Hare Krishna in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Contributions to popular culture
involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra, or the Hare Krishna movement
include the following:
took interest in the movement. This interest is reflected in songs later recorded by the band and its members.
-related straight edge
subculture
took interest in the Hare Krishna
doctrines, leading to a number of prominent straight edgers becoming official members of the movement. Due to the influence of a Hare Krsna named Larry Pugliese, Krishna Consciousness found its way into the New York
hardcore
scene in the mid 1980s and became known as Krishnacore. Pugliese established a house in nearby northern New Jersey
for fellow devotees to live in, and sponsored free food distribution (in Tompkins Square Park
) and clothing drives as well as concerts for the punks
and skinhead
s hanging out in what was then a rough and tough Lower East Side
.
Early devotees included John Joseph
and Harley Flanagan
of the band Cro-Mags
, Ray Cappo
of Youth of Today
, and Vic DiCara
, former guitarist for Los Angeles
band Inside Out, who established quite possibly the most famous of all of the newly dubbed bands, namely 108
. Krishnacore bands sing about Krishna
and Krishna Consciousness the same way that a Christian
band would sing about Jesus
. Other notable Hare Krishna punk and hardcore musicians include: Shelter
, Cro-Mags
, Run Devil Run, Request Denied, Poly Styrene
and Lora Logic
of X-Ray Spex
.
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra, or the Hare Krishna movement
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
include the following:
Beatles influence
After coming in contact with the Hare Krishnas in 1969, several of the BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
took interest in the movement. This interest is reflected in songs later recorded by the band and its members.
- The Hare Krishna mantra can be heard sung by George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
in his song "My Sweet LordMy Sweet Lord"My Sweet Lord" is a song by former Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison from his UK number one hit triple album All Things Must Pass. The song was written in praise of the Hindu god Krishna...
" (1971) within the backing vocals, and his song "Living in the Material WorldLiving in the Material WorldLiving in the Material World is a studio album by George Harrison, released in 1973.-Background:As a follow-up to 1970's greatly received All Things Must Pass and his mammoth charity project, The Concert for Bangladesh, Living in the Material World was among the most highly anticipated releases of...
" (1973) contains the lyrics, "I hope to get out of this place by the Lord Sri KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
's grace. My salvation from the material world." Harrison also chanted the Hare Krishna mantra when he was attacked by a man who broke into his home on December 30, 1999. Harrison survived the knife attack, and continued to praise Krishna for the remainder of his life. Of the four Beatles members, only Harrison was actually a Krishna devotee, and after he posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 2009, his son Dhani HarrisonDhani HarrisonDhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
uttered out the phrase Hare Krishna during the ceremony. - The mantra was released as a single by the Radha Krsna TempleRadha Krsna TempleThe Radha Krishna Temple was the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in London from the late 1960s. The temple came to prominence when The Beatles and especially George Harrison started to publicly express their interest in Eastern philosophy and Krishna consciousness...
(1971) on The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Apple RecordsApple RecordsApple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
label (see Apple Records discographyApple Records discographyThis article is a discography of releases by Apple Records, a record label formed by The Beatles in 1968. During its early years, the label enjoyed a fair degree of commercial success, most notably with Mary Hopkin and Badfinger, as well as discovering acts such as James Taylor who would go on to...
). The album was produced by George Harrison. - The words "Hare Krishna" are included in the lyrics of several of The Beatles and John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
songs, such as "Give Peace a ChanceGive Peace a Chance"Give Peace a Chance" is a song written by John Lennon, originally under the moniker Lennon–McCartney, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 13 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1809 in the United States. It is the first solo single issued by Lennon, and...
" (1969) and "I Am the WalrusI Am the Walrus"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
" (1967). "Hare Krishna" can also be heard in the backing vocals of Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's "It Don't Come EasyIt Don't Come Easy"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by Ringo Starr released as an Apple Records single in April 1971, reaching number four in both the U.S. and UK singles charts. It was Starr's first solo single in the UK, but his second in the US , following the breakup of the Beatles...
" (1971), which was produced by George Harrison and co-written by Starr and Harrison (although credited to Starr). - "I Found OutI Found Out"I Found Out" is a song by the English musician John Lennon from his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The song is angry and intensely bitter, expressing Lennon's disillusionment with a world dominated by what he saw as false religion and idols....
," from John Lennon/Plastic Ono BandJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono BandJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was received with high critical praise upon release. Critic Greil Marcus remarked, "John's singing in the last verse of 'God' may be the finest in all of rock." In early 1971, the album reached number eight on the UK and went to number six in the US, spending eighteen...
, released in 1970, contains a verse on Hare Krishna, dismissing it as "pie in the sky."
Music
- The mantra is used as lyrics in the 1967 musical HairHair (musical)Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
, in the song "Be-In." - Jazz clarinetist Tony ScottTony Scott (musician)Tony Scott was a jazz clarinetist known for an interest in folk music around the world...
released a song entitled "Homage to Lord Krishna" on his 1967 album, and a song entitled "Hare Krishna [Hail Krishna]" on his 1968 album Music for Yoga Meditation and Other Joys. - The FugsThe FugsThe Fugs are a band formed in New York in late 1964 by poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg, with Ken Weaver on drums. Soon afterward, they were joined by Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber of the Holy Modal Rounders...
recorded "Hare Krishna" with Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
on their 1968 album Tenderness JunctionTenderness JunctionTenderness Junction is a 1968 studio album by The Fugs, a band formed in 1964 by anti-war musician/poets Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg and Ken Weaver. It was released in the U.S. by record company Reprise...
. - Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
briefly references the Hare Krishna chant in a song of his from 1968 entitled, "Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues". - Marc BolanMarc BolanMarc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
of T.Rex frenetically sings "Hare Krishna" on the song "Frowning Atahuallpa" from the 1968 album My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows. - Bill OddieBill OddieWilliam "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....
recorded a parody in 1970 entitled "Harry Krishna" as the B-side to his "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". After leading a group in chanting the traditional mantra, they proceed to chant puns such as "Hare SecombeHarry SecombeSir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
", "Harevederci RomaArrivederci Roma"Arrivederci Roma" is the title and refrain of a popular Italian song, composed by Renato Rascel, with lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. It was published in 1955 as part of the soundtrack of the Italo-American musical film with the same title, released as Seven Hills of Rome in...
" and "Hare CorbettHarry CorbettHarry Corbett OBE was a British puppeteer, known as the creator in 1948 of the long running 'Sooty' glove puppet character.He was born in Bradford to coal miner James W...
, Sweep and SootySootySooty is a British glove puppet bear and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The children's television show which bears his name has continued in various forms since the 1950s and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the...
". - Alice ColtraneAlice ColtraneAlice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
included "Hare Krishna" on her 1971 album Universal ConsciousnessUniversal ConsciousnessUniversal Consciousness was the fifth solo album released by Alice Coltrane in 1972 on Impulse! Records. It was re-released on CD in 2002.-Reception:...
, and on her 1976 album Radha-Krsna Nama Sankirtana. - Fleetwood MacFleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
included "Hare Krishna" on their song Miles Away - Marion WilliamsMarion WilliamsMarion Williams was an American gospel singer.-Early years:Marion Williams was born in Miami, Florida, to a religiously devout mother and musically inclined father. She left school when she was nine years old to help support the family, and worked as a maid, a nurse, and in factories and...
included "Hare Krishna" on her 1971 album Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go. - Ruth CopelandRuth CopelandRuth Copeland is an English singer known for her involvement with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.- Early career :Copeland was born in Consett, County Durham, in the north-east of England. She initially pursued her music career as a blues and folk singer, however she gained her first break...
included "Hare Krishna" on her 1971 album I Am What I Am. - Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
included the Hare Krishna mantra (sung by members of the Hare Krishna movement) as backing vocals in his song "Pastime Paradise" from the 1976 album Songs in the Key of LifeSongs in the Key of LifeSongs in the Key of Life is the 13th album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and...
. - Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
included the Hare Krishna mantra in her song "I Love Paul" from the 1983 disco-punk FearlessAngstlosAngstlos is the fourth studio album from the artist Nina Hagen, released in 1983, with an English version in 1984, Fearless...
album. In 1999, she released the devotional album Om Namah Shivay, which was distributed exclusively online and included an unadulterated musical version of the Hare Krishna mantra (in real life she believes that the Hindu incarnation of God known as Krishna was "the king of Jerusalem"). - Hüsker DüHüsker DüHüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
's track "Hare Krsna", from the 1984 album Zen ArcadeZen ArcadeUpon its release Zen Arcade received positive reviews in many mainstream publications, including NME, The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In his review for Rolling Stone, David Fricke described Zen Arcade as "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera .....
, is a song about a female member of the Hare Krishna movement. It references the Hare Krishna mantra. - Rapper KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
was influenced by the Hare Krishna movement as a young man. His name derives from "KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
". - In their 1990 album DAAS IconDAAS IconDAAS Icon is the first studio album recorded and released by Australian comedy trio, the Doug Anthony All Stars. Released in 1990, it features the singles "I Want to Spill the Blood of a Hippy" and "Bottle"...
, Australian musical comedians the Doug Anthony All StarsDoug Anthony All StarsThe Doug Anthony All Stars were an Australian musical comedy group who performed together between 1984 and 1994. The band was an acoustic trio comprising Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson on main vocals and Richard Fidler on guitar and backing vocals...
featured a track titled "Krishna". The song presents a comedic take on the Hare Krishnas, but caused the album to be briefly banned in Britain due to a line about getting "Krishna and his shotgun to join the IRAIrish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
." - Boy GeorgeBoy GeorgeBoy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
's track "Bow Down Mister" from 1991 includes the Hare Krishna mantra and other references to the Hare Krishnas. George was openly involved with the Hare Krishna movement, and members of ISKCON appeared in several of his stage performances. - Kula ShakerKula ShakerKula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
include various VedicVedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
mantras and names of KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
in their songs, especially in the track "GovindaGovinda' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
" from 1996. Lead-singer Crispian MillsCrispian MillsCrispian Mills is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is the son of actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, the grandson of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell , nephew of Juliet Mills and Jonathan Mills, and half-brother to Jason "Ace" Lawson...
named their band after the Vaishnava saint, KulashekharaKulashekharaKulasekara Varman also known as Kulashekhara Alwar was the founder and King of the Later Chera Kingdom from 800 AD until his departure from public life, a devotional Vaishnavism poet and one of the 12 celebrated Alwars.The initial territories of Kulasekhara Varman included Kudamalainadu only...
. - PlaceboPlacebo (band)Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
have included the mantra in a song called "Hare Krishna", a 1996 b-side to the "36 Degrees36 Degrees"36 Degrees" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their eponymous debut album. It reached number eighty in the UK Singles Chart.-Song meaning:...
" single. - The Hare Krishna mantra makes a short appearance in the Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
song "Books of Blood: The Coming of Tan" on their 1997 album The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human ConsciousnessThe Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human ConsciousnessThe Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness is the debut album of underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. The group consists of Ikon the Verbal Hologram and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
. - Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
created a song they played live about the Hare Krishnas, called "Hare Krishna". - The AuteursThe AuteursThe Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Luke Haines .-Career:...
have a song called "Sick of Hari Krisna" on their 1999 album How I Learned to Love the BootboysHow I Learned to Love the BootboysHow I Learned to Love the Bootboys is the fourth and final album by british alternative rock band The Auteurs.-Track listing:*CD/LP #"The Rubettes" - 3:27#"1967" - 2:42#"How I Learned to Love the Bootboys" - 3:05...
