line Capt America says when Billy suggests they retire to Florida "We blew it." Symbolically they blew their ability to change the things in society they wanted to change. They blew it by getting the money they needed to live illegally, they blew it by messing up their minds by taking drugs. They blew their ability to create real and lasting change legitimately, So retiring to Florida would have ultimately been a cop out and a life not worth living because they had not changed society for the better.

Posted by byro0028 at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As Timothy Miller states in the opening section of The Ethics of Cultural Opposition, “The counterculture never saw itself as just another subculture; it was the Disloyal Opposition to Establishment culture.” The movie Easy Rider exemplifies the Disloyal Opposition to Establishment culture in a way few films have been able to. In this blog I’ll be arguing that the film does in fact do a good job of depicting what Miller calls “yearning to quit or “drop out” of establishment society”.

The prevailing attitude during the preceding decade (the 1950’s) was that of group cohesion and conformity. Two examples of this would be the massive increase in what we call “suburban sprawl” and the abundance of “white collar workers”. The movie Easy Rider is in direct contradiction to this “group culture”. The entire premise of the movie is to document Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson as they abandon the compulsions of conformity and pursue their own individualistic passions. The characters are out on the road living their lives as independent individuals rather than individuals that are dependent upon a certain group (such as a suburban community or corporation). They travel across the country on their motorcycles and make decisions on the fly. They don’t plan much and make decisions as they go. The phrase “shooting from the hip” summarizes their mentality succinctly. So, after watching the film, it’s easy to see how it clearly exemplifies what Miller calls “yearning to quit or “drop out” of establishment society”.

Posted by John Erck at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From two different medias and set in to different environments, the movie Easy Rider and the book On the Road by Jack Kerouac, when juxtaposed, show the views of movement in the 1950s-60s. The young are restless and need a change and in ten years become the middle aged not quite ready to lie down their wild days and continue the careless life of being one with culture and the world. Easy rider shows the world from a motorcycle, through hills and nature. On the Road presents a world of free roaming through cities and enclosed in cars. Other than drugs crimes weren’t committed and showed the escape into society as a hard life, but one that is the natural escape from the womb that is home. Easy Rider is from the point of view of being on a motorcycle, the closest to nature while still being apart from it. But being close to nature crimes are committed as is present in nature, the strong feed off of the weak. As humanity moves towards nature crime becomes more apparent while the evolution of man into city culture brings a more peaceful coexistence between man.

Posted by Chris Lewis at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The main theme or notion expressed in this film, or at least a prominent one, is counterculture. The relationship seen between Wyatt, Billy, George and the native southerners they encountered on their trip is a valid representation of a clash of cultures. Just like the hippies vs. the establishment, the three voyagers were displaced from their free and timeless environment and experienced the traditionalism of the south. As the trio draws attention from the locals at a restaurant and suffer verbal abuse, it is interesting to see that such an intimidating group of men, including a local police officer would be so threatened by a harmless group of grass smoking journeymen. The scene depicts a nationwide rapport between countercultures and the already established, conservative types of America. Just like black and white and Lennon and Nixon, the violence, turmoil and fear seen in the film is attributed to this lack of connection between opposing groups. As Sarah Thornton states in a reading for this week, “Subculture ideologies are a means by which youth imagine their own and other social groups, assert their distinctive character and affirm that they are not anonymous members of an undifferentiated mass” (Thornton, pg 2). Violence seemingly is not a prominent ideology of this subculture, if at all. Therefore, due to the fact that these locals beat these men in their sleep and ultimately killed one of them, the violence is seen to be rather lopsided. So perhaps the film was stating that this violence and hatred is akin to “the other guys” and a product of their lack of understanding. Instead of violence being accredited to the fact that the opposing groups are unconnected in their ways, maybe it is just because the threatened group of locals just have immoral values and have no other way to resolve any differences seen between them and any outsiders. And perhaps this behavior is a symbolic depiction of many clashes throughout the current society.

