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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 7. 11th April 1973

Yippie!

Yippie!

Sir,

I've received a lot of criticism for my belief in Yippie! tactics, so I will take the opportunity to explain my reasons. Too many people, I think, have interpreted Yippie! as a movement rather than the myth it is.

Yippies are publicity freaks. The criticism that a lot of Yippies are jetsetting teenyboppers is quite valid, and would be bad if the Yippies were a movement. Yippies are a group spreading the myth of revolution. Publicity is the lifeblood of the movement (which probably explains why the movement in New Zealand is so small) which is where Yippies are effective.

Often movement press statements don't get printed. But in the states a handful of Yippies invaded the stock exchange without any warning and got front page news. Also a lot of kids in America have been introduced to movement activities and groups through their prior involvement with Yip (Youth International Party). Not to mention radicalised by the policeman's truncheon.

Tactics such as these have worked here in New Zealand. After a week or less of very poor publicity we still managed to get 500 kids to go to parliament on Nov. 5th. Admittedly the press (after being fooled by Jesus Christ and the 'Youth For Jesus' Rally) didn't print our press statements, but we bad no trouble getting amused shopkeepers to put our 'Meet Jesus Christ and Mickey Mouse' posters in their windows.

At parliament, at least half of the people that I met there had not been involved in demos of other activities before.

Yippies are not an end — they are a means to an end and a bloody important one. Viva the myth!

"In a revolution one wins or dies" — Major Earnesto Che Guevara.

"Dash — a revolution in washing powder" — from a TV commercial.

Clivc Wilson.