COOL

Jesus? 

Wow, I actually really enjoyed that. 

Banned, not surprised. It happens all the time at Conventions. There would be people who just carry around signs for Free Hugs... for a while it was fine. Then some people would fuck around and write down Hugs $1.. and of course it would expand from there. Then the police in the area where pissed off and banned all signs, saying that its prostitution. 

Friggin' hippy. 

You can all give me a hug if you want, just don't grab my ass if you're a guy. :)

I think it's cool what he's doing, but he's the only person to fully understand as it takes Juan to know Juan.

Thankyou, I'll be here all week. :) 

age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact

My grandpa says that when he was young, people hugged eachother everywhere they went. It was a social contact bonnanazaaa!!! 

Free the poor guy already 

The main take home message?

HOT CHICKS DIG FREE HUGS! I can't emphasize this enough.

As a society we have definitely become more and more isolated physically, especially with the advent of the internets. A hug though, is still a very intimate thing that cultures decades and centuries before us have reserved for certain people and instances. I don't think that's a bad thing. I think people in this day and age could use a good "shaking up" though so this is great stuff. 

sigh. good video. makes me want to hug my banker, cashier, waitress, host, brake check guy, neighbors, ppl in the line behind me, in front of me, etc.
you want a hug? 

FunkyCold said:

Jesus?

My thoughts exactly. Good to see hes's still kickin'. 

Great video. But now I desperately need hugs. : ) 

that was very moving. 

i liked the music 

that was actually really cute, i liked it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMBgSfQI49E 

Maybe people are growing more isolated physically because they are self conscious. For example fat people might not want to get hugged because they are embarrassed their blubber will be felt...

/pondering 

Good video. 

Hot chicks do it so they will be noticed by other hot chicks. 

Jesus?

Could be...

I actually teared up watching this - what the fuck has happened to humanity in general??? 

what about hugs with happy endings? 

I'd hug it. 

Hug this t(-_-t) 

theJustin said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMBgSfQI49E

Looks like the Dave Matthews guy did it in New York (assuming it wasn't faked) rather than what looks like California... I'm only British but going by stereotypical characteristics of the separate populations I'd say NY was the tougher beat to work. 

it's a cool videio, neat concept.
Shitty for me, I'd automatically think the guy was a perv or was trying to pick pocket me.
I'm sad I think like that :( 

Keep this mutant the FUCK away from me. 

Are we really that socially disconnected? I can't really think of a time in history when you could hold a "Free Hugs" sign and have a line of people waiting for you. 

story of Juan Mann

Am I the only one to have mentally heard this in the movie trailer voice? 

How is this dramatically different from someone walking around with a sign offering to receive free oral sex? It's an event between emotionally-bonded people. Hugging a stranger is creepy, free or not. 

From: NeutralBuoyancy - this is how I droll
Date: 9/30/06 @ 2:29 PM
25
Keep this mutant the FUCK away from me.

From: syrynxx would like to buy a vowel
Date: 9/30/06 @ 3:17 PM
28
How is this dramatically different from someone walking around with a sign offering to receive free oral sex? It's an event between emotionally-bonded people. Hugging a stranger is creepy, free or not.

You guys need a fuckin' hug, stat... although, thanks for proving the point of this video

From: stile is a man of wealth, and taste
Date: 9/30/06 @ 3:13 PM
27
story of Juan Mann

Am I the only one to have mentally heard this in the movie trailer voice?

I heard it in Family Guy BC Parody Voice...

person 1: Why is Juan so happy?
person 2: I think he figured himself out.
person 1: I guess it takes Juan to know Juan.

/going off to hug someone 

1 of the best ideas ever - reminds me of...
http://www.boardsmag.com/screeningroom/musicvideos/1098/ 

http://www.boardsmag.com/screeningroom/musicvideos/1098/

more clicky 

Hah.. I knew fazed would pull through for me on this one. Thanks Spun. 

blam said:

person 1: Why is Juan so happy?
person 2: I think he figured himself out.
person 1: I guess it takes Juan to know Juan.

/going off to hug someone

Excellent!! 

syrynxx said:

How is this dramatically different from someone walking around with a sign offering to receive free oral sex? It's an event between emotionally-bonded people. Hugging a stranger is creepy, free or not.

Because hugging people in public isn't illegal, but rather a socially accepted practice of greeting?

There is nothing sexual in a hug, it is simply an embrace between two people, which in this case is meant to raise someone's emotional spirits via physical contact that they may need. 

