There's a common misconception about the Beat Generation that persists to this day and makes Jack Kerouac roll around in his grave- Beatniks are the same as Hippies.
Putting aside the obvious facts that Beats enjoy jazz, coffee and pills while Hippies like to drop acid, drink wine and listen to psychedelic rock there's another distinction- the Beats were voracious readers.
That's not to say Hippies didn't enjoy reading too, but the written word wasn't a backbone of the movement like it was for the Beats, and where Hippies were often spaced out Jack and the Beats generally just acted obtuse.
This episode of Firing Line from 1968 features William F. Buckley, Jr. discussing the rise of the Hippies in the stuffiest way possible, while Jack Kerouac drunkenly rambles and provides comic relief.
-Via mental_floss