So many of my subscribers have asked for this, so here is 30 minutes of my primetime TV series on the 1960s produced in 1990, titled Making Sense Of The Sixties. I decided to tell the story of the social movements of the time, the hippies, the political radicals, the ordinary young people who became marijuana smokers and LSD users etc. so that those of younger generations looking back at that time, could better understand what provoked so many baby boomers to become members (self-defined) of the 60s generation.
Although I have mentioned this before, it needs to be said that the series was focused largely on the experiences had by suburban middle-class "American dream" kids. And what you were seeing in this clip examines the fact that although hippies and political radicals looked physically similar, they were really very different. Today's commentators on my KZfaq channel so often say negative things about hippies when they unknowingly are talking about the small group of political radical largely college students who protested at that time.
The emergence of rock 'n' roll music and artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry began to push the boundaries of what was socially acceptable, sparking controversy but also gaining a massive following among young people. This new music genre broke down barriers and foreshadowed the even more boundary-pushing music of the 1960s.
The post-World War II baby boom had led to a significant increase in the youth population. This demographic shift, coupled with increased economic prosperity, led to the emergence of a distinct youth culture, which would become a major cultural force in the 1960s.
The proliferation of television sets in American homes brought national and world events into living rooms, making the exchange of information and ideas faster. This trend continued into the 1960s, allowing events like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement to be broadcasted and experienced in real-time.
"Making Sense of the Sixties" was a documentary series that was made for PBS. The series was created by Ricki Green and me. It was generally well-received for its thoroughness and insight. It was praised for offering a complex, nuanced portrayal of a decade that had a profound impact on American society. but it also faced some criticism.
Some viewers felt it offered a specific perspective that might not fully encapsulate the complexity or diversity of experiences during the 1960s. Others thought that it might be geared toward those who lived through the period, offering more nostalgia than critical analysis for younger viewers unfamiliar with the era.
To see more clips from the series, search the words "making sense of…" on my KZfaq channel. To see the entire series complete, you must become a member of the David Hoffman KZfaq Community and I will then send you a link so you can see it all.
If you found this of interest, please support my efforts to present more clips like this one by clicking the Thanks button below the video screen.
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