, in which the title is sung repeatedly. - Lee "Scratch" Perry included the Hare Krishna mantra in the song "Congratulations" on his 2002 album Jamaican E.T.Jamaican E.T.Jamaican E.T. is a reggae/dub album released by Lee "Scratch" Perry. The album was released February 5, 2002 on the Sanctuary/Trojan label, and won the 2003 Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album'.- Track listing :All tracks by Lee "Scratch" Perry...
, as well as a song entitled "Baby Krishna" on his 2004 album Panic in BabylonPanic in BabylonPanic in Babylon is a 2004 studio album by Lee Perry. He was backed by the all-white and all-Swiss White Belly Rats.-Track listing:#Rastafari#Purity Rock#Pussy Man#Fight to the Finish#Voodoo#Panic in Babylon#Perry's Ballad#I am a Psychiatrist...
. - Animal CollectiveAnimal CollectiveAnimal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
's song "Kids on Holiday" from the 2004 album Sung TongsSung TongsSung Tongs is the fifth album by Baltimore-based band Animal Collective, released on May 3, 2004 by Fat Cat Records.Despite the name 'Animal Collective' attached to this album, only two of the band's four members play on it: Avey Tare and Panda Bear . As a result, Sung Tongs is a more...
makes reference to a "boy who's a Krishna" and who has "books to help you." - When recreating Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's 1964 Gibson ES-335Gibson ES-335The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
for production in 2005, there was a Hare Krishna sticker which had been given to him by George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
on the back of the headstock that was reproduced on the 2005 models. - Thievery CorporationThievery CorporationThievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
have a track entitled "Hare Krsna" (featuring Seu JorgeSeu JorgeSeu Jorge is a Brazilian musician, singer/songwriter and actor. Born Jorge Mário da Silva, he was raised in a favela in the city of Belford Roxo in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state. He is considered by his fans a renewer of Brazilian pop samba...
) on their album Radio RetaliationRadio RetaliationRadio Retaliation is the fifth studio album of electronica band Thievery Corporation. Planned to be a very political album, it was recorded in the band's hometown of Washington, D.C. A pre-release of the album was available on iTunes on September 9, featuring an exclusive track entitled...
, which was nominated for Best Recording Package GrammyGrammy Award for Best Recording PackageThe Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the art director....
in 2008. - GoldbladeGoldbladeGoldblade are an English punk rock band from Manchester, England. The band formed in early 1995 when ex Membranes frontman, John Robb, put the band together with Wayne Simmons and former A Witness vocalist Keith Curtis on bass, Rob Haynes on drums and Jay Taylor on guitar.The band signed to...
recorded their Christmas single in 2008, "City Of Christmas Ghosts," which incorporated the "Hare Krishna" mantra sung by Poly StyrenePoly StyrenePoly Styrene was the stage name of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said , a British musician, songwriter and singer, most notably in the pioneering punk rock band X-Ray Spex.-Early life:...
. - The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
include a verse about Krishna and reference the mantra in the lyrics to "Boots of Chinese Plastic" on the 2008 album Break Up the ConcreteBreak Up the Concrete-Disc 1 – The Best of Pretenders:-Disc 2 – Break Up the Concrete:-Personnel:*Jim Keltner – drums, background vocals*Chrissie Hynde – rhythm guitar, vocals*Eric Heywood – pedal steel guitar, background vocals...
. - The Hold SteadyThe Hold SteadyThe Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
reference it in their 2010 song "Barely Breathing": "After the show I spoke with the singer. And he tried to hand me a packet about Hare Krishna. I said you've got to be kidding."
Straight Edge subculture
In the 1980s, several bands and individuals from the punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
-related straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
took interest in the Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
doctrines, leading to a number of prominent straight edgers becoming official members of the movement. Due to the influence of a Hare Krsna named Larry Pugliese, Krishna Consciousness found its way into the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene in the mid 1980s and became known as Krishnacore. Pugliese established a house in nearby northern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
for fellow devotees to live in, and sponsored free food distribution (in Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park is a 10.5 acre public park in the Alphabet City section of the East Village neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is square in shape, and is bounded on the north by East 10th Street, on the east by Avenue B, on the south by East 7th Street, and on the...
) and clothing drives as well as concerts for the punks
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
and skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s hanging out in what was then a rough and tough Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
.
Early devotees included John Joseph
John Joseph (rock singer)
John Joseph McGowan is a punk rock singer from New York City, most famous for his work with the Cro-Mags in the 1980s.Joseph was raised in foster care and grew up on the streets of New York. He was the lead singer for the New York hardcore punk band Cro-Mags from 1984 until 1987, though he...
and Harley Flanagan
Harley Flanagan
Harley Frances Flanagan is the founder of the Cro-Mags, an influential 1980s hardcore punk band. Flanagan was the drummer for The Stimulators in 1980, when he was 12...
of the band Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, Ray Cappo
Ray Cappo
Ray Cappo is the former vocalist for the hardcore bands Youth of Today, Reflex From Pain, Shelter, Better Than A Thousand, and the project recording "Pour Water On It". This icon of New York hardcore was originally from Connecticut, and played drums for the Connecticut band Violent Children...
of Youth of Today
Youth of Today
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk straight edge band, formed in 1985 and still in activity. The band played a major role in establishing the Youth Crew subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.-History:Youth Of...
