Same tenet applies to "hippies" as it does to other "lifestyle stereotypes", accountants, janitors, graphic designers, executives (OK, maybe not them), rhythm guitarists..... ad infinitum. The tenet? 5% of them are wonderful people and you should hang on to 'em when you meet them. 10% are total assholes, without whom the world would be a better place. The remaining 85% span the gap. It applies to many "things" too. Music, architecture, TV prog's, etc. Bare it in mind and you'll see it's pretty much true... as is Frank Zappa's famous quote: "Everyone in this room is wearing a uniform, and don't kid yourself." Being a "hippie", or anything else, is nothing to aspire to. Just carve your own path.
Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but if Mr. Blackwell can hand out worst-dressed awards every year, why can't I? (Just who the hell IS he, anyhow?) Me, I prefer the early Debbie Harry look or The Bangles look. (Something feminine.) If I had a scanner and knew how to do it, I'd post some photos that would turn some ladies' heads. I had it going back then-- I used to box and was in super shape. Now? Ah, fuck it--don't ask!
I think teh-Horace had some good advice, you should listen to him, he seems a wise person to me. But here is my view that you may take with as many grains of salt as you wish: I think the problem is that many people see hippie as just a label like punk goth or prep. Now, punk goth and prep are usually in direct relation to dress and musical genre. They very seldom carry any real politics (except for all the green day kids who hate bush for no REAL appearant reason...), attitudes or mindset. Although some of them, like punk back in the day, USED to, they don't really now and are for the most part apolitical and will accept about anyone as long as they don't have a problem being called a poser regardless if they are. Now, all my sarcastic jokes and pessimism about modern labels aside, I believe that the hippie movement transcends past musical genres (there were differant genres of "hippie music" found within rock n' roll, reggae, psychadellic, country, blues, soul, hard rock, folk and others). It also transcends beyond a style of dress (I know one kid who is like a metal head/punk/whatever. He wears all black and butchers bracelets, listens to Korn, POD, HIM, and all that stuff. But beyond this, he is a hippie at heart. He just doesn't know it.). I think that the basic midset is that by calling yourself a "hippie" you tend to be limiting the term to people in bell bottoms who wear tie-dye and listen to Bob Dylan, The Dead, and The Beatles (All of which I admit I do). But by doing this, one may make the term "hippie" lose its real meaning and become another label that rejects real politics and ideas. So my advice is don't try to hard. If you want to be a "hippie" GO FOR IT! But don't let everything you do be dictated by "It is the hippie thing to do". By doing this, you limit what being a hippie means. However, since I have adopted a hippie-like lifestyle (I didn't just take the music and the threads...) I have become more open minded and accepting and appreciative of the things around me. I have also become a more loving careing and laid-back person. So let your Phreak Phlag fly!
