Happening Happy Hippy Party
Encyclopedia
The Happening Happy Hippy Party, or HHHP, was a British
political satire
website and ezine that ran between 1997 and 2002, emerging during the dotcom boom
in British satire. Apart from outliving its competitors, what made it distinctive was that it posed as a spoof political party
, with policies like easing the burden on Britain's National Health Service
by making accidents illegal and improving Britain's climate by towing the island 200 miles south.
, where the HHHP was based). Regular contributions were made by American comedy writer Emily Wilson-Jones, and the Party attracted a large American/Canadian following. Features at the site included a "Bushism Generator", which generated random entertaining quotes from US President George W. Bush
and a teapot webcam, part of the Party's ongoing fixation with tea.
During one of its television appearances in 1999, the HHHP's leaders reputedly attempted to declare their college an independent state, citing the growing of watercress
in one of the science department's laboratories as sufficient agricultural produce to sustain it. Although the college concerned did not object, the sequence did not make it into the broadcasted edition of the Meridian Broadcasting
show Cybercafe.
and Private Eye. During its tenure it received over 200 applications from people who had misunderstood that it was not a real political party.
The HHHP did attract criticism, however. An ITV
show about the internet, Cybernet, slammed the principally student-written site as "childish" and "puerile" humour. This review was broadcast on British national television in 2002, and coincided with the decline of the party.
United Kingdom
The 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...
political satire
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
website and ezine that ran between 1997 and 2002, emerging during the dotcom boom
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
in British satire. Apart from outliving its competitors, what made it distinctive was that it posed as a spoof political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, with policies like easing the burden on Britain's National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
by making accidents illegal and improving Britain's climate by towing the island 200 miles south.
Writers and Content
The members/writers were largely confined to the south of England (principally the seaside town of GosportGosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, where the HHHP was based). Regular contributions were made by American comedy writer Emily Wilson-Jones, and the Party attracted a large American/Canadian following. Features at the site included a "Bushism Generator", which generated random entertaining quotes from US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and a teapot webcam, part of the Party's ongoing fixation with tea.
During one of its television appearances in 1999, the HHHP's leaders reputedly attempted to declare their college an independent state, citing the growing of watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
in one of the science department's laboratories as sufficient agricultural produce to sustain it. Although the college concerned did not object, the sequence did not make it into the broadcasted edition of the Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
show Cybercafe.
Praise and Criticism
When it closed in 2002 the HHHP had appeared several times on British national television and generated approval from as diverse sources as the Adam Smith InstituteAdam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory,...
and Private Eye. During its tenure it received over 200 applications from people who had misunderstood that it was not a real political party.
The HHHP did attract criticism, however. An ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
show about the internet, Cybernet, slammed the principally student-written site as "childish" and "puerile" humour. This review was broadcast on British national television in 2002, and coincided with the decline of the party.