# Most Clueless Depiction of Hippies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583 "2009-07-28T20:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/61 "2009-07-31T13:11:01Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > And they painted the USMC panel van in wild “hippy” colors, thereby winning the best camouflage contest. (I bet this is the last memory I have as age takes away all the important stuff.) 😕 Was any episode of _Gomer Pyle_ broadcast in color? I only remember B&W episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/62 "2009-07-31T13:51:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 How could a sitcom, in the 1960s, about U.S. Marines, not mention Vietnam?! Are you kidding? Sit-coms in the 1960s were meant to be escapist fodder. Any mention of Vietnam would’ve been extremely controversial. Plus, Gomer Pyle was a spin-off of the Andy Griffith Show which was famous for idealising small town life. No mention of Vietnam there, or hippies for that matter. Not even any blacks portrayed as this might stir up racial tension. Nope just Andy and Barn, and the old fishin’ hole. Maybe Otis will get drunk but that’s it. Maybe the Smothers Brothers might mention Vietnam in comedy, but that was a variety show, and meant to be provoking. Until All in the Family came along, sit-coms were not known for mentioning Vietnam. Even M_A_S_H_ was supposedly “about” the Korean War. Yes, I know that M_A_S_H_ was based on a movie about the Korean War, but they could’ve just as easily made a similar show set in Vietnam with different characters. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/63 "2009-07-31T14:20:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 How could a sitcom, in the 1960s, about U.S. Marines, not mention Vietnam?! Did Abbott & Costello’s “In the Navy” or “Buck Privates” or “Keep 'em Flying” (all filmed during the 1940’s and set on U.S. military bases) mention Hitler or Tojo? Did Laurel & Hardy’s “Air Raid Wardens” (also filmed during WW2) mention the Bataan Death March? Why would you expect light-hearted comedies in ANY era, even in wartime, to dwell on the negative? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/64 "2009-07-31T14:41:16Z")
Except for a few episodes of _Scrubs_, how many contemporary sitcoms have ever mentioned Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/65 "2009-07-31T16:01:27Z")
Originally Posted by BrainGlutton How could a sitcom, in the 1960s, about U.S. Marines, not mention Vietnam?! Are you kidding? Sit-coms in the 1960s were meant to be escapist fodder. Any mention of Vietnam would’ve been extremely controversial. Plus, Gomer Pyle was a spin-off of the Andy Griffith Show which was famous for idealising small town life. No mention of Vietnam there, or hippies for that matter. Not even any blacks portrayed as this might stir up racial tension. Nope just Andy and Barn, and the old fishin’ hole. Maybe Otis will get drunk but that’s it. OP by Too Many Cats I noticed this too. On _My Three Sons_, not one of them was ever drafted, either. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/66 "2009-07-31T16:13:45Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Was any episode of _Gomer Pyle_ broadcast in color? I only remember B&W episodes. Almost all of them! Season 1 (1964) was in B&W; Seasons 2-5 (1966-1969) went to color. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/67 "2009-07-31T16:27:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 How could a sitcom, in the 1960s, about U.S. Marines, not mention Vietnam?! Because that would be a bummer, man. (They all had to be stoned to make that p.o.s.) I believe that when Gomer was misbehaving the Sergeant threatened to send him to Alaska. About the only program at the time which mentioned Vietnam was Star Trek, which had to disguise it as another planet. And, back to hippies, the **Nancy** comic at the time had several appearances by horrible hippie-like individuals. I got the impression that whoever was drawing it at the time was a 90 year old bitter Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/68 "2009-08-01T05:49:04Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Until All in the Family came along, sit-coms were not known for mentioning Vietnam. Even M_A_S_H_ was supposedly “about” the Korean War. > Yes, I know that M_A_S_H_ was based on a movie about the Korean War, but they could’ve just as easily made a similar show set in Vietnam with different characters. Aside from talking about Truman or going to Tokyo, the movie avoided almost all references that the war they were in was Korea not Vietnam. Allegedly this was intentional, as the director wanted people to think it was about Vietnam. The studio made them add the wordscreen at the beginning telling the audience it was Korea. With their contemporary haircuts. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/69 "2009-08-01T12:12:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Was any episode of _Gomer Pyle_ broadcast in color? I only remember B&W episodes. Perhaps you had a black and white TV at the time? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/70 "2009-08-01T12:32:58Z")
> [@Skylark](#): > > Aside from talking about Truman or going to Tokyo, the movie avoided almost all references that the war they were in was Korea not Vietnam. Allegedly this was intentional, as the director wanted people to think it was about Vietnam. The studio made them add the wordscreen at the beginning telling the audience it was Korea. With their contemporary haircuts. Did this change after the Vietnam War was over? Because I remember a number of episodes that seemed to use the circumstances of the Korean War as a plot point. The harsh Korean winter, Hawkeye yukking it up with North Korean negotiators, MacArthur driving through the camp, a Chinese American soldier having a breakdown over fighting his fellow Chinese, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/71 "2009-08-01T12:44:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The most clueless depiction of hippies of all time – even worse than the [_South Park_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hippie,_Die) episode you were thinking of – has got to be [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0620286/) _King of the Hill_ episode. > > Hank Hill must die. > > By some means extremely painful, lingering, and humorous, preferably involving propane and propane accessories. Well, you have your wish. The show has been canceled. For the rest of us who love it, I hope you’re satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/72 "2009-08-01T12:51:24Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Because that would be a bummer, man. (They all had to be stoned to make that p.o.s.) I believe that when Gomer was misbehaving the Sergeant threatened to send him to Alaska. > > About the only program at the time which mentioned Vietnam was Star Trek, which had to disguise it as another planet. > > And, back to hippies, the **Nancy** comic at the time had several appearances by horrible hippie-like individuals. I got the impression that whoever was drawing it at the time was a 90 year old bitter Republican. Speaking of comic strips, the old-school strip _Bringing up Father_ introduced a bearded, bell-bottomed character named “Tripper” who was Maggie’s nephew. After a while the name was changed to “Groover.” My guess is that “Tripper” implied that he was a druggie (and we can’t have that in a family strip). ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/73 "2009-08-01T12:54:56Z")
If we’re going to talk about comic strips, Al Capp certainly had no love for hippies. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/74 "2009-08-01T13:01:31Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Not even any blacks portrayed as this might stir up racial tension. Untrue. Blacks were seen in background action on occasion and one episode featured a black football star returning to Mayberry to coach the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583/75 "2009-08-01T16:35:27Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Did this change after the Vietnam War was over? Because I remember a number of episodes that seemed to use the circumstances of the Korean War as a plot point. The harsh Korean winter, Hawkeye yukking it up with North Korean negotiators, MacArthur driving through the camp, a Chinese American soldier having a breakdown over fighting his fellow Chinese, and so on. The TV show referenced the Korean War a lot from time, but I was talking about the movie. On the TV show, I remember Panmunjom coming up a lot in the later seasons, and Hawkeye’s tense grandstanding about the travesty of it all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-clueless-depiction-of-hippies/504583.md?page=3)