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Jan.14,2009
Being a hipster is sort of like being grotesquely fat; everybody can see that you are, but it’s considered impolite to actually mention it.
Punks wear their tattered threads and studded leather jackets with honor, priding themselves on their innovative and cheap methods of self-expression and rebellion. B-boys and b-girls announce themselves to anyone within earshot with baggy gear and boomboxes. But it is rare, if not impossible, to find an individual who will proclaim themself a proud hipster. It’s an odd dance of self-identity – adamantly denying your existence while wearing clearly defined symbols that proclaims [sic] it.
Hipsters and indie kids try so hard to fit in, but it’s embarassing to have someone point out that fact. The punks would call them posuers, but punks put a lot of thought into their image, too. I guess fashion is always supposed to appear effortless, but the hypocrisy bothers me.
I thought I was the only one annoyed by the judgmental, hypocritical self-righteousness of hipsters, but Douglas Haddow’s adbuster’s cover story from July (forgive me, Hipsters, I am behind the times) is an anti-hipster manifesto brimming with insightful eviscerations of the hipster lifestyle without being too condescending or preachy.
But after punk was plasticized and hip hop lost its impetus for social change, all of the formerly dominant streams of “counter-culture” have merged together. Now, one mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot of styles, tastes and behavior has come to define the generally indefinable idea of the “Hipster.”
So basically, hipsterism is the McDonalds of countercultures. It’s unoriginal, manufactured and monolithic. It can’t be reasoned with or defeated because it’s constantly morphing into whatever happens to be cool at the moment — but not too cool:
But the moment a trend, band, sound, style or feeling gains too much exposure, it is suddenly looked upon with disdain. Hipsters cannot afford to maintain any cultural loyalties or affiliations for fear they will lose relevance.
If it’s mainstream, it sucks. But what happens when hipsterdom goes mainstream? Your mom might not be a hipster, but if you’re 15 to 40 it’s likely you or one or more of your friends are a hipster (there should be a 12 step program). Hell, everyone you hang out with might be a hipster.
Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with a herd mentality — it keeps you safe. But there are several annoying things about hipsterdom that really bother me. A list:
- Denying what you are: If somebody calls you a hipster and you angrily deny it; you’re probably a hipster.
- Following trends while pretending to be a trendsetter: Are you consistantly cool and fashionably dressed? Well, trendsetters take risks, make mistakes and often look goofy; it’s part of the deal. If you don’t take the risk of being uncool, you are not a trendsetter.
- High school is over: 15 year-old hipsters notwithstanding, the Coolness Hierachy of hipsterdom is basically High School 2.0 — enough already! I thought you were rebelling against status-obsessed drones who are now working their way up the real power hierarchy.
- Smoking cigarettes is not rebellion: You’re a good little Democrat-Hipster, aren’t you? Then why do you smoke cigarettes? Profits from tobacco fund the right-wing hate machine you claim to oppose. Smoking Parliaments does not make you cool. If you want to be (somewhat) rebellious, smoke weed.
- Claiming to be so open minded, yet only listening to hipster-appoved music: Indie rock is full of great tunes and good bands, but there are tons of bands out there playing excellent music who don’t get love from hipsters because they don’t have skinny jeans, ironic trucker hats or bed-hed haircuts.
- Atheism-chic: As any hipster knows, atheism is “in”. But haven’t you noticed that hardcore atheists are just as annoying as fundamentalist Christians? Most Christians, while misguided, are nice people who respect others’ beliefs. Atheists should remember to do the same.
- Conflicting values: You can’t be both an environmentalist and a shopaholic. You can’t jump into the indie side of consumer culture and think that insulates you from the repercussions of materialism and consumption culture. Not driving an SUV does not make you green. Your fancy, designer shoes were probably made by orphan children in the Phillipines and then shipped over here at great expense to the environment… but not your conscience apparently.
- Loyalty means nothing, only fashion: Hipsters will often hide their love of uncool things, or cloak their love in a vaccinating veil of irony. This only causes more self-loathing and hypocrisy. There’s a whole generation of hipsters out there who love — truly love — AC/DC but would never, ever admit it, except through irony.
- Conformity kills: Okay, so let me get this straight… you’re rebelling against the conformist mainstream in the same manner as everyone else — by joining a subgroup that is undeniably mainstream in your age group. Congrats on being both a hypocrite and a conformist in one fell swoop.
What it really boils down to is hypocrisy and herd mentality. I’m not saying I’m immune to either, but they both bug me and I’m committed to avoiding them wherever possible.
I understand the need to form subgroups. I do. It’s 21st century tribalism and it has its benefits. Countercultures shouldn’t be blamed for going mainstream if it’s a positive force in the world, but I’m afraid hipsterdom has become a regressive force that’s more based on exclusion, ego-driven hypocrisy and ironic apathy than any positive force. What part of hipsterism is positive? Will anyone stand up and defend hipsters… or even admit to being one?