Posted by luli0004 at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Easy Rider portrays many aspects of the hippie or countercultural movement that took place in the 1960s. These included freedom, love and peace, and anti-materialistic views. Wyatt and Billy’s drug use in the film showed that they follow this hippie or countercultural movement, as well as freedom by dropping out and traveling around the country. According to miller dropping out is “the disowning of a life oriented toward work, status, and power; it was a search for poverty, simplicity, and new ideas” (pp. 110). Hippie ideals in the movie were shown both in a positive and negative light. Negatives included that they were rude and lacked respect for others, and seemed to enjoy causing discomfort for those who had other beliefs. However there were also positive traits. They appreciated people helping them out, and gave help to those who they could. The actual culture of hippies was seen in a negative light. They loved being free to do whatever whenever they wanted and were violent towards what they would define improper behavior.
Costello explains, “The young of the 60's had contended that their culture was based not on exploitation but on love, not on violence but on peace, not on restraints but on freedom” (pp. 187).
It reflected the ideology of freedom, love and peace prevalent in the youth subculture at the time. These themes of freedom, love and peace were present throughout the movie through the characters in the film. Wyatt and Billy allowed anyone to join and come along with them on their trip across the country. An example of this is when they are at the commune. They were one huge group with totally different backgrounds but that didn’t bother them. The most significant part of the movie was the fact that Wyatt and Billy were out on the open road, which is a great freedom symbol. The guys had no schedule or detailed travel plans. They were just out on the open road with their bikes.

Posted by campb503 at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like Ashley said below, I would be lying if I said that I really enjoyed this movie. I think it was probably more significant for the people who watched it when it was released in the late 60's, they probably had a little more patience and a better attentoin span for it. Today, though, it is just wayyyy too slow moving for me and it really couldn't hold my attention. The way the camera scaled EVERY landscape in its entirety and the scene where the camera goes around looking at everybody's face in a circle of people kind of summed up why my impatience just didn't mesh well with this movie. The whole time I was waiting for something sweet to happen, but it was just the same thing over and over, two guy's riding on motorcycles while extremely high on LSD and weed. It just seemed to me like every other "rebel" movie out there, I donno I guess it just wasn't unique to me. It did represent the counterculture of the 60's well, though, and I think it should be applauded for that.

Posted by ruppx051 at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like Ashley said below, I would be lying if I said that I really enjoyed this movie. I think it was probably more significant for the people who watched it when it was released in the late 60's, they probably had a little more patience and a better attentoin span for it. Today, though, it is just wayyyy too slow moving for me and it really couldn't hold my attention. The way the camera scaled EVERY landscape in its entirety and the scene where the camera goes around looking at everybody's face in a circle of people kind of summed up why my impatience just didn't mesh well with this movie. The whole time I was waiting for something sweet to happen, but it was just the same thing over and over, two guy's riding on motorcycles while extremely high on LSD and weed. It just seemed to me like every other "rebel" movie out there, I donno I guess it just wasn't unique to me. It did represent the counterculture of the 60's well, though, and I think it should be applauded for that.

Posted by ruppx051 at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The topic of discussion this week, the counterculture, is difficult for me to fully comprehend. It can be loosely defined as a culture in opposition to the values of the established mainstream – I get that. But, I seem to be getting stuck when trying to put it into a more focused context.

Timothy Miller’s analysis painted the movement in rather broad strokes that seemed to include every possible socio-political issue, even describing it as being apolitical in nature. Donald Costello’s attempt to define the movement was just as ambiguous, claiming that values were “communicated from one to another not by mind and words but by sights and sounds. Sensations, feelings, intuitions, spontaneity reigned” (187). He held up Wadleigh’s Woodstock as the definitive film of the movement. We read a review back in week 7 by Daniel Schowalter that asserted the documentary had a depoliticized nature. Are we onto something here?

According to Sarah Thornton’s article, this does not appear to be the case when she states, “[v]ague opposition is certainly how many members of youth subcultures characterize their own activities. However, we can’t take youthful discourses literally; they are not a transparent window on the world” (201). Wait a minute. Miller’s chapter opened with the statement that “[t]he counterculture never saw itself as just another subculture” (103). Are her comments relevant to our conversation of the more general counterculture? Introducing the complexity of a subculture has me thoroughly confused now.

