Comments on: Primary Docs on the 1960s…

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:21:09 +0000

Just wanted to say that I visited the Whitney museum by myself last weekend. After hearing what people where saying about it in class, I expected a lot more from it. I really didn’t think it was that impressive. I thought the “theater” rooms where they played music and had colorful stuff on the screen was the equivalent of me watching the screen on windows media player. Then, the room that sounded really cool in class- the one that showed what it felt like to be on LSD- wasn’t that exciting. There’s a similar light used in clubs. I thought the room with the cube was ridiculous. I had to take off my shoes to see a neon-lit cube emitting a high pitched sound… When I went there, an old guy stopped me and he told me he was one of the producers in the 60s and that his name was on several of the posters. I forgot his name, but he told me about one of the music performances that he was hosting and how it got canceled - that was somewhat interesting….talking to someone who lived in the 60s, and actually remembers =)

By: daniel

daniel — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:23:32 +0000

I, personally thought that the video clips were good additions to learning more about the 1960’s. One of my favorites was the clips of Jimi Hendrix. I would liek to add on to our class discussion about his version of the star spangled banner. I thought his version of the national anthem to be a very interesting one. I liked it a lot. I thought that his skills on the guitar are phenomenal. I consider this work by Hendrix to be an epitome of the counter-culture of 1960s. It potrays all the aspects like defying authority, rebellion, and the use of drugs like LSD among the younger generation. I not only consider Hendrix to be a skilled musician, but i also admire his courage to become such a rebel in the 1960 American society. Besides several other similar musicians, Hendrix was one of the only African American musicians to gain fame during that era. I also think that Hendrix successfully conveyed his agression and his rebellion to the then society through his songs and musical skills.

By: emily

emily — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:07:51 +0000

Even though I watched the clips by myself and didn’t get to see all the clips that were shown, I felt like I got a look in the past. It was great to see well-privileged students stand up for minority groups. It’s something not a lot of people see these days. They felt like they were an oppressed class, so they felt that they needed to do something. The students didn’t stop until they had an agreement and they didn’t give up at all. When the school took away their political committees at school, they still opened up tables to show that they can’t be suppressed.Even when the police came, everyone worked together and stopped the police from driving away. What surprised me was that the students all took turns to speak into the microphone on the police car and before they got up there, they took off their shoes. They were respectful, but they were still firm in their protest. Not only were there 800 students that came together, but they all had the same goal in mind. It’s hard to come across that these days. The students got to their goal by using civil disobedience and it worked. Also, I felt the sixties were very open because Ginsberg made a poem while under the influence of LSD. Nobody made a big deal that he was using drugs and they praised him for his work that came out of using drugs. The people in the Sixties also used a lot of chanting to relax, so they can channel out their aggression and fear. I think they were doing this for the soldiers in the war because they were making peace at home when all the chaos was happening elsewhere.

By: stariq

stariq — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:59:41 +0000

Wow. I think the movie segments were great. It is so different actually seeing such intense passion and determination in almost action, whether it was singing or protesting, as opposed to simply reading about it. To say it simply, the music was fantastic. Each musician was able to express a political or social belief through ingeniously written yet catchy, music. I agree with the above post in that this music was completely empowering and sent a message like none other.
I was also surprised by the extent to which the Berkeley students carried out the protests. That amount of dedication and passion for a cause from that many students is simply incredible.
By showing various events, from Woodstock to poetry readings by Ginsberg, I think this movie showing truly captured the radical spirit of the 1960s.

I think these clips really captured the radical counterculture of the 60s

By: jim brian

jim brian — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:10:20 +0000

Can one consider Bob Marley a hippie? From the segment shown yesterday, it was clear that Marley did contribute to the counterculture movement of the 60s, but his music struck me as something a lot more soothing and inviting than those tracks featuring Janis Joplin or Hendrix. Although I did enjoy Hendrix’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” and Janis’ “Cry Baby”, these songs seemed to bombard the listener with a barrage of insane guitar licks that provided instant gratification. These songs focused on conveying the intensity of emotions felt by the performer towards the issues of the day rather than revealing a clear cut message through the lyrics, or in Hendrix’s case, lack thereof. However, what I loved about Marley’s music is how it first lured you in with it’s catchy rhythm, and despite the some what angry, yet empowering, message of “Get up, Stand up”, it remained a song easy to listen to, and even easier to party to. it just goes to show Marley’s talent in using his music as a vehicle for his political (get up stand up), moral(one love), and social(let’s get together and feel alright)ideas of the time.

By: Derya

Derya — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:12:30 +0000

What interested me was the music. I was surprised that the singers were so politically involved. They didn’t hold themselves back at all. As they were all doing their own thing, every singer expressed his or herself not just with words, but with physical movements. The behaviors exhibited remind me of the saying “actions speak louder than words.”
It’s no wonder the Berkeley students made such a huge impact.
-Overall, I loved how the students blocked the police car and took turns carefully getting on and off, not to damage the car.

By: amy

amy — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:53:33 +0000

I feel the clips gave a well rounded view of the 1960s, from Woodstock to Berkeley and the issues of the decade including civil rights and the Vietnam War. What struck me was Jimi Hendrix’s version of the “Star Spangled Banner.” In the midst of the melody there were harsh sounds, almost like screams. It was almost as if America was crying out in protest of its involvement in the Vietnam War and the ongoing violence and hatred in the country. If this is what Hendrix meant to say through the dissonant sounds that he played on the guitar in the midst of the “Star Spangled Banner,” I think it was a clever way to get his message across.

By: Colette

Colette — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:41:37 +0000

Today’s movie was really eye opening. A lot of the songs were really familiar and are still played today, but I never associated them with the 60’s before. I also really liked the speech about freedom at the end. Those students were really united and determined to get their rights, and they stood up for each other. They’re the most unselfish people I’ve ever heard of.

By: stariq

stariq — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 02:06:48 +0000

I definitely agree with the above posts. The trip to the Whitney museum was a perfect way to learn about 1960s; it allowed us to actually be placed in a setting that was so reminiscent of the “trippy, turbulent, and tragic” decade, at least in the artistic sense. This, I think was probably the only shortcoming of this otherwise superb exhibit.
The exhibit almost focused too much on the art, characterized by bright, contrasting colors and a strange almost overindulgence in or overuse of sexuality. Then again, these new ideas were characteristic of this decade so it is only fitting that the artwork reflects them. This is not, in any way to diminish the value or importance of this revolutionary art, but I just wish the decade was captured in more than just one.
So, while there were several references to the historical, or academic part of the 60s, it would have been nice to see some more. However, I have to say the tour guide did a great job of filling in anything not explicitly seen. By far the most moving piece was the Saigon piece–a work that instantly reminded viewers of the violence that also characterizes this decade.

By: Diana

Diana — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 16:55:22 +0000

I enjoyed the exhibit at the Whitney because it really brought the 60’s to life. The photographs of events such as Woodstock and the massacres in Vietnam “transported” me back to the 60’s and confirmed that all that we had read about really DID happen.

However,I agree with Adiba that the exhibit was a bit overwhelming. Every piece of artwork was so colorful and so busy that there was no period of respite. There was no time or space to process the artwork. After leaving the exhibit, I didn’t remember specific pieces of art, rather just the collective unit.