Death of the Hippie

death of the hippie (san francisco, 1967)A couple of days ago I was talking about the so-called Summer of Love as a media concoction. To repeat, the flowers were already beginning to wilt by that celebrated summer. To indicate how short-lived the movement really was, recall that by October residents of the Haight were commemorating “The Death of the Hippie” in a mock funeral. PBS’s American Experience has a brief video clip of the event (click the image to visit the site).

Like all successful media constructions, the Summer of Love had a strong commercial aspect. B in the D, bellbottom sentiments were used to peddle Coca Cola. Today, the De Young Museum is pretending that the cliched commercial graphic designs of “psychedelic” artist Peter Max are fine art.

And the beat goes on.


LINK
Reuters: Wistful over lost dreams


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3 Comments

  1. Peter Max posters = fine art. Oh Good Grief. What’s next?

  2. bill hoffland

    I came to the haight late in its glory, there were still remnants of the past…the health food co-op on haight, etc, lived in a great three story 1906 flat, three guys paid 80 per month each. I had the living room and the sliding doors to the “parlor” two huge rooms for 80 bucks a month. I loved the place, only drawback was my noisy upstairs neighbor who would keep me up with her loud music and screwing. The management Co managed dozens of buildings in the Haight. Sunshine management Co. They were located on Fell and Central in an old victorian. What memories…….. 1978-1981