Timoth Leary was a total grade "A" world class douchenozzle

[Misanthropic Contrarian]

Yeah, yeah, he's been dead for 12 years, speak kindly of the dead, well fuck that.

And to all of the druggies who I'm sure will come in here mewling about how great he was because he helped to show the world the wonders and flabulousness of LSD: no. Just no. You're wrong. Go fuck yourselves in your collective butthole with a baseball bat wrapped with razor wire.

But back to Mr. Leary. It's so many things about him. The fact that he deliberately lied to his peers at Harvard when they asked whether or not he was experimenting with LSD, not because they were going to go to the "authorities", but because if he was, it was without the knowledge of the university and on university property and that was a situation that could fuck up not just Leary, but possibly bring down the entire university. But Leary didn't care.

Being a serial adulterer to all of his wives while demanding that they stay faithful to him, to the point of his betaing his second wife when he heard from a friend that she had kissed another man at a party.

There's his whole thing of breaking out of jail and after being caught, turning on all of his friends and becoming an informant for the FBI.

But the biggest thing is his whole mantra of "Turn on, tune in, and drop out." People always remember that bit, but they never remember or never heard what came after that, which was this:

Drop out of elementary school. Drop out of junior high. Drop out of high school. Drop out of college. Drop out of graduate school. Drop out of law school. Drop out of medical school. Drop out of junior executive. Drop out of senior executive. Drop out of society.

Thing is, tens of thousands of people, including thousands of high school students did just that. There was a show on PBS back in 1987 called It Was Twenty Years Ago Today about the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper and the influence those two things had on 1967. In the course of the show Leary and his mantra were mentioned and then a bit later one of the of the San Francisco era "Diggers" took umbrage with Leary's comments saying (paraphrased), "...something like that was ok for someone like me, who was in his early 20's and could function and get by and pretty much live on my own, by myself. But thousands of teenagers and pre-teens heard this and dropped everything and ran away from home and ran to places like San Francisco, where they found that the actual reality of life there was a far cry from the hippie dream that Leary had been preaching."

That shit is inexcusable.

[Cluricaun]

The dude had a whole head full of labratory grade LSD. I think that we can give him a pass on that one.

[NinetyWt]

What brought all this on?

[Exy]

I like Adam Carolla too but seriously "douchenozzle" isn't that great a catchphrase.

[Misanthropic Contrarian]

I like Adam Carolla too but seriously "douchenozzle" isn't that great a catchphrase.

To say that I like Adam Carolla is going, way, way, way
too far. More like I semi-occasionally tolerate him for a few minutes.

I used to watch Loveline when it first came on but quickly got sick of Carolla's asinine and unfunny comments and constant talking over Dr. Drew when he, Drew was trying to give advice. The Man Show was a solid half hour of utterly unfunny dick, fart,pussy, shit and boob jokes. I think the absolute lowest moment was when Kimmel forced his mom to have a very explicit discussion about the ins and outs of sex. I semi-occasionally would turn on his radio show for a few minutes driving home at night, for some reason he is marginally more appealing on the radio, and yes, I know his show has been canceled.

Boo-FUCKING-Hoo.

My heart bleeds.

And I didn't pick up douchenozzle from Carolla, don't recall where I first heard or read it but I know it wasn't associated with him.

[Misanthropic Contrarian]

The dude had a whole head full of labratory grade LSD. I think that we can give him a pass on that one.

So, if I go to a bar tonight, and have 8 quadruple vodkas and 12 beers and on my way home, hit a minivan and kill the eight people inside I get a pass because I had a stomach and bloodstream full of booze?

Fuck that noise.

It's called taking personal responsibility for your actions and Leary never has.

[Misanthropic Contrarian]

What brought all this on?

Watching Biography and History Channel a few days ago and they both had these absolutely worshipful dick sucking programs about him. Watching them, you'd think the dude was Ghandi, Jesus, and MLK Jr, rolled into one.

[ivan astikov]

I reckon you've just come off a bummer of a trip and you are jealous cos he had all the good stuff!

[WhyNot]

Thing is, tens of thousands of people, including thousands of high school students did just that. There was a show on PBS back in 1987 called It Was Twenty Years Ago Today about the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper and the influence those two things had on 1967. In the course of the show Leary and his mantra were mentioned and then a bit later one of the of the San Francisco era "Diggers" took umbrage with Leary's comments saying (paraphrased), "...something like that was ok for someone like me, who was in his early 20's and could function and get by and pretty much live on my own, by myself. But thousands of teenagers and pre-teens heard this and dropped everything and ran away from home and ran to places like San Francisco, where they found that the actual reality of life there was a far cry from the hippie dream that Leary had been preaching."

That shit is inexcusable.

While I agree with your larger thesis (Leary was an asshole), I question whether "thousands" of teenagers* and pre-teens actually dropped out. My impression was that the actual number of hippies and people living underground was fairly small and mostly college age kids. That the "counterculture" was largely a media phenomenon based on a few concert photographs (mostly of people who weren't "dropouts") and college protests and the unrealized dreams of many of the baby boomers. Of my 6 parental units, exactly 1 was even slightly a part of the counterculture, and all of them have told me that the number of free love, drug using, freeloading, flower toting protesters who were inspired by Leary (among others) was actually quite small. And surely the number of those that were legally children was infinitesimally small. No?


