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Evolution of language: "hippie"


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I was wondering if y'all could help me clear up a disagreement with my 24 year old son.

 

Do you think of the term "hippie" as derogatory or neutral when used by somebody under the age of 40?

 

TIA

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Well, in my book it can be negative because of having been involved in the punk rock scene. Hippies are seen as foolish, misguided, unrealistic, poor taste in music and clothing etc. But that is probably not a widely understood thing in the regular culture. 

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Purely descriptive

 

eta-- I also see and hear it used ironically all the time. Faux-derogatory. kidsthesedays and their shenanigans...

Edited by OKBud
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I don't know what the under 40 group is thinking when they see "today's hippie." Can it be defined?

 

I see people today who are dressed very casual, jeans, immodest or not, long hair or short hair, usually wild hair or dyed, tattered jeans or not, and they're clean, but there is something about them and I think they are today's hippies, not as an insult or derogatory remark.

 

On the other hand, I see men today who have long hair, unshaven or not, very unkempt, and they just look dirty and have a dark countenance. I would not call them hippies. I would call them something I'm not going to write. They can be seen on your local police arrest blotter.

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Well, in my book it can be negative because of having been involved in the punk rock scene. Hippies are seen as foolish, misguided, unrealistic, poor taste in music and clothing etc. But that is probably not a widely understood thing in the regular culture. 

 

That makes me ROFL. Because the music of the hippies is the music of the sixties, and there just isn't any better music. :thumbup1:

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For me it is neutral/descriptive. I have heard it thrown about with derision since I was a child. I think it depends on context.

That pinko commie hippie. is not a positive

That crunchy granola hippie chick can be positive or negative. Depends on how it is being said.

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It depends on the context for me.  Some people intend it to be derogatory anduse it loosely too.  But generally I would say descriptive, either of actual historical hippies, or sometimes it gets used for crunchy types.  In those cases it just depends on whether the person speaking approves or disapproves.

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That makes me ROFL. Because the music of the hippies is the music of the sixties, and there just isn't any better music. :thumbup1:

I think the word hippie has a lot of history and changing connotations.

 

I like a lot of 1960's music and I don't think of it belonging to hippies or created by hippies at all (aside from maybe the Grateful Dead). I think of hippies as fans of it although not everyone who is a fan of that era's music is a hippie. I think of 1960's hippies as sort of the privileged class, while many others were working and didn't have time for that.

 

I am in my 30's, and identified with the punk rock scene in my younger years. The term "hippie" conjures up a Caucasian young adult with dreadlocks and an extensive marijuana habit who comes from a wealthy home, thus has the means to do things with their time that don't involve making a regular living etc. They listen to repetitive jam bands and go to drum circles and have a goofy, stoned demeanor along with sloppy clothing choices. Edited to add: also major commitment to natural living, veganism, no deodorant etc.

 

I'm not saying it's right, I'm just giving my honest answer to what the word hippie makes me think of. If you google "trust fund hippie" you'll see I am not the only one who thinks this. 

Edited by pinkmint
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Thank you--I think the disagreement probably comes from our extremely different values and social circles.

 

When I call ds24 my "Alex P. Keaton", I mean it as descriptive, not derogatory. ;)

 

I love him to pieces, but he had me scared that I was accidentally insulting a lot of older people who I greatly respect.

Edited by Guest
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For me it is neutral/descriptive. I have heard it thrown about with derision since I was a child. I think it depends on context.

That pinko commie hippie. is not a positive

That crunchy granola hippie chick can be positive or negative. Depends on how it is being said.

 

Wait...there cannot be such a thing as a pinko commie hippie. Hippies were totally opposed to pinko commies. :blink:

 

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Thank you--I think the disagreement probably comes from our extremely different values and social circles.

 

When I call ds24 my "Alex P. Keaton", I mean it as descriptive, not derogatory. ;)

 

I love him to pieces, but he had me scared that I was accidentally insulting a lot of older people who I greatly respect.

 

I don't get this conversation then. "Alex P. Keaton" was the son of 2 former hippies in a TV show, right? He was the preppy sort. He was definitely NOT hippie.

