Are we 'Hair'?

Hair is everything they say it is, Critic said that its a rip-off (or did Thort) and it is. But there is more.

To the great Middle class which is willing to fork out $5 or so it probably be new, fresh, vital....(add your own cliches). Regardless of the rip off Hair does present an alternative vision of reality — a super great brainwash where you are scalped by two of the largest stroboscopes in the Southern Hemisphere, and your reactions are pre-programmed on the electronic switch boards and light controls. But this show will do more for the Anti-war movement, Hart and OHMS than any amount of disruptive protest, SAL mass mobilising or petitioning of Parliament. Rip-off it may be, but its not for us; its about us.

For the well-paid cast its just 'work' (what you want to do) rather than a 'job' (what you have to do to live). They are onto the Merry Prankster trick travelling around enjoying themselves and geeting paid for it. That much was clear, for when the rehearsal was over the producer had to throw 'now' in many people's faces to get them back to 'seriousness'.

Sure its all plastic American Youth Kulcha, Peace, love the V sign and the draft, but New Zealand being five years late, and elderly matrons wanting some place to entertain their kids in the August holidays, it could serve a valid social function. It won't cause an overnight revolution, but among all the Hooha, strokes and electric sirens, there is a level of ideas and attitudes which go someway to forming the consciousness which Marcuse (and Reich if you're in the Values Party) regards as a prerequisite.

Its worth seeing if haven't already, but it must be viewed as a relic of the middle six ties, before Hendrix and Joplin did their finale.

As for the oldies who drool like Pavlov's dogs at the sight of a naked breast, there's all of a minute's worth, on a dimmed stage with a police siren wailing. Five years ago it may have been shocking. When I saw it it was merely superfluous.

Yes, its worth seeing but not for five bucks. Maybe tor 50cents.

Simon Ramsbottem

Black Out

Mr Black is worse than he admits, certainly ignorant. It would help if he got off his arse and did something for this university instead of, in a typical student fashion, lying on his back in a sea of apathy and complaining his ring out when something is not to his liking.

Instead of writing stuffed letters which show him up as a lazy prick (being a first year fresher is not an excuse) how about him doing something.

Apart from it being very difficult for students to control their fellows effectively, as has been proved in the past, on no occasion has the non-student house manager ever had to exercise control and in fact keeps very much out of the way on such occacions.

With respect to Stein evenings. Perhaps Mr Black could have done something about it, perhaps he's too lazy !!!! Stein eveinings have in fad been organised for next year.

Some People are Never. . . .

If you think that this is supposed to be a poem, then you're wrong.

I got that from Leonard Cohen,

But this dribble I'm writing isn't his.

I wanted to say how pissed off I get with editorials that are radical/pseudo reactionary for the sake of it only,

But as soon as you call it an editorial one switches off. You try to be an "originally tough realist", but, however,

You just crap out.

You spout shit on Jack and Norm and the relative merits thereof

Of violent/non-violent/effective demos, and the "fascist" farcical S.G.M. disrupters,

But you really wouldn't know if your arse was on fire.

Don't write editorials.

Write a Gripe Column.

I also get bugged by smart Alec, you know who. He garbles for bloody hours, with a lot of "By God," and so on

(edifying himself with his "comrade" Shadbolt), without really saying anything except irrelevant trivia!

We need less of Shaw,

Less of Cullen,

Less of those so sincere commies,

More articles written like the one on Elvis.

(But on anyone but Elvis)

And Mohn Joe-Bray

we can do without.

Pass your terms, kiddies

But do Something

apart from gazing inanely at the walkers by in the library,

Collecting your little Salient each week to read the emotional pro and cons of abortion etc. etc;

Don't just march on Parliament

And then listen docilely in the mud to fat Norm:

Blow up Parliament and then go and rape Norm.

Peter Wilson's article on PBEC was so pathetically irrelevent and one sided,

It even reminded me, just of a little, of smart Alec.

Sure, we need some of these "bloody radicals" on campus,

H. Wilson

CZECH Anniversary.

Last Monday - August 21 - was the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. During the past few weeks 46 Czechs have been tried and all sentenced to prison. All were supporters of the Dubcek regime that was crushed by the Red Army four years ago.

In view of the fact that many of those imprisoned were academics - professors and students - may I enquire if the Victoria University Students' Association has registered any form of protest against these blatently political trials, that the Sydney Morning Herald for August 11 described as a "squalid travesty of justice"?

Alan Ferguson.