*I'm not counting 18 and 19 year olds as "teenagers" for this argument.

[terrifel]

I saw Leary speak at the local university several years before he cacked. At that point, he was all enthused about this new ultra-egalitarian personal art form called "the internet," which he claimed would enable people to challenge their inner boundaries and explore new horizons of expression in much the same way as LSD. He totally endorsed the notion of sticking it to the Man by abandoning traditional media while sharing experiences with the free global community.

Basically, Leary saw every minute you spend on the Web as an opportunity to expand your consciousness and contribute to our collective virtual reality experience. By slagging him off on free message boards, you have fallen into his trap.

Also, his head is still frozen on ice somewhere. So there's always the possibility that he may return as an omniscient cyborg bent on vengeance. In which case, I wouldn't want to be the one who talked smack about him.

[Exy]

While I agree with your larger thesis (Leary was an asshole), I question whether "thousands" of teenagers* and pre-teens actually dropped out. My impression was that the actual number of hippies and people living underground was fairly small and mostly college age kids. That the "counterculture" was largely a media phenomenon based on a few concert photographs (mostly of people who weren't "dropouts") and college protests and the unrealized dreams of many of the baby boomers. Of my 6 parental units, exactly 1 was even slightly a part of the counterculture, and all of them have told me that the number of free love, drug using, freeloading, flower toting protesters who were inspired by Leary (among others) was actually quite small. And surely the number of those that were legally children was infinitesimally small. No?


*I'm not counting 18 and 19 year olds as "teenagers" for this argument.

My dad used LSD, and he dropped out of college. *shakes fist* DAMN YOU TIMOTHY LEARY

[Misanthropic Contrarian]

Thing is, tens of thousands of people, including thousands of high school students did just that. There was a show on PBS back in 1987 called It Was Twenty Years Ago Today about the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper and the influence those two things had on 1967. In the course of the show Leary and his mantra were mentioned and then a bit later one of the of the San Francisco era "Diggers" took umbrage with Leary's comments saying (paraphrased), "...something like that was ok for someone like me, who was in his early 20's and could function and get by and pretty much live on my own, by myself. But thousands of teenagers and pre-teens heard this and dropped everything and ran away from home and ran to places like San Francisco, where they found that the actual reality of life there was a far cry from the hippie dream that Leary had been preaching."

That shit is inexcusable.

While I agree with your larger thesis (Leary was an asshole), I question whether "thousands" of teenagers* and pre-teens actually dropped out. My impression was that the actual number of hippies and people living underground was fairly small and mostly college age kids. That the "counterculture" was largely a media phenomenon based on a few concert photographs (mostly of people who weren't "dropouts") and college protests and the unrealized dreams of many of the baby boomers. Of my 6 parental units, exactly 1 was even slightly a part of the counterculture, and all of them have told me that the number of free love, drug using, freeloading, flower toting protesters who were inspired by Leary (among others) was actually quite small. And surely the number of those that were legally children was infinitesimally small. No?


*I'm not counting 18 and 19 year olds as "teenagers" for this argument.

How the fuck can you not count 18 and 19 year olds? That was Leary's main audience that he was hoping to and did in fact reach. And the documentary footage that was shown in the tv show I mentioned showed a hell of a lot of teenagers, including 18 & 19 year olds, especially in San Francisco, and they sure as hell weren't living the hippie lifestyle that Leary implied they'd find there.

I think you and I have very different definitions of what constitutes "living underground." By your reconing, how many hippies and members of the "counterculture " were there. A rough estimate is fine.

[WhyNot]

How the fuck can you not count 18 and 19 year olds?

Because the quote was for teens and pre-teens as if they were unduly influenced children. I don't care what legal adults do with their own lives, especially in an age where they were legally allowed to drink, fuck and own firearms.

I think you and I have very different definitions of what constitutes "living underground." By your reconing, how many hippies and members of the "counterculture " were there. A rough estimate is fine.

"Dropping out", in the manner Leary and Hoffman and RAW used it, means not being enrolled in school, not having a paying job, not paying bills or taxes, not serving in the military, not taking welfare, not contributing to or benefiting from the mainstream economic or social structures - and doing all that as an active form of social protest, not out of laziness, drug addiction or entitlement. Going off grid to protest The Man. Not every kid in jeans and a vest who went to a Rolling Stones concert "dropped out", and not every street kid who found his way to Haight Ashbury was a dropout inspired by Leary. A rough estimate of how many people actually took Leary's advice and actually dropped out in the 60's in the US, as opposed to talking about it and wishing to? I don't know. Maybe a few thousand, based only on what I've learned from listening to people who were there (including lectures by Paul Krassner at modern neo-hippie festivals). How many teens and pre-teens? That's what I'm asking you. Your claim, you cite it.

