Hare Krishna in popular culture
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contributions to popular culture include the following:
1 In music
1.1 Straight Edge subculture
2 In movies
3 In television
4 In fiction
5 In videogames
6 Miscellaneous
7 External links
[edit] In music
The Hare Krishna mantra can be heard sung by George Harrison in his
song "My Sweet Lord" within the backing vocals.
The mantra was released as a single by the Radha Krsna Temple on The
Beatles' Apple Records label (see Apple Records discography)
The words "Hare Krishna" are included in the lyrics of several of The
Beatles and John Lennon songs, such as "Give Peace A Chance" and "I Am
the Walrus". "Hare Krishna" can also be heard in the backing vocals of
Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy", which was produced by George
Harrison and co-written by Starr and Harrison (although credited to
Starr).
Kula Shaker include various Vedic mantras and names of Krishna in
their songs, especially in the famous 'Govinda' track.
The song Hare Krsna is on Husker Du's album, Zen Arcade.
Boy George's track "Bow Down Mister" includes the Hare Krishna mantra
and other references to the Hare Krishnas.
The Hare Krishna mantra can also be heard on Stevie Wonder's song
"Pastime Paradise" from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life in the
background vocals.
Rapper KRS-One was influenced by the Hare Krishna movement as a young
man. His name derives from "Krishna".
When recreating Eric Clapton's Gibson ES-335, there was a Hare Krishna
sticker that had to be reproduced on the back of the headstock.
Also heard in the Original Broadway Cast Hair in the song, "Be-In",
although used in a context of marijuana use at which the Krishnas
would look askance.
Nina Hagen has included the mantra on a number of songs, including "I
Love Paul" from the 1983 disco-punk Fearless album.
Tenacious D have created a song they played live about the Hare
Krishnas, called "Hare Krishna".
Placebo have included the mantra in a song called "Hare Krishna", a b-
side to the "36 Degrees" single.
In his 1992 album Relentless, stand-up comedian Bill Hicks refers to
the Hare Krishna followers as "the fifth largest army in the world".
Undrop's single "Train" features the Hare Krishna mantra at the end of
the song.
The Hare Krishna mantra makes a short appearance in the Jedi Mind
Tricks song "Books of Blood: The Coming of Tan" on The Psycho-Social,
Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human
Consciousness.
Dayton, Ohio melodic death metal/crust punk band Hare Krishna derive
their name from it.
The mixed Scottish/Hungarian Hare Krishna band known as 'The Gouranga
Powered Band' use the chant frequently throughout their records.
The Auteurs have a song called Sick Of Hari Krisna on their album How
I Learned to Love the Bootboys, in which the title is sung
repeatedly.
[edit] Straight Edge subculture
In the 1980s, several bands and individuals from the punk-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 punk rocker named
Larry Puglisi, Krishna Consciousness found its way into the New York
hardcore scene in the mid 1980s. Puglisi established a house in nearby
northern New Jersey for fellow devotees to live in, and sponsored food
and clothing drives as well as concerts for the punks and skinheads
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 "Krishnacore"
bands, 108. Krishnacore bands sang about Krishna and Krishna
Consciousness the same way that a Christian band would sing about
Jesus. Notable Hare Krishna punk and hardcore musicians have included:
Shelter, Cro-Mags, Youth of Today, 108[1], Run Devil Run, Request
Denied, Poly Styrene, and Lora Logic of X-ray Spex
[edit] In movies
In the 1973 film The Laughing Policeman, after Walter Matthau'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 first of the Final Destination trilogy, in the first scene, we
encounter the Hare Krishnas in an airport, foreboding the tragic
events that follow.
A Hare Krishna zombie can be seen in the original 1978 film, Dawn of
the Dead, as well as in the 2004 remake.
Taffy Davenport, a character in John Waters' Female Trouble, joins the
Hare Krishnas by the film's end.
Aaron Naumann, a character in the film Bee Season, becomes a Hare
Krishna after having Judaism pushed upon him.
In the 1979 film The Muppet Movie, there's a running gag where the
reply to anyone saying that they're lost is, "Have you tried Hare
Krishna?"
In the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters, Woody Allen's character
considers joining the Hare Krishnas in his search for God.
In the 1984 film The Karate Kid, Daniel-san claps two sanders together
and sings "Hare Krishna".
A large group of people singing Hare Krishna is in the Miloš Forman
film Hair
Hare Krishnas have been on the receiving end of several jokes in
various ZAZ comedy films including The Kentucky Fried Movie and
Airplane!
In the 1990 film Miami Blues the lead character (played by Alec
Baldwin) causes the death of a Hare Krishna at the Miami airport and
is pursued by the police.
