The mytholoygizing of Woodstock has been a source of books, movies and conversation for years to the point where many even see it as a religious experience.
According to Religion News, rock historian Pete Fornatale, author of “Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock” takes it to a new level. He said he “wanted to make the case that Woodstock was a spiritual experience.”
Fornatale sees the festival as a massive communion ceremony featuring drugs as sacramental substances, hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” performed by Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez, sermons by musical prophets like Sylvester Stewart of Sly and the Family Stone, and a modern-day re-enactment of Jesus’ miracle of the loaves and fishes exhibited in the communal ethos of festival-goers who shared food with “brothers and sisters” who were hungry.
Drugs as a sacramental substance? What is wrong with this guy? Maybe he’s been taking too many “sacramental substances” himself, eh?
Never mind that the miracle of loaves and fishes wasn’t about communal sharing.
The imbeciles at Woodstock didn’t share their food to keep each other alive. In reality, 30,000 sandwiches were distributed by the Sisters of the Convent of St. Thomas to save the doped up kids who couldn’t remember to eat. 6,000 patients were seen by doctors or nurses working insanely long shifts to keep the idiots alive who were damaged and injured as a result of the concert/orgy.
The nuns, the doctors and nurses were the miracles at Woodstock.
And the only thing people were sharing with each other at Woodstock were herpes and syphilis.
For a comparison between Woodstock and World Youth Day check out this post.
August 6, 2009 at 4:47 am
Nice post! I've always hated the "sharing" interpretation of the Loaves and Fishes.
August 6, 2009 at 5:23 am
Oy….
August 6, 2009 at 6:52 am
I've known two people who attended Woodstock, the first being one of the doctors you mention. He said it was just a crazy drugfest, really got tired of bringing idiots down off their bad trips.
The other attendee was a former roommate, I knew he was actually there because when asked what it was like his reply was, "Just another big concert. Nothing really special at all."
August 6, 2009 at 10:07 am
Didn't know about the nuns and doctors there. Not shown on the movie. So, the hippie priests did something good after all. Nice post.
August 6, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Didn't know about the nuns and doctors there.
Neither did I. I imagine behind every glittery event the world adores, there are the faithful behind the scenes doing the skut work and cleaning up the mess. These stories need to be told.
August 6, 2009 at 4:57 pm
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August 6, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Did… Did we just get a Woodstock spambot?
Anyway, I think it's funny that his idea of a sacramental substance abuses Man's nature, and doesn't reconfirm it.
August 6, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Here is a link with multiple facts, like in the post. I didn't believe it, so I had to look it up.
some factoids here also.
There were only 18 Doctors and 36 Nurses to treat 6000 patients. 50 additional doctors were flown in. 150 Volunteer police officers. The 346 off-duty New York City policemen hired at $50 per day each, joined by 100 local sheriffs, several hundred State Troopers and deputies from 12 counties. 4062 Ticket holders who received a refund check because they were unable to gain attendance. 250,000 never made it to the site. 320,000 of the 400,000 attendees left before Jimmy Hendrix took the stage.
August 7, 2009 at 12:37 am
Don't forget the Jewish ladies who made the sandwiches for the nuns to hand out. Oh and the three tracheotomies carried out at Woodstock? Probably for anaphylaxis (massive allergic reaction) due to the "brown acid" that so many were taking. I'm so glad I missed the '60s by being born too late!!