, and Vic DiCara
Vic DiCara
Vic DiCara is a hardcore punk guitarist, vocalist and bassist. He played in Beyond, Inside Out, Shelter, Burn, and later the Hare Krishna band 108. As part of the band 108, DiCara was instrumental in recording three albums considered influential in the hardcore punk scene of the 1990s. DiCara is...
, former guitarist for Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
band Inside Out, who established quite possibly the most famous of all of the newly dubbed bands, namely 108
108 (band)
108 is an American hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflected the Hare Krishna faith of its members. Their name comes from the number of beads on the Japa mala, or mantra counting beads.- History :...
. Krishnacore bands sing about Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and Krishna Consciousness the same way that a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
band would sing about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Other notable Hare Krishna punk and hardcore musicians include: Shelter
Shelter (band)
Shelter is a Hare Krishna hardcore punk band formed by Ray Cappo.-Brief recent history:In 2001, the band released the album The Purpose, The Passion...
, Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, Run Devil Run, Request Denied, Poly Styrene
Poly Styrene
Poly Styrene was the stage name of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said , a British musician, songwriter and singer, most notably in the pioneering punk rock band X-Ray Spex.-Early life:...
and Lora Logic
Lora Logic
Lora Logic is a British saxophonist and singer. She was briefly a member of the band X Ray Spex, although she had been sacked from that group by the time they recorded their first album, which nevertheless used her saxophone arrangements. A year later she formed Essential Logic...
of X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
.
In movies
- Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), a Hindi movie which centers around the hippieHippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
invasion of Kathmandu, NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The film also features the Hindi hit song "Dum Maro Dum", which includes the chant "Hare Krishna Hare Ram". - In The Laughing PolicemanThe Laughing Policeman (film)The Laughing Policeman is an American police procedural film loosely based on the novel The Laughing Policeman by Sjöwall and Wahlöö. The setting of the story is transplanted from Stockholm to San Francisco...
(1973), after Walter MatthauWalter MatthauWalter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
's character leaves a strip club following his interrogation of the club owner, Hare Krishnas are singing and dancing the mantra and a group member approaches Matthau and is briefly seen conversing with him and presenting him with literature. - In the John WatersJohn Waters (filmmaker)John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
movie Female TroubleFemale TroubleFemale Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
(1974), Taffy (Mink StoleMink StoleNancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
) returns home and announces she is joining the "Hare Krishna people", and Dawn (Divine) warns her she will kill her if she does. Later, Dawn performs several crimes including knocking her daughter unconscious with a chair and later killing her for becoming a Hare Krishna. - In the film "Audrey RoseAudrey RoseThe phrase Audrey Rose may refer to:* Audrey Rose , a novel by Frank de Felitta* Audrey Rose , a film directed by Robert Wise, adapted from the de Felitta novel* For Love of Audrey Rose, the sequel to the novel Audrey Rose...
" (1977) the entire premise of the film is based upon Hare Krishna philosophy and there are more references to Hare Krishna is this film than any other film made to date. - In the Cheech & Chong movie Up in SmokeUp in SmokeUp in Smoke, directed by Lou Adler, is Cheech and Chong's first feature-length film, released in 1978 by Paramount Pictures. It stars Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach....
(1978), police detectives attempt to infiltrate a battle of the bandsBattle of the BandsBattle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
contest dressed in robes taken from a group of Hare Krishnas. - The hippie-themed HairHair (musical)Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
(1967) contains the whole Hare Krishna chant as a song, and in the Miloš FormanMiloš FormanJan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech-American director, screenwriter, professor, and an emigrant from Czechoslovakia. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both gaining him the Academy Award for...
film HairHair (film)Hair is a 1979 American film adaptation of the 1968 Broadway musical of the same name about a Vietnam war draftee who meets and befriends a tribe of long-haired hippies on his way to the army induction center...
(1979), Hare Krishna followers are depicted dancing about at a be-inHuman Be-InThe Human Be-In was a happening in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the afternoon and evening of January 14, 1967. It was a prelude to San Francisco's Summer of Love, which made the Haight-Ashbury district a symbol as the center of an American counterculture and introduced the word 'psychedelic'...
. - In Dawn of the Dead (1978), a Hare Krishna zombie is seen throughout several scenes. Its bizarre appearance made it one of the more memorable zombies in the film, and it led to NECANational Entertainment Collectibles AssociationThe National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey...
producing an action figure of it in its "Cult Classics" line. The character can also be seen in the 2004 movie remakeDawn of the Dead (2004 film)Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
. - Hare Krishnas have been on the receiving end of several jokes in ZAZZucker, Abrahams and ZuckerZucker, Abrahams and Zucker are an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specializes in slapstick comedy films during the 1980s and the early 1990s...
comedy films including The Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(1977) and Airplane!Airplane!Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1980). - In The Muppet MovieThe Muppet MovieThe Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
, Hare Krishna becomes a sort of a running gag, in three places: First, Dom DeLuise is lost in the swamp, runs into Kermit the Frog, and says "You, with the banjo, can you help me? I have lost my sense of direction!" to which Kermit replies, "Oh, uh, have you tried Hare Krishna?" Second, in the El Sleezo Cafe, upon seeing Fozzie's act, Kermit says "this guy's lost." To which the waiter behind him says, "Maybe he should try Hare Krishna." As he walks away Kermit says "Good grief, it's a running gag." Finally, when Kermit and Fozzie stop by the church where the Electric Mayhem is set up, the sign outside says "Lost? Have you tried Rev. Harry Krishna." - In Roller BoogieRoller BoogieRoller Boogie is a United Artists film starring Linda Blair and introducing Jim Bray The film also stars Beverly Garland, Mark Goddard, and Kimberly Beck, and is directed by Mark L...