Confusion aside, the passive main character of our counterculture representative sample Easy Rider embodies the non-judgmental, unassuming, idealism that is central to any discussion on the topic. Is it possible the concept we are dealing with cannot be labeled or confined to a particular point in time? Is it possible that the meaning I am looking for is elusive due to the inherent notions of freedom coursing through everything? Maybe the movement is supposed to be whatever we want it to be? Recalling conversations we had about interpreting film noir in week 3 might prove useful insight here. It might make more sense to consider the counterculture as being a timeless discourse on the possibilities of a different reality than the one we live in now.

Posted by skog0031 at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One aspect about Easy Rider (1969) is the anti-materialistic views. This view is portrayed through the “hippie movement”. The hippie’s belief was that money itself was useless. The land was the thing of value. The hippies lived off the land and tried not to focus on money and the materialistic things you can purchase with that money. These non-materialistic views were very different from the most of society, at that time and continues to hold true in society even today. The readings described the notion of counter-culture as a positive, rather than with negativity like many other media sources did. The film really stressed peace, love and freedom. I think these are the same aspects the readings illustrated. So all in all, I believe that the film portrayed the hippie movement in a positive and accurate way, which I truly enjoyed.

Posted by zabor005 at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the outcomes of the 60’s counterculture movement was an increase in environmental awareness. There were a couple of references to this in the film this week. Easy Rider portrayed a farmer as one that provides for himself and doesn’t rely on the establishment for food. He works in harmony with and not against nature. At the commune, residents and guests benefit from the localized production of agriculture in order to sustain their community. These ideas weren’t so revolutionary at the time because they were practical. So, it seems unfair to the primitive cultures and the hippies that established these practices to claim today, that organic farming and co-ops are revolutionary ideas because they have been around forever. Wyatt and Billy also camped out every night which in turn helped them maintain a connection with the environment, which was very important to the counterculture. However, I wonder what hippies still alive today think of our society? Environmental awareness is at an all time high, but so is environmental exploitation. Our society is more affluent than ever and more technologically advanced. Pure hippies, which there are very few left of would obviously have to question the contradiction our society imposes. How can such an affluent society that is so consumed and reliant on technology claim to be environmentally aware? I believe our society would be the hippies’ worst nightmare. They valued environmental activism, detested technology and based sound environmental practices on those of Native Americans (Miller 109). The counterculture’s influence did create some of the first environmental interest groups when the idea that the future of the environment was in danger was an oddity (Miller 109). Today, there are more interest groups than ever and the power is more spread out than ever, but nonetheless The Sierra Club is an example of a very influential group that has its roots firmly set in this movement. Still, the government controls the final say in the implementation of environmental policies, which is heavily influenced by big business, exactly what the hippies were against. So, even relevant today, one main reason that the counterculture’s presence in society faded is still present in those trying carry out their environmental goals, the underestimation of the establishment and its power.

Posted by cros0189 at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The American 1960s was a decade typified by countless cultural and economic exertions, the invasion of rock and roll, the intemperance of love and ecstasy, and the embracement of the hippie counterculture. The hippie counterculture was a statement against the dominant cultural paradigm of the 60s and 70s. The subculture embraced freedom, love, and drugs and revolted against establishment and societal normality. It was a way of life “based not on exploitation but on love, not on violence but on peace, not on restraints but on freedom” (Costello 187).

The film Easy Rider accurately portrays many of the aspects and values of the hippie counterculture. It is the story of two bikers, Wyatt and Billy, who partake in a drug infused journey across America looking for answers to life’s questions. While on their journey, the bikers encounter prejudice and hostility from individuals who ‘fear and loathe’ their revolt against societal normality, but also encounter individuals who are living an unconventional lifestyle and rebelling against prejudice, violence, racism, etc.

Easy Rider juxtaposes normality with unconventionality through the encounters of Wyatt and Billy. Wyatt and Billy embrace the hippie culture by taking drugs (LSD), listening to rock and roll, and having no regard for societal norms like time and money. They are depicted as martyrs to the hippie cause, being abused, arrested and finally shot.