[sublight]

It's called taking personal responsibility for your actions

Which applies just as much to someone dropping out of school and hitchhiking to San Francisco just because an old dude on TV says it would be cool.

[Guinastasia]

Wow-you really are a dumbass.



(ETA: Rest assured, I'm speaking of the OP)

[Cervaise]

Next up: Pope Alexander the Sixth was a horrifying cockbasket.

[vison]

Wow-you really are a dumbass.



(ETA: Rest assured, I'm speaking of the OP)

Gotta say you are, like, spot on in your assessment of the OP. I lived through the era!

Leary was everything bad that he is accused of being, but his influence is really, really, really, really overstated by the OP. Severely, man.

[featherlou]

Next up: Pope Alexander the Sixth was a horrifying cockbasket.

You know who else I really didn't like? Hitler. He was so autocratic and shit.

[Guinastasia]

Next up: Pope Alexander the Sixth was a horrifying cockbasket.

You know who else I really didn't like? Hitler. He was so autocratic and shit.

Omigawd, you too?! I HATE Hitler! He sucked!

Then there's that Stalin guy. He was a fucking asshat.

[vison]

No, actually, Stalin loved his dog. He made a pet dog into the Commissar of Schools, as I recall, and demanded that whenever Rover (sorry, can't remember the Russian word for "Rover") appeared at schools in his official capacity that all the kiddos had to stand up so Rover could pee on their legs. This led to a complete breakdown of Russian education and all the children began reading Timothy Leary's pronouncements and sneaking into the USA.

[Cervaise]

Y'know, Hitler loved his dog, too.

And Pope Alexander VI really loved his dog: he got it pregnant. Was awkward for a bit until he spoke ex cathedra and claimed it as another virgin-womb miracle thing. Told you he was a cockbasket.

Tim Leary, on the other hand, ground his dog into burger, and smoked it. Total small beer.

[Clothahump]

While I agree with your larger thesis (Leary was an asshole), I question whether "thousands" of teenagers* and pre-teens actually dropped out. My impression was that the actual number of hippies and people living underground was fairly small and mostly college age kids. That the "counterculture" was largely a media phenomenon based on a few concert photographs (mostly of people who weren't "dropouts") and college protests and the unrealized dreams of many of the baby boomers. Of my 6 parental units, exactly 1 was even slightly a part of the counterculture, and all of them have told me that the number of free love, drug using, freeloading, flower toting protesters who were inspired by Leary (among others) was actually quite small. And surely the number of those that were legally children was infinitesimally small. No?


*I'm not counting 18 and 19 year olds as "teenagers" for this argument.

Pretty much everything I have read has said thousands were involved. Random quote, bolding mine:

A July 7, 1967, Time magazine cover story on "The Hippies: Philosophy of a Subculture," an August CBS News television report on "The Hippie Temptation"[1] and other major media interest in the hippie subculture exposed the Haight-Ashbury district to enormous national attention and popularized the counterculture movement across the country and around the world. Thousands of youth migrated to the Haight-Ashbury district, including many runaway teenagers, irrevocably altering the social structure of the neighborhood and the world's views of San Francisco as a city.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haight-Ashbury

Plus I knew people who went there during the late 60s. The ones that made it back all said it was a massive amount of humanity concentrated in a small area and stoned out of their minds.

[happyheathen]

Hey Kids! Lookie here! - Another one who sat out the 60's and resents those who didn't! How Rare!

[Vox Imperatoris]

And King Philip the Fair—what a horrible guy!

[Dead Badger]

The only book in my toilet at the moment is some godawful hagiography of Leary (this one, in fact). It makes me so angry I could shit, so I for one am all in favour of him.

[ivan astikov]

* momentarily considers opening "Books To Leave In The Crapper" thread. *

[Hatshepsut]

I thought it was very old news that Timothy Leary was a narcissistic jerk.

My favorite proof that astrology is crap: Timothy Leary, Annette Funicello and I all have the same birthday (in different years, of course). And that's 3 people about as different from one another as you can imagine.

[vison]

I thought it was very old news that Timothy Leary was a narcissistic jerk.

My favorite proof that astrology is crap: Timothy Leary, Annette Funicello and I all have the same birthday (in different years, of course). And that's 3 people about as different from one another as you can imagine.

But you might have been born hours apart!!!! Don't you know that makes a big difference? And the "years apart"? That matters, too. Even milliseconds count, and when your mother's doctor was born and the day the hospital opened, etc.

I do an evil thing, now and again. Someone who is into astrology will ask me my birthdate and I lie. And then I listen while they go on about what a typical Leo I am, or Aries or whatever and I get a secret little pleasure and then when I tell them I did it they say they knew all along and just didn't want to say anything and it proves what I really am.

Other than a pain in their butt, what sign am I? They never guess right, either. :mrgreen:

Yes, I know how silly it is, how infantile, how snotty. At my age I take my fun where I find it.

[hatesfreedom]

astrological signs are FUN and they give people something kookie to talk about. Don't ever try and take that away.

(taurus is the best all others are chumps)

[ivan astikov]

This method might be questionable, but I used to read the horoscopes until I found one that I liked and that's what I was for the day.