Update: A good friend has challenged me to live in Bismarck, North Dakota with all the “mouth-breathers” with no taste in music. Point made; hipsters are good for something and probably better than many alternatives. Still, I’m sick of being one-upped by him regarding musicians he claims are mind-blowingly awesome and yet doesn’t have on his iPod because he doesn’t actually listen to them. I listen to bands/musicians that I like, not those who have the best technical ability or underground/hipster credibility.
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I recently went to the closing party of a bar I’ve been going to for about 7 years, since it opened infact. It’s a gay bar (I’m gay) and I know the staff and most of the clientel. The building was being condemned so it was the last night open. I went with my boyfriend expecting to see familiar faces and all the regulars. I walked in and was immediately greeted by a room full of hipsters who I have never seen before. Made my way to the front of the bar (the bar is a rectangle shape) and…nope, didn’t recognize one single person. Come to find out the bar was put on some sort of Indie dive crawl list with advertisements for cheap beer & liquor, since they had to get of stock. Got some beer and walked around attitude free looking for just one person I knew. No one stopped and talked to us and everyone seemed to know everyone. I was dressed preppy (as I have been for the last 15 years) and drinking Heineken. I wondered if this had something to do with it. Two hours go by, and I’ve yet to see any queers (or atleast any I knew) and then some tall hipster came in with his girlfriend wearing a “Not till <3 is =" which i thought was just a tad pretentious. I wouldn't go to a black club wearing a "Not until racism is gone!" shirt, but whatever. He walks past me and since it was a short sleeve shirt, I could see he had a LARGE equal signs on the back of his arm just above his elbow. Wow. I told my boyfriend how presumptuous that was, as I'm assuming he's not even gay. He accused me of being negative. Being a supporter and progressive is great, but is this what hipster is? Taking someone elses cause and running with it like it's your own? Because in 6 months when his girlfriend gets preggo and their families push for them to get married, you KNOW they will. So there goes that righteous indignation. Bottom line, I probably wouldn't have felt so out of place in my own bar if it were filled with any other subset of cultures. If a gang of black people, Indians, Asians, punks, preps, etc filled that bar that night, I think I would've had a better time. They weren't there for the memories…they were there for cheap drinks (half of them didn't drink at all anyway) and a place to meet up.
dude, calm it. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE.
I realize that you have worked hard to write a hate article, and you think you may be loved for it.
Maybe you think it’s okay to generalize by saying: “all hipsters are posers…and act in a blah blah…way just to fit in”. That’s not true. Some hipsters are actually proud of who they are and have no desire to fit in. Please do not generalize.
And the thing you bothered me most with your article is that christians are misguided and atheism is correct. Who are you to judge our Lord and Saviour?
I’m not trying to inflict hate on you, but seriously, try to be more open-minded.
Anonymous-
Try to be more open-minded about Atheism. Who are you to judge our Nothingness and Pointlessness?
Yeah… I dig this article… I trash “hipsters” on my FB and was actually trashing them today… agreed with everything you state in this…
Anonymous up above proves one thing, everyone asks what happens when hipsterdom becomes mainstreamed? Ever seen a university as of late? Well, they are a loud and growing, ignorant minority, the govt is backing them, though most critical thinkers (myself included) can’t stand them….. So now sense hipsterdom, though a brooding trend, is still highly unpopular to anyone whose not a SJW poser so-called “skeptic.” SO, they some of them are embracing hipsterdom now that it’s “uncool” to do so– even among other hipsters (at least, for now).
Nobody here is hating on atheism, we’re hating on hypocrisy.
I have friends that are hipsters and I cant help but to not respect them. They are constantly acting and trying to (passive aggresively) impress eachother and everyone else, all the time. They even change the way they talk to try go fit in with eachother. They pretend to know everything, and they will never say “ya know, I am just not sure on that, let me get back to you when I research it a bit”. Their opinions are so quickly made with little to no effort, true conviction, research, or experience, they truly are arrogant. They are all talk, and no action. They are do judgemental and intollorant to others as well. They are just immature hypocrites in truth.
Fergun than you are really a terrible friend, a friend is someone whose company you really enjoy and not just to make fun of someone and talk badly behind their back. You are a really bad friend and I just hope your friends will see in time just how bad a person you are.
In fact you are being terribly judgemental and intolerant of people.
No harm done in having an opinion but what your doing that right now aren’t you? have you ever actually even asked them why they do what they do.You are just branding someone without any fact so aren’t you being slightly hypocritical?
Isn’t talking about your friends like this just gossiping and in fact immature? You have a hell of a double standard.
Aren’t you just trying to fit in with this crowd?
That makes you desperate and slightly pathetic… i can’t believe sad little people that gossip about others exist like this sheesh have a little class honestly.
Hipsters serve a great purpose and that purpose is they have loose easy women who are easy to score with. It takes little investment to purchase some hipster clothes and a cheap burner phone and you’re set for some easy hipster cooter. I tell all of them that I am “fixed” too so there is no need for protection lol.
I am the Horny Hipster.
No poseurs allowed on my dick.