(1979), one character throws in the towel and becomes a Hare Krishna to forget disco music and roller skating after learning that the roller boogie contest is going to be canceled. - In Airplane!Airplane!Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1980), two Hare Krishna devotees are asked to contribute to "The Church of Religious Consciousness." Their dead-pan reply "We gave at the office." - In StripesStripes (film)Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
(1981), John (Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
) and Russell (Harold RamisHarold RamisHarold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
) get their hair trimmed, while Ox (John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
) exits completely bald, holding his cut hair in his hands and looking astonished. Russell jokes around and starts dancing and singing, "Hare Krishna!" - In Time BanditsTime BanditsTime Bandits is a 1981 British fantasy film produced and directed by Terry Gilliam.Terry Gilliam wrote the screenplay with fellow Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin, who appears with Shelley Duvall in the small, recurring roles of Vincent and Pansy. The film is one of the most famous of more than...
(1981), a picture of JagannathJagannathJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
is shown on the boy's bedroom wall. When the characters are running from the "Supreme Being", Jagannath is in front of them. The movie was produced by Terry GilliamTerry GilliamTerrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
, George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, and Denis O'Brien. - In The Devil and Max DevlinThe Devil and Max DevlinThe Devil and Max Devlin is a Disney motion picture released by Buena Vista Distribution Company, directed by Steven Hilliard Stern and released in early 1981 starring Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby and Susan Anspach. Gould praised this film in interviews as the finest he ever did...
(1981), a sankirtan van hits and kills the main character. The Hare Krishna devotees jump out of the van, surround the man who is dying, and perform a kirtanKirtanKirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
while the camera pans over their stricken expressions. - In Blade RunnerBlade RunnerBlade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
(1982), Hare Krishna devotees appear performing sankirtan in a short segment during a street scene. - In They Call Me Bruce?They Call Me Bruce?They Call Me Bruce? is a 1982 comedy action film starring Johnny Yune and Margaux Hemingway.The film was written by Tim Clawson and was directed by Elliott Hong...
(1982), Hare Krishna devotees are depicted. - In The Karate Kid (1984), Daniel claps two sanders together and sings "Hare Krishna".
- In Hannah and Her SistersHannah and Her SistersHannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begin and end with a family Thanksgiving dinner...
(1986), Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's character considers joining the Hare Krishnas in his search for GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. - In Relentless, stand-up comedian Bill HicksBill HicksWilliam Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
refers to the Hare Krishna followers as "the fifth largest army in the world". - In Miami BluesMiami Blues (film)Miami Blues is a 1990 action-crime-thriller-film based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford. It stars Alec Baldwin, Fred Ward, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It was directed by George Armitage.- Plot :...
(1990), the lead character (played by Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) breaks the finger of a Hare Krishna in the Miami airportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, causing him to go into shock and die, and this leads to the police search for Baldwin's character. - In Even Cowgirls Get the BluesEven Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a 1993 American comedy-drama-romance film based on the 1976 Tom Robbins novel of the same name. The film was directed by Gus Van Sant, Jr. and starred Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Pat Morita, Angie Dickinson, Keanu Reeves, John Hurt, Rain Phoenix, and Grace...
(1993), there is a scene in which Bonanza Jellybean (Rain PhoenixRain PhoenixRain Phoenix is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty.-Early life:...
) says to Sissy Hankshaw (Uma ThurmanUma ThurmanUma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
), "Did you realize that cowgirls have been around for many centuries? Long before AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In ancient IndiaHistory of IndiaThe history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
the care of the cattle was always left up to young women they called gopiGopiGopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...
s. Being alone with the cows all the time, the gopis got awfully hornySexual arousalSexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are called erotic stimuli, or colloquially known as turn-ons. There are many potential stimuli, both physical or mental, which can cause...
, just like we do here. Every gopi was in love with KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, a good-looking young god who played the flute like it was going out of style. When the moon was full, this Krishna would play his flute by a river and call the gopis to him. Then he would multiply himself sixteen thousand times - one for each gopi - and make loveSexual intercourseSexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
to each one the way she most desired. There they were, sixteen thousand gopis balling Krishna on the river bank, and the energy of their merging was so great that it created a huge oneness, a total union of love, and it was GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Wow! Quite a picture, huh?" - In National Lampoon's Senior TripNational Lampoon's Senior TripNational Lampoon's Senior Trip is a 1995 teen movie directed by Kelly Makin.- Plot :The film follows the story of a group of rude and obnoxious seniors from Fairmont High, an Ohio high school. After a typing class, the seniors cut school and throw a party at the home of Principal Moss...
(1995), one of the characters, Herbert Jones, becomes a Hare Krishna after graduating high school. - In Girl, InterruptedGirl, Interrupted (film)Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 drama film about a teenager's 18-month stay at a mental institution, starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, with Jolie winning an Academy Award for her performance....
(1999), the Hare Krishna movement is briefly mentioned. When asked what her plans are after graduation, Winona RyderWinona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
's character responds, "I'm going to join the Krishnas". Her classmate replies, "Hare Krishna? That's interesting, actually." - In the first of the Final DestinationFinal DestinationFinal Destination is a 2000 supernatural slasher film written and directed by James Wong. The film was co-written by Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, both of them having previously worked with Wong in the TV series The X-Files. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Tony Todd...
trilogy (2000), in the first scene, the Hare Krishnas are encountered in an airport, foreboding the tragic events that follow. - A scene in Osmosis JonesOsmosis JonesOsmosis Jones is a 2001 live-action/animated comedy film directed by Tom Sito and Piet Kroon for the animated segments and the Farrelly brothers for the live-action segments...
