What does it mean to "stick it the man"? Why is "the man" holding us down? Who exactly is "the man"?

Question

I know..I know..dumb question. But I have heard hippies, yuppies, and civil rights people mention "the man." Why does "the man" have such a reputation?

Answer 1

Dear Little People,

I am The Man.

I really need to ask all of you a favor. Please quit sticking it to me. I am just trying to protect you, coddle you, raise you right, and all you ever want to do is mock me and such. I have to watch you at all times, I have to keep track of how much money you make, where you live, where you work, who you sleep with, and what you drive. It's for your own good.

This is just a plea for peace. Can't we all just get along? If you continue sticking it to me on such a large scale, I will be forced to retaliate by censoring your music and raising the price of stamps. Do not push me.

Thanks! Love ya!
- The Man

Answer 2

The Oppressor. Whoever is the true ruler of the government (or the government itself) that puts all people not like him down. "The Man", in most people's minds, is represented by a ridiculously rich, (white if you're a civil rights activist) male who wants to make sure nobody can get a leg up in the corporate world other than him and all his other rich white male friends. "Sticking it to the man" means getting back at him and triumphing over the obstacles he put in your way. "Being held back by the man" means the man is preventing everyone else from acquiring/sharing the wealth he and his other friends have. Nobody likes "the man" except for himself and other men like him.

Answer 3

"The Man" is a euphamism of the authorities in general:

""The Man" is a slang phrase associated with the counterculture and used to describe higher authority; the MAN-agement. This "Man" does not usually refer to a specific individual as such, but instead to the government, leaders of large corporations and other authority figures; its meaning is pejorative. The Man is colloquially defined as the figurative person who controls our world. The Man is also often used as a symbol of racial oppression."

Answer 4

i am an old hippie. the man is the government, at least it used to be. the entity with no feelings at all. the man is separate from the rest of us and is like a leach sucking everything he can from us. its like all the old songs with the man in it have come tru, we are living in a police state. step out of line, the man will come and take you away.

Answer 5

The man is a relative term meaning the person in charge or with most power

Answer 6

"The Man" is Fred Barnes. He lives in Davenport Iowa and he controls EVERYTHING. And EVERYONE hates him: Hippies, yuppies, snipers, puppies, uncivil and civil rights people all HATE Fred Barnes.

If you aren't getting paid enough--Fred Barnes.
If you fell through the cracks in your educational system--Fred Barnes.
IF you are on welfare--Fred Barnes.
Big Tobacco killed your dad--It was REALLY Fred Barnes.

It's HIS fault. when will people wake up!!!

Answer 7

The white man!

Answer 8

I couldn't tell you, because The Man is keeping it secret.

But seriously, The Man is supposed to be society, specifically white, middle class society. But today it often refers to the law, or any group that denies someone what they feel should be a right.

Answer 9

The government.

Answer 10

The man is the one who is making you madThe man could be a woman.