The establishment and the anti-establishment: a rivalry that has been present ever since societal structures emerged. Despite the timelessness of this duel, the story and its events never get old. After all, who doesn’t like to see a good ole’ underdog story or a discussion between two completely different walks of life? Well, on this day, August 19, 1969, the masses got the chance to watch such a thing live on one of America’s most popular talk shows, The Dick Cavett Show.
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Dick Cavett and his TV show, The Dick Cavett Show, were a staple of the late 60s and all throughout the 70s. Unlike a few other talk show hosts of the time, Cavett was a bit more of an intellectual journalist and host, as he prompted his guests to answer with candor, vulnerability, and an edge. He was a bit different in regard to the prototypical talk show scene of the 60s, yet still, he was seemingly part of the establishment, given his association with ABC and the appeal he had to American households.
Even though Cavett was seen as a working cog in the machine, he seemed to have approached every interview with a sense of openness and curiosity. Thanks to these characteristics, Cavett was able to book the most interesting and notable guests of the time. And on this day, he hosted arguably the greatest roster of countercultural rock figures in television history. Those figures were Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Jefferson Airplane.
Dick Cavett and Counterculture Company Chop It Up
Other than Joni Mitchell, every other artist present had flown in to appear on the show just a day after Woodstock, as the infamous festival ended on August 18. That being said, Woodstock was the main topic of discussion during the show. In a general sense, Cavett and the counterculture figures discussed the overall atmosphere of Woodstock, the social impacts, and the sheer size of the crowd in attendance.
Given that Mitchell did not perform during the festival, she divulged her feelings about her absence and the song she wrote about such feelings. In addition to discussing the festival, the conversation also touched on the tempestuous cultural nature of the time, politics, Jimi Hendrix, and David Crosby even took a shot at some of Cavett’s sponsors for contributing to pollution.
Outside of the discussion, all parties, of course, also gave a performance. In totality, the episode was seemingly must-see TV for the people of the decade, as it aired a civilized dialogue between the older generation’s voice and the younger generation’s voice.
Photo by Andrew Putler/Redferns
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