In fact, founding member of the Diggers, 4 Peter Berg attributes his first reading of Howl as the match that sparked the flame of his belief in what would become the hippie generation: the moment that вЂњdid itвЂќ 5 for him. I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving,Дragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for GinsbergвЂ™s most famous, and notably most influential work, Howl, opens with the lines, The Beats rejected consumerist culture and found no satisfaction in what would come to be known as the вЂњstraightвЂќ life, much like the hippies. 2 Although their behavior was seemingly careless, they were nonetheless intellectuals and their choice to partake in such activities was not without reason. 1 The Beat, or Beatnick, culture was born in the West Village of New York City, where they indulged in Jazz, drinks, drugs and casual sex. The ideology of the hippie culture was a bi-product of the Beat generation, known for literary figures such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Lawrence Ferlenghetti. To this day, the perception of the вЂњhippieвЂќ identity has undergone significant changes -some true to their ideology, and others not - in a dangerous dance with mass media that illustrates the active power of these various channels. Through advertising, magazine articles, the music industry and other literary publications, the media accelerated the liquidation of the anti-consumerist, social-political community that took San Francisco by storm.

It is not merely commentary, but in many cases, the media plays an active role in the construction, and at times deconstruction, of political and social issues, which is exactly what happened with the hippie вЂњmovementвЂќ of the late 1960s. For many, the media is seen as a representation of reality, an interpretation and understanding of cultures, sub-cultures, issues and ideas, however, this is a naГЇve approach to such a powerful aspect of our society. The media has always had a strong propensity to influence our opinions and behaviors, creating and destroying public images for hundreds of years. To this day, the perception of the вЂњhippieвЂќ identity has undergone significant changes - some true to their ideology, and others not - in a dangerous dance with mass media that illustrates the active power of these various channels. Through historical contextualization, and a close analysis of primary and secondary texts, this paper explores the various ways that advertising, magazine publications like TIME, the music industry, and other literary publications accelerated the liquidation of the anti-consumerist, social-political community that took San Francisco by storm. For many, the media is seen as a representation of reality, an interpretation and understanding of cultures, sub-cultures, issues and ideas, however, this is no longer an acceptable approach for engaging with and evaluating what we now know to be such a powerful aspect of our society.

Hippie ways of life