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I don't get this conversation then. "Alex P. Keaton" was the son of 2 former hippies in a TV show, right? He was the preppy sort. He was definitely NOT hippie.

 

 

My son is in the National Guard, has worked in security, and has aspirations of a career in Law Enforcement.

 

His father is a professional musician with a night job as a caregiver for disabled/handicapped who would rather spend less than earn more and was born in '54.

 

I was born in '65 and listen to CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, etc. and, like many of my generation, look back wistfully and sentimentally at my ex-husband's generation and say, "Tell me all you know about Woodstock! I wish I had been born ten years earlier!"

 

The marriage was brief, unfortunate, and has been over for a long time but my ex husband is one of my oldest friends. I was not trying to insult him or rub is nose in the fact that he is a recovered alcoholic.

 

It looks like I need to find a synonym. "Older gentleman" or "baby boomer" will do for now.

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Around here hippie is more derogatory. Either it's used to describe an actual aging hippie- skullet, tie dyed, pot smoking senior citizen or someone who embraces the hippie culture as described in this old Time article.

 

"The Hippies: The Philosophy of a Subculture." The article described the guidelines of the hippie code: "Do your own thing, wherever you have to do it and whenever you want. Drop out. Leave society as you have known it. Leave it utterly. Blow the mind of every straight person you can reach. Turn them on, if not to drugs, then to beauty, love, honesty, fun."[59] It is estimated that around 100,000 people traveled to San Francisco in the summer of 1967. The media was right behind them, casting a spotlight on the Haight-Ashbury district and popularizing the "hippie" label. With this increased attention, hippies found support for their ideals of love and peace but were also criticized for their anti-work, pro-drug, and permissive ethos."

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ETA:

 

I also don't think my 81yo mother liked the Pete Seeger T shirt I gave her to remind her of (my own very fond) memories of when she took me to see him at the (name of city) Folk Festival when I was a teenager or that she was trying to be funny when she said, "No wonder you never get to go to any dog shows!"

 

I'm such a dork.

 

Thank you for clearing up the matter.

Edited by Guest
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I'm still trying to wrap my head around someone thinking Bob Dylan = bad music.😧

 

That makes me ROFL. Because the music of the hippies is the music of the sixties, and there just isn't any better music. :thumbup1:

Edited by reefgazer
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My son is in the National Guard, has worked in security, and has aspirations of a career in Law Enforcement.

 

His father is a professional musician with a night job as a caregiver for disabled/handicapped who would rather spend less than earn more and was born in '54.

 

I was born in '65 and listen to CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, etc. and, like many of my generation, look back wistfully and sentimentally at my ex-husband's generation and say, "Tell me all you know about Woodstock! I wish I had been born ten years earlier!"

 

The marriage was brief, unfortunate, and has been over for a long time but my ex husband is one of my oldest friends. I was not trying to insult him or rub is nose in the fact that he is a recovered alcoholic.

 

It looks like I need to find a synonym. "Older gentleman" or "baby boomer" will do for now.

 

I was born in '67 and I look back wistfully to "Family Ties." ;)  And Michael J. Fox is a fellow Canuck, too!  Being called Alex P. Keaton would be a huge name of praise for me. I still need to hear how you wove the word hippie into the conversation, though. 

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I was born in '67 and I look back wistfully to "Family Ties." ;)  And Michael J. Fox is a fellow Canuck, too!  Being called Alex P. Keaton would be a huge name of praise for me. I still need to hear how you wove the word hippie into the conversation, though. 

 

I think it's that IEF's Alex P. Keaton-like DS heard her refer to someone/people/her ex as a hippie and suggested that she was being offensive by using the term (because it's negative to him), whereas it's a term she thinks of with fondness. That's what it sounds like to me, anyway!

Edited by ILiveInFlipFlops
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Derogatory, unless it is referring to an older person that actually fits the description of a hippie in the 60's & 70's (peace-loving hippie).

 

In our circles, when we hear 'hippie' it is generally used as an insult referring to an unlcean, poorly-educated, slow-talking, drug user (hippie or dirty hippie).

 

I think now-a-days the term people used to define themselves as "hippie" is 'granola' or 'crunchy.'

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