(2001) contains a small group of cells chanting Hare Krishna. This is barely noticeable, but present. - In Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.- Plot :...
(2003), one of the characters at the end is shown joining the Hare Krishna movement. They use footage of Srila PrabhupadaA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaAbhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
arriving somewhere, and use an arrow to point to the character as being in the crowd. - In Jersey GirlJersey Girl (2004 film)Jersey Girl is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith...
(2004), when Maya asks Ollie to lunch, she says, "C'mon, you're ruining my karmaKarmaKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
level", Ollie responds with "You're trying to get square with Krishna?", to which she replies, "Hare Hare". - My Summer of LoveMy Summer of LoveMy Summer of Love is a 2004 British drama film directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and co-written by Pawel Pawlikowski and Michael Wynne. Based on the novel of the same name by Helen Cross, the film explores the relationship between two young women from different classes and backgrounds...
(2004) features (in 20th-21st minute) the "Hare Krishna Hare Ram" song from Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) movie. - Aaron Naumann, a character in the film Bee SeasonBee Season (film)Bee Season is a 2005 American drama film adaptation of the 2000 novel of the same name by Myla Goldberg. The film was directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel and written by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal. It stars Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.-Plot:...
(2005), becomes a Hare Krishna after rejecting JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. - In Children of MenChildren of MenChildren of Men is a 2006 science fiction film loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2027, two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of collapse. Illegal immigrants seek sanctuary in England, where the last...
(2006), someone is heard chanting the Hare Krishna mantra as Kee walks by astonished soldiers and refugees with her baby, the first child born in more than eighteen years. - In Once (film)Once (film)Once is a 2006 Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, this naturalistic drama stars musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as musicians...
(2006), Hare Krishna devotees can be seen very briefly in a street scene near the beginning of the film. - In Across the UniverseAcross the Universe (film)Across the Universe is a musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film's plot is centered around songs by The Beatles. It was released in the United States on October 12, 2007. The script is based on an original...
(2007), when the song of the same name reaches the SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
phrase "Jai guru deva om", Hare Krishnas walk down a subway train that is passing the train Jude is on. - In Bhool BhulaiyaaBhool BhulaiyaaBhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
(2007), an IndianCinema of IndiaThe cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film, the song "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" contains lyrics such as "Hare Krishna Hare Ram" portrayed on Akshay KumarAkshay KumarAkshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
. - In ReligulousReligulousReligulous is a 2008 American comic documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious...
(2008), Hare Krishna devotees can be seen very briefly during a montage sequence near the beginning of the film.
In television
- Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
appeared on William F. Buckley, Jr.William F. Buckley, Jr.William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
's show Firing LineFiring LineFiring Line was an American public affairs show founded and hosted by conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. Its 1,504 episodes over 33 years made Firing Line the longest-running public affairs show in television history with a single host...
on September 3, 1968, and sang the Hare Krishna mantra as he played dolefully on a harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
. Buckley commented that it was "the most unharried Krishna I've ever heard." - In an episode of Lou GrantLou Grant (TV series)Lou Grant is an American television drama series starring Ed Asner in the titular role as a newspaper editor. Unusual in American television, this drama series was a spinoff from a sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Aired from 1977 to 1982, Lou Grant won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama...
(episode #18, "Sect", February 6, 1978), Charlie's son joins the Hare Krishna movement, taking the name "Vishnu das". - Hare Krishnas have been mentioned and/or parodied a number of times on the comedy show Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. For example, "Christmas Tree Salesman" Season 4 Episode 75 (Dec. 16, 1978), "Al FrankenAl FrankenAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
becomes a Hare Krishna" Season 4 Episode 86 (May 26, 1979), "Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
' Monologue" Season 13 Episode 242 (Jan 23, 1988), and "The Penis Measuring Machine" Season 20 Episode 382 (March 25, 1995). - On The Wonder YearsThe Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
episode "Faith", the narrator says "once upon a time, our country was founded on faith". Devotees on sankirtan were shown, among a variety of other spiritual adherents (Season 3, Episode 18. March 27, 1990). Devotees on sankirtan were also shown in a montage of video clips from the 1970s in the episode "Triangle" as the narrator said "unexpected happenings" (Season 5, episode 6. November 6, 1991).
- On In Living ColorIn Living ColorIn Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
, Jim CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
played a Hare Krishna in a sketch called "Krishna Cop" (Season 3, Episode 9, December 6, 1991). - In the episode of SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
entitled "The Subway" (Season 3, Episode 30, January 8, 1992) the character GeorgeGeorge CostanzaGeorge Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
is robbed of all his clothes by a woman and enters Monk's CafeMonk's CafeMonk's Café is a fictional coffee shop from the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The exterior of Tom's Restaurant on the corner of West 112th Street and Broadway, near Columbia University, is often shown on the show as the exterior of Monk's, though the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The coffee shop is...
wrapped in bedsheets. A patron mocks him by shouting, "Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!" and George responds, "How'd you like a Hare Krishna fist down your throat, you little punk?" - In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode entitled "Homer and ApuHomer and Apu"Homer and Apu" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 1994. In the episode, Homer participates in a hidden camera investigation of the expired meat selling at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu is immediately fired and...
" (Season 5, Episode 94, February 10, 1994), after seeing Christians singing in an Indian airport, a Hare Krishna devotee remarks "Oh, great — Christians". Also, in the episode "The Joy of SectThe Joy of Sect"The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 8, 1998. In the episode, a cult called the "Movementarians" takes over Springfield, and Homer and the rest of the Simpson family become members...