There is a background shot of a group of Hare Krishnas singing in a
crowded street scene in Blade Runner.
In Jersey Girl, when Maya asks Ollie to lunch, she says, "C'mon,
you're ruining my karma level.", Ollie responds with "You're trying to
get square with Krishna?", to which she replies, "Hare Hare."
Hare Rama Hare Krishna, a 1971 Hindi blockbuster centers around hippie
invasion of Kathmandu, Nepal. The film also features the all time
Hindi hit song Dum Maro Dum which includes the chant 'Hare Krishna
Hare Ram'.
In the 1978 Cheech and Chong film Up in Smoke, police detectives
attempt to infiltrate a battle of the bands contest dressed in robes
taken from a group of Hare Krishnas.
[edit] In television
Charlie's son joins the Hare Krishna movement, taking the name "Vishnu
das" on Lou Grant, episode #18 "Sect".
A Hare Krishna devotee appears in an episode of The Simpsons called
'The Joy of Sect', and asks Bart if he's ever heard of Krishna
Consciousness? In reply to which Homer says, "This, Bart, is a crazy
man!" Ref
Hare Krishnas also appear in an episode of The Simpsons called 'Homer
and Apu', where after seeing Christians singing in an Indian airport,
a Hare Krishna devotee remarks "Oh, great - Christians". Ref
On the South Park episode 'Super Best Friends', Krishna is featured as
a member of the Super Best Friends, a crimefighting team of religious
figures, along with Jesus, Joseph Smith, Muhammad, Buddha, Lao Tsu,
and Seaman.
Popular stand-up comedian and television presenter Russell Brand is
often heard to say "Hare Krishna" upon his exit from the show or
venue. Although he is neither celibate nor free from drugs (as a
strict Hare Krishna initiate would follow) he has been clean for over
three years now and has connections with the devotees. He has also
been a vegetarian since the age of 14 or 15 years old.
Hare Krishna is referred to in the medical sitcom Scrubs in episode
517 "My Chopped Liver" when J.D. shaves his head.
On Mad TV in an episode from season 1 there is a sketch called
"Krishna Rock". 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.
On In Living Color, in season 3, Jim Carrey played a Hare Krishna in a
sketch called "Krishna Cop."
On House MD, season 1, episode 13 'Cursed' Dr. House tells his young
charge Dr. Chase concerning the latter's father, "You breeze by him
like he's a Hare Krishna at the airport."
On the UK Big Brother show "Big Brother's Big Mouth", the presenter
Russell Brand ends every show with the phrase "Hare Krishna."
On the Seinfeld episode 'The Subway' from season 3, George Costanza
enters Monk's Cafe wrapped in bedsheets after being robbed by a woman.
A patron mocks him by screaming, "Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!" and
George responds, "How'd you like a Hare Krishna fist down your
throat?"
There is a reference to Hare Krishna's in That 70's Show when Kitty
found the Hare Krishnas to be so nice that she almost got into their
van with them.
In the HBO miniseries Angels in America', there is a scene of Hare
Krishnas singing on the sidewalk below Prior's apartment window.
[edit] In fiction
Journalist Tom Wolfe includes a description of the Hare Krishnas along
with the Maha Mantra in his The Electric cool-aid Acid Test.
In The Tax Inspector by Booker Prize author Peter Carey, one of the
main characters, Johnny, is a Hare Krishna.
In Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, one of the subplots revolves around
the conversion of a teenage boy to the Hare Krishnas.
The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra appears in Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy.
In the comic strip Bloom County, the "hairy fishnuts" comic which made
Opus a central draw to the strip featured a Hare Krishna. The Hare
Krishna asks Opus for money to assist in the building of a prayer
temple; having not spoken English for long, Opus famously states that
the Hare Krishna is a fellow penguin ("pilgrim") seeking "pear pimples
for hairy fishnuts" ("prayer temples for Hare Krishnas").
In the "Face on the Milk Carton" series, Hannah, Janie's kidnapper,
was a member of the Hare Krishna. The movement is described within the
first book in the context of a cult.
[edit] In videogames
In Grand Theft Auto, the text "GOURANGA!" 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 2
as one of the gangs the player can work for.
In Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, 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.
[edit] Miscellaneous
A computer virus called Hare displays "HDEuthanasia by Demon Emperor:
Hare Krsna, hare, hare." on the screen of an infected computer, after
erasing the hard disk.
Comedian Ross Noble devotes a large part of his "Unrealtime" Show to
discussing an encounter he once had with some Krishnas, a tramp and a
London bus.
[edit] External links
Documentaries about the Hare Krishna's