So what is the 'Beat Generation' exactly?
The phrase was first appear in the New York Times Magazine. The journalist Holmes wrote: 'The origins of the word 'beat' are obscure, but the meaning is only too clear to most Americans. More than mere weariness, it implies the feeling of having been used, of being raw. In short, it means being undramatically pushed up against the wall of oneself'.
I feel this sums up the essence of this subculture perfectly.
The 'beatniks' were a 1950's Bohemian counterculture, often associated with berets, roll-neck jumpers and goatee beards. These individuals were considered anti-materialistic and focused upon one's inner-self rather than the shallowness of material goods.
This subculture had a profound influence upon music, even the Beatles used the word 'beat' in their name as a reference. Jim Morrison was also heavily influenced by Jack Kerouac, a pioneer of the beat generation, and even admitted with the rest of his band members that they wanted to be beatniks.
I have a great interest in subcultures, and I hope you've enjoyed reading post as much as I have enjoyed learning about this generation.
- A
just keep one thing in mind ... LIFE magazine, the N.Y.T. magazine and other news sources were later exposed as having hired actors to portray beatniks (for photos) in prop rooms made extra cluttered and filthy to emphasize that beatniks were nothing more than bums.
ReplyDeletethis was a not unexpected reaction by the 1950s mainstream news media to prove to readers, anyone rejecting the extreme materialism of that decade must be a lunatic who lives in garbage & filth.
it was a "containment policy" by the establishment at a social movement that began to chip away at the "things are all perfect in America" propaganda that the news, entertainment & advertising media were constantly reaffirming.