Hare Krishna in popular culture

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The Hare Krishnas' contributions to popular culture include the following:

Contents

[edit] In music

  • Boy George's track "Bow Down Mister" includes the Hare Krishna mantra and other references to the Hare Krishnas.
  • 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 mixed Scottish/Hungarian Hare Krishna band known as 'The Gouranga Powered Band' use the chant frequently throughout their records.

[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 1984 film The Karate Kid, Daniel-san claps two sanders together and sings "Hare Krishna".
  • 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."
  • 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

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