Ian Bell

Posted by bellx236 at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All of Miller’s ideas of Hippie counterculture are present in the movie Easy Rider. The two main characters drop out of society, we see Wyatt throwing away his watch to symbolize they are free, and they are not constrained by any obligations like mainstream America. They live by their own rule, they smuggle drug into the US. They share love with people they meet, and the other hippies help them by providing food and shelter. The idea of hedonism and anti-materialism are also present in the main characters life, their main character’s purpose in life is pleasure by make just enough money to retire in Florida.
I think hippie ideals in Easy Rider are shown negatively. The hippies have all of the right ideas such love, nonviolence and environmental awareness but their ideas in a practical sense is disastrous. The hitch-hiker’s family says, they want to plant “simple food for their simple taste” which shows the family are environmental aware and anti-materialistic, they don’t exploit the land for more than they need. But at the same time, they are not sure if the plants will grow to feed their family, therefore they resort to praying and doing the sun dance. The two main characters making their livings not by working, but by selling drugs. Their life is aimless; they do drugs and have sex. Miller wrote “But the hippies hardly achieved perfect love. They were human after all, and therefore flawed, the more perceptive among them tempered idealism with realism.” At the end of the movie Wyatt says, “we blew it” which symbolizes the hippies know what is wrong with society; but they don’t seem to know how to fix it.

Posted by mula0013 at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Elizabeth Bassett

The 1960’s were a time of political upheaval throughout the American nation. Throughout this period, the hippie counterculture was marked by the ideas of love, anti-materialism, hedonism, and environmental awareness. Easy Rider, a film released in 1969, vividly portrayed these hippie ideals as it followed Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson on their trek from Los Angeles to the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans.
Looking back at the 1960’s, love was one of the primary ideals ringing through the air. This strong ideal of love is also reflected in Easy Rider. Throughout their journey, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson portray a strong bond of friendship that exemplifies love for each other. They are willing to stick by each other and support each other’s ideals through trials and rough times along their journey. This is evidenced when they are refused service at a restaurant due to their unkempt appearance and the owner’s disagreement with their lifestyle choice. Together, they leave the restaurant, not only as friends, but also as brothers. Meeting new friends along the way and their openness with them is another important aspect of the hippie movement clearly evident in Easy Rider. Free love was another strong hippie ideal that was evidenced in the film when prostitutes came into the picture at the end of the movie.
Anti-materialism also strongly resonated throughout Easy Rider. Traveling cross-country on motorcycles and sleeping in parks or roadsides along the way, the physical appearance of these men was anything but clean as they would not rent hotel rooms due to the expense. None of them held a steady job thereby indicating their unconcern for monetary possessions and comforts that a long-term occupation would allow. At times in their journey, they would stop at houses in hopes of a free meal. One of the most vivid portrayals of anti-materialism exhibited in the movie was when looking in the wallet of a crashed motorist and exclaiming that their “wasn’t much in there, just money.”
Exhibited through their easy-going lifestyles and spur of the moment travels to New Orleans in Easy Rider, hedonism was another signature mark of the hippie movement. Focusing on individual pleasures and whatever works best for the person attitude, Fonder, Hopper, and Nicholson were unconcerned about the rest of society and its implications upon them. Their goal was simply to go-with-the-flow and enjoy life as evidenced by the lack of organization on their trip.
One of the strongest hippie themes exhibited in the movie was of environmental awareness. Living in harmony with the land and tilling the soil with your own hands was strongly encouraged. This was evidenced upon the praises of the community of farmers living off of the land.
Overall, the simplicity of the dialogue of the movie, allowed for greater clarity in revealing the overriding themes of the hippie movement portrayed throughout the journey from Los Angeles to New Orleans.

Posted by basse044 at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The film "Easy Rider" does portray many aspects of the hippie lifestyle, some of these aspects more than others. One aspect of the counterculture that is specifically and clearly shown in this film is the yearning to quite or drop-out of the establishment society. The film follows two hippie-type guys on a trip to New Orleans. The two men don’t have a job or anything to tie them down – they just go and do what they feel like. They take a long trip through the country. They live off of the land and sleep under the stars. They become very much a part of the environment. They also appear to be quit anti-materialism. Neither character really brings anything other than money and the clothes on their backs.