" (Season 9, Episode 191, February 8, 1998) a Hare Krishna devotee asks Bart if he's ever heard of Krishna Consciousness. In reply to which Homer says, "This, Bart, is a crazy man!" - Mad TVMad TVMad TV may refer to:*MADtv, an American sketch comedy television series based on Mad magazine*Mad TV , a 1991 German television station management simulation game*MAD TV , a Greek music channel-See also:...
included a sketch called "Krishna Rock" (Season 1, Episode 105, November 11, 1995). The skit takes place at an airport where four Hare Krishnas in orange robes are chanting and dancing when one of them decides to leave the group for a girl but ends up begging to be allowed back in the group. - In the episode of South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
entitled "Starvin' Marvin in SpaceStarvin' Marvin in Space"Starvin' Marvin in Space" is episode 42 of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on November 17, 1999. Like the episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics", the episode is dedicated to Mary Kay Bergman, who lent her voice to nearly all of South Park's female characters...
" (Season 3, Episode 44, November 17, 1999) there's a scene involving Mr. GarrisonHerbert GarrisonMr. Herbert Garrison is a recurring character in the American animated television series South Park. He is voiced by Trey Parker. For the first eight seasons of the series, the character was known as Mr. Garrison but underwent sex reassignment surgery in the season 9 episode "Mr. Garrison's Fancy...
telling his class that, "The Hare Krishnas are totally gay." The second act starts with the four main characters (Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick) in their classroom at South Park Elementary. The scene opens, and reveals that we've come upon the class as a lecture is being finished. "And so, children, that's why Hare Krishnas are totally gay." Mr. Garrison tells his students, immediately before two CIA agents come into the classroom to take the boys in for questioning. Also, on the episode "Super Best FriendsSuper Best Friends"Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 68th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. The episode depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad,...
" (Season 5, Episode 69, July 4, 2001), KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
is featured as a member of the "Super Best Friends", a crime fighting team of religious figures, along with JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Joseph Smith, MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, BuddhaGautama BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, LaoziLaoziLaozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
, MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, and Sea Man. - There is a reference to Hare Krishnas in That '70s ShowThat '70s ShowThat '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, when KittyKitty FormanKatherine Anne "Kitty" Forman is a fictional character on the Fox Network's That '70s Show, portrayed by comic actress Debra Jo Rupp. Kitty is a nurse but sometimes takes a break from her career to make peace in the family. She also has a very recognizable laugh and a fondness for square dancing...
found the devotees to be so nice that she almost got into their van with them. - Hare Krishna is referred to in the medical sitcom ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, in the episode entitled "My Own American Girl" (Season 3, Episode 47, Production code 301, October 2, 2003), Dr. Bob KelsoBob KelsoRobert "Bob" Kelso, M.D. , is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama Scrubs....
complains that his son, Harrison, was "kicked out of the Hare Krishna sect for being too much of a hippie". Also, in the episode entitled "My Chopped Liver" (Season 5, Episode 110, Production code 517, April 4, 2006) when J.D. shaves his head. - In the HBO miniseries Angels in AmericaAngels in America (miniseries)Angels in America is a 2003 HBO miniseries adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name by Tony Kushner. Kushner adapted his original text for the screen, and Mike Nichols directed...
(2003), there is a scene with Hare Krishnas singing on the sidewalk below Prior's apartment window. - Comedian Ross NobleRoss NobleRoss Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
devoted a portion his show Unrealtime (2003) to discussing an encounter he once had with some Krishnas, a tramp and a London bus. - On the House, M.D.House (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
episode entitled "Cursed" (Season 1, Episode 13, March 1, 2005), Dr. HouseGregory HouseGregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
tells his young charge Dr. ChaseRobert ChaseDr. Robert Chase is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Jesse Spencer. His character was a part of the team of diagnosticians who worked under Gregory House until the end of the third season when House fires him. However, he was then re-hired in season 6...
concerning the latter's father, "You breeze by him like he's a Hare Krishna at the airport." - Stand-up comedian and television presenter Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
is often heard saying "Hare Krishna" upon his exit from a show or venue. For example, on the UK Big Brother show Big Brother's Big Mouth, Brand ends every show with the phrase "Hare Krishna." Brand has been a vegetarian since the age of 14, and his abandonment of drugs and alcohol was done with the help of the Hare KrishnasInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
, to whom he feels "indebted". He was reported to have met a Hare KrishnaInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
ISKCON guru Radhanath SwamiRadhanath SwamiRadhanath Swami is a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . He works largely from Mumbai in India and also travels extensively throughout Europe and America. He has been instrumental in the founding of the Mumbai Bhaktivedanta hospital...
and appreciated him. - Bree Van de KampBree Van De KampBree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by Marcia Cross. Actress Marcia Cross was nominated from 2005 to 2007 for a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy...
, in the 12th EpisodeWhere Do I Belong"Where Do I Belong" is the 146th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the twelfth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on January 9, 2011.-Plot:...
of Season 7Desperate Housewives (season 7)The seventh season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 26, 2010 and concluded on May 15, 2011. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane residents, Susan Delfino, Lynette...
of Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, remarks that she'd rather shave her head and join the Hare Krishnas than help Beth Young.
In fiction
- Tom WolfeTom WolfeThomas Kennerly "Tom" Wolfe, Jr. is a best-selling American author and journalist. He is one of the founders of the New Journalism movement of the 1960s and 1970s.-Early life and education:...
includes a description of the Hare Krishnas along with the Maha Mantra in his book the The Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a work of literary journalism by Tom Wolfe, published in 1968. Using techniques from the genre of hysterical realism and pioneering new journalism, the "nonfiction novel" tells the story of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters...