You can bash free hugs all you want guys. Hugging someone takes more guts than taking a gun and going to war. I know some of you will not agree with my views and thats OK.

It takes even more guts to hug a family member than a stranger in some cases, and charity starts at the home.

Ive had people message me (in tears) saying that when they saw their own family members pass away in a hospital bed, they suddenly realised as they were holding their lifeless bodies that they had never hugged them. How sad.

I hope this video spreads a good message. And if not. What the hey. Right? 

blam said:

You guys need a fuckin' hug, stat... although, thanks for proving the point of this video

Hmmm, not so fast care bear. It just means I am not pitiful enough to require emotional validation from a complete stranger. I only accpet physical expressions of affection from those I know and trust. If a stranger tried to hug me 1) that would a gross invasion of my personal space 2) would likely result in me delivering a solid two-handed shove right in the solar plexis.

All you huggers can run off a be hippies together, just leave me out of it. 

NeutralBuoyancy - can spell neutral and buoyancy but few other words in the english language correctly 

big hands type poorly, but if that is the best dig you can come up with, you fail at burns. 

Because, of course, the thing we drastically need in a thread about hugs and sharing human kindness is people throwing insults and put-downs at each other. It's the thing that makes the point that no matter how positive the conscious intentions of some or even all people might be, the inherent subconscious instincts of mankind will always prevail in isolating them into small tribes who inherently conflict with the individuals and interests of other tribes. No matter how many free hugs are given out.

Renders the whole exercise laughable in the end. 

It was laughable from the start. 

NeutralBuoyancy said:

Hmmm, not so fast care bear. It just means I am not pitiful enough to require emotional validation from a complete stranger. I only accpet physical expressions of affection from those I know and trust. If a stranger tried to hug me 1) that would a gross invasion of my personal space 2) would likely result in me delivering a solid two-handed shove right in the solar plexis.

All you huggers can run off a be hippies together, just leave me out of it.

See the fact that you actually state "two-handed shove right in the solar plexis" makes you look like a pompous ass. You prolly were either in a boot camp and never went to to anything else with the military, or you just wish you were and all your friends and spread this idea that hippies are bad or whatever, and you do it cause your friends do. All of us huggers will run off together and we will be happier with your kind out of the picture. 

Wrong, wrong, and wrong. I am just asserting my right to be free of physical contact with strangers.

Hippies aren't bad. It just that hippies around me is bad.

All of us huggers will run off together and we will be happier with your kind out of the picture.

and I'll be content to have my personal space. Sounds like plan. Although I must say your defensiveness amuses me. 

That was the best video I've seen this year. It's ironic how I watched a video of people physically interacting while I am on a computer, commenting on it in a mostly detached manner.

Thanks poster. 

Man, but you are caustic. Such animosity only leads to an early grave, you know. 

That guy needs a job, but at least he was doing something better than queueing up for methadone. 

From: NeutralBuoyancy - this is how I drollDate: 9/30/06 @ 6:05 PM42
Wrong, wrong, and wrong. I am just asserting my right to be free of physical contact with strangers.

Hippies aren't bad. It just that hippies around me is bad.

All of us huggers will run off together and we will be happier with your kind out of the picture.

and I'll be content to have my personal space. Sounds like plan. Although I must say your defensiveness amuses me.

They're FREE hugs, not mandatory. If ya don't want one, just keep on walking. Ya don't need to piss on someone else's parade.
I liked the video. Made me kinda feel that cosmic spirit. Sorta like acid or XTC.

My first impression was that this must have been where the Dave Matthew's Band video makers got the idea. 

All I said was keep him away from [u]me[/u]. I'm not out to ban you from partaking.

And if you people can't take some acerbic humor, I feel no need to make apologies. Some folk want to level a dig on me because they think I'm a dick for prefering to go with out random fuckers touching me, then I'll point out just how silly these attacks are, because . . . well because it makes me giggle. 

It should be noted the hugs were not imposed upon anyone nor was anyone directly approached for a hug at any time. The hugs were merely advertised on a piece of board as an offer to take up if you wish to do so. If you dont want to, as baxter said, keep walking.

Neutral, you said keep that "fucker" (no offense taken) from you. Why wouldnt you just stay away yourself and keep walking? Its no big deal here. Its just a hug. Take it or leave it. But for that one person in the entire day that wishes to take it up, its all worth it. 

But it is more amusing for me to say that. I'm being pretty transparent here. You people exist for my amusement. Now dance! 

It's only illegal if you try to hug 'em nekkid, silly.
BUt other than that...

/starts the Free Hug Club