However, it is ironic that the material things that Wyatt does bring with him (his bike, his leather jacket, and his helmet) all have some kind of American flag on it. His character portrays an anti-society type character, yet he completely decks himself and his bike out in American gear. This really seems to represent that even though the hippies are willing to drop out of the society and do their own thing, they are still very much a part of America. Those who participated in the hippie counterculture had their place and made up a large percentage of Americans. I

It is also ironic that the hippies were so much for peace and anti-violence and two of the main characters, who did represent the hippie counterculture, are shot to death and one is beaten to death. The people that they are killed by seem to be ignorant, unintelligent and uninformed hicks. This seems to represent that the people that disagreed or were judgemental about the hippies ideas, are not as enlightened as the hippies and are willing to just shoot down the more progressive ideas of the counterculture.

Posted by Martine Schroeder at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The ideals represented by Captain America (Wyatt) and Billy in Easy Rider are partially indicative of the ideals expressed by Donald Costello in “From Counterculture to Anticulture,” but not perfectly. Costello writes that “the young of the 60’s had contended that their culture was based not on exploitation but on love, not on violence but on peace, not on restraints but on freedom” (187). All of these ideals appear to apply to Easy Rider at first glance, but only the idea of peace over violence is really consistent throughout the movie.

At the brothel in New Orleans, it appears that the protagonists do choose love over exploitation, as they do not opt immediately for sex with the prostitutes, but rather take them out to experience the atmosphere of Mardi Gras. However, earlier in the film at the hippie commune, the characters (primarily Billy, but also Wyatt) take a more lax approach to sex and exploit the nature of the hippies.

With the premise of the movie, two men biking cross country with no time schedule or real plan for how to survive along the way, it is surprising that the freedom argument doesn’t hold up. The fact is that the whole excursion was made possible by a large drug sale to a wealthy American at the beginning of the movie. Their “freedom” was made possible only by this large amount of money, which was made possible only through those who represented the ideals of capitalist America. Billy’s exclamation about retiring in Florida is also very non-counterculture, as we know it as the stereotypical goal of those who play by the rules and look for a relaxing retirement after a lifetime of servitude to a society that has done them well.

Although there is a considerable amount of violence portrayed in the film, the protagonists are always the targets. When the townspeople in the café threaten them, Billy, Wyatt, and George avoid confrontation and leave peacefully, only to be found and beaten later. It is also notable that when Billy is shot by the man in the truck, revenge does not seem to enter into Wyatt’s mind. He rather attempts to find help, and is cut down by the same men who killed his friend.

Posted by dunh0037 at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The mantra of hippies during the sixties, coined by Timothy Leary, was “turn on, tune in, drop out”. The implication was that you would turn on to drugs, tune into counterculture society, and drop out of mainstream society. The rampant drug use by Wyatt and Billy throughout the movie would suggest that they follow this hippie creed, as well as their search for freedom by dropping out and riding around the country. In “The Ethics of Cultural Opposition” by Timothy Miller, dropping out is described as “the disowning of a life oriented toward work, status, and power; it was a search for poverty, simplicity, and new ideas.” (110) Realistically, dropping out only worked in theory, as even the most free-spirited have to make a living in modern society. As Miller comments, “only a few could be supported directly by hip culture- the dope dealers, a few musicians. So if only for economic reasons, most kept one foot firmly in Establishment society.” (110) Wyatt and Billy’s endeavors were financed through their drug smuggling, so on the surface it appeared as though they had beaten the system and found a way to truly drop out of establishment society. At the end of the movie, Billy suggests that they retire to Florida, to which Wyatt comments “we blew it.” Wyatt had realized that while their journey in search of freedom was successful on a financial level, it was a spiritual failure. As Donald Costello comments in “From Counterculture to Anticulture”, “Captain America’s words ‘We blew it’ are clear in meaning; and they are a warning for a counterculture that can’t really be counter if it accepts the values of the dominant culture into which it enslaves itself.” (190) In the end, as Billy suggests the typical mainstream dream of retiring to Florida, they both realize how trapped they are within the system that they rebel against.

Posted by ande4849 at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This film is clearly one of the most tragic of its time. Made in the late 1960's as the counterculture "era" was coming to an end, this is a film that re