(1968). - In the comic strip Bloom CountyBloom CountyBloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
(1986), a Hare Krishna devotee asks Opus the PenguinOpus the PenguinOpus the Penguin is a character in the comic strips and children's books of Berkeley Breathed, most notably the popular 1980s strip Bloom County. Breathed has described him as an "existentialist penguin" and the favorite of his many characters...
for some money, but Opus misunderstands "Prayer Temples for Hare Krishnas" as "Pear pimples for hairy fishnuts!", causing the Hare Krishna to say, "Just cough up some dough, Mac!" Berkeley BreathedBerkeley BreathedGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip that dealt with sociopolitical issues as understood by fanciful characters and through humorous analogies...
wrote in one of the Bloom County books that the reaction was so overwhelmingly strong he made Opus a permanent member of the cast. - In The Face on the Milk CartonThe Face on the Milk CartonThe Face on the Milk Carton is a young adult novel by author Caroline B. Cooney, first published in 1990. Part of The Janie Johnson series, it was later adapted into a film for television. It is about a teenaged girl who thinks she was kidnapped as a toddler and tries to find her parents.-See...
series (1990), Hannah, Janie's kidnapper, is a Hare Krishna. The movement is described within the first book in the context of a cultCultThe word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. - In The Tax InspectorThe Tax InspectorThe Tax Inspector is a novel by Australian writer Peter Carey....
(1991) by Booker PrizeMan Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
author Peter Carey, one of the main characters, Johnny, is a Hare Krishna. - The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra appears in Vikram SethVikram SethVikram Seth is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.-Early life:Vikram Seth was born on 20 June 1952 to Leila and Prem Seth in Calcutta...
's A Suitable Boy (1994). - In the novel Bee SeasonBee SeasonBee Season is a 2000 novel by Myla Goldberg. It follows a young girl as she attempts to win the national spelling bee, and the repercussions of her success on the other members of her family.-Plot summary:...
(2000) by Myla GoldbergMyla GoldbergMyla Goldberg is an American novelist and musician.-Biography:Goldberg was born into a Jewish family. She was raised in Laurel, Maryland, and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School. She majored in English at Oberlin College, graduating in 1993...
, the character Aaron Naumann joins the local ISKCON temple after rejecting JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
In video games
- In Zak McKracken and the Alien MindbendersZak McKracken and the Alien MindbendersZak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders is a graphical adventure game, originally released in October 1988 , published by LucasArts . It was the second game to use the SCUMM engine, after Maniac Mansion...
(1988), Zak is approached by a Hare Krishna devotee, and sold a book called, How to Raise Your Consciousness and Lower Your Golf Scores!. This book can later be given to an airport bum, causing him to become a devotee, himself. - In Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto (video game)Grand Theft Auto is a 1997 action-adventure video game created by British games developer DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive. The game allows the player to take on the role of a criminal who can roam freely around a big city. Various missions are set for completion, such as bank...
(1997), the text "GOURANGA!GourangaGauranga is a term popularized by the Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s.It is derived from Sanskrit "having a white or yellowish body", a bahuvrihi compound from "white, yellowish, reddish" and "limb, member; the body"....
" is displayed whenever the player runs over a group of Hare Krishnas, who are occasionally featured as pedestrians. They are again featured in Grand Theft Auto 2Grand Theft Auto 2Grand Theft Auto 2 is a video game that was released worldwide on October 25, 1999, by developer DMA Design , initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation console. The game was later ported to the Dreamcast console and the Game Boy Color. It is the sequel to 1997 hit Grand Theft...
(1999) as one of the gangs the player can work for.
In advertising
- A 2001 advertising campaign for Kit KatKit KatKit Kat is a chocolate-coated wafer confection that was created by Rowntree's of York, England, and is now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three...
chocolates in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
depicted DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s (from Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) chasing people on the street saying, in the standard Dalek tones, "Give us a cuddle!" while the final shot had Daleks following a group of Hare KrishnaInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
devotees, chanting "Peace and love!" The advertisement concluded with the Kit Kat slogan "Have a break, have a Kit Kat," implying that the Daleks were having a break from their habitual killing.
Other
- The Hare (computer virus)Hare (computer virus)The Hare Virus is a destructive computer virus which infected MS-DOS and Windows 95 machines in August 1996. It was also known as Hare.7610, Krsna and HD Euthanasia....
, also known as "Hare.7610", "Krsna" and "HD Euthanasia", infected MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
and Windows 95Windows 95Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
machines in August 1996. The virus was set to read the system date of the computer and activate on August 22 and September 22, at which time it would erase the hard disk in the computer and display the following message: "HDEuthanasia by Demon Emperor: Hare Krsna, hare,hare." - Steve JobsSteve JobsSteven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
, co-founder and CEOChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Apple Inc., mentioned the Hare Krishnas during his commencement speechCommencement speechA commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
on June 12, 2005: "I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting. It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles (11 km) across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on." - Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
says "Hare Krishna" several times when confronted by the press after the Andrew Sachs issueRussell Brand Show prank telephone calls rowThe Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row concerned a series of voice messages that English entertainers Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs, which were labelled obscene by many media commentators and politicians...
in October 2008.
See also
- A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaAbhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
- Chaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
- Gaudiya VaishnavismGaudiya VaishnavismGaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu"...
- GourangaGourangaGauranga is a term popularized by the Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s.It is derived from Sanskrit "having a white or yellowish body", a bahuvrihi compound from "white, yellowish, reddish" and "limb, member; the body"....
- Hare Krishna (mantra)
- International Society for Krishna ConsciousnessInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
- KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
- Krishnology
- Radha KrishnaRadha KrishnaRadha Krishna is a Hindu deity. Krishna is often referred as svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is a young woman, a gopi who is Krishna's supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with Her love...