Do It! Scenarios of the Revolution by Jerry Rubin
"Do It! Scenarios of the Revolution" by Jerry Rubin is a provocative exploration of the counterculture and activist movements of the 1960s, encapsulated in a series of forty-three vignettes that reflect his personal journey and political engagements. Rubin, a prominent figure in the Yippie movement, draws upon key events such as the Berkeley Free Speech movement, the antiwar protest at the Pentagon, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention to illustrate his ideas. The core message of the work emphasizes that real revolutionary change happens in everyday life rather than through theoretical discourse, advocating for tactics like spectacle, myth, and parody as forms of political expression.
Despite some criticism for its irreverent tone and portrayal of activism, the book resonated with a significant audience, selling over 250,000 copies and capturing the frustrations of many disaffected young people. Rubin's writing reflects a blend of idealism and disillusionment felt by middle-class youths during a time of political upheaval. Through his candid and often theatrical approach, Rubin opens a dialogue on the nature of protest and societal change, making "Do It!" a notable commentary on the era's cultural and political landscape. The work stands not only as a historical document but also as an invitation to engage with the questions of identity and agency in the face of societal norms.
Do It! Scenarios of the Revolution by Jerry Rubin
Published 1970
Author Jerry Rubin
The book that captured the revolutionary generation gap embodied by the Youth International Party (the Yippies). The book is both an autobiography of Yippie cofounder Jerry Rubin and a statement of Yippie philosophy.
Key Figures
Jerry Rubin (1938-1994), author
The Work
Jerry Rubin’s Do It! Scenarios of the Revolution (1970) is a series of forty-three vignettes describing Rubin’s personal evolution and his involvement in events such as the Berkeley Free Speech movement of 1964, the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam antiwar demonstration at the Pentagon in 1967, and the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. A key theme of Do It! is that revolutionary change is accomplished in the theater of everyday life rather than through abstract theorizing. The book embodies some of the tactics it advocates: spectacle as subversion, myth as politics, and parody as critique.
Impact
Journalists for the mainstream and alternative press described Do It! as a collection of vulgar and childish exclamations of a clownish pseudorevolutionary. With total sales of more than 250,000, however, even the most scathing reviews conceded that Do It! tapped into the pulse of American youth and contained some valid critiques of middle-class life. In Do It!, Rubin voiced the sentiments of many disaffected white, middle-class youths who felt alienated by both the right and the left.
Related Work
Rubin’s We Are Everywhere! (1971) is the sequel to Do It!
Additional Information
For a more complete discussion of the Yippie movement of the 1960’s, see The Underground Revolution: Hippies, Yippies, and Others (1970), by Naomi Feigelson.