Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization

[j]

Originally Posted by adamsnez

lol@the overly uneeded hatred. like that one guy said in the article, the people bitching are the fat nerds not getting laid themselves. srsly, quit bitching and thinking you're better
Hipster

 

[lifersfc]

Originally Posted by j

Hipster
Hipster

 

[LabelKing]

Mister.

 

[Willsw]

Mister Hipster.

I have wide hips, so am I?

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Nice find. The many comments, here and on Adbusters, seem to be missing a theme to which the author only briefly refers. Hipster as deliberately unattractive. Unlike punk, where that originally was a deliberate expression of emotional damage, among hipsters it seems to have been started by a not-so-attractive base that resents attractiveness and likes to pretend to be above judging people for looking unattractive (and to be in solidarity with the disadvantaged, maybe because being homely lends itself to feeling disadvantaged). Ironically, as depicted by a commercial (for Red Bull?) with a focus on hipster-like individuals hooking up and a cruel reference to "cankles," the hipster lifestyle is at least to a moderate extent about using superficial aspects (appearance, shallow intellectualism) to snag mates. And, as the commercial suggests, not very effective, partly due to lack of physical attraction.

 

[Yardsale]

Ironically, the author is probably yuppie scum poppinng his collar as we speak, one window constantly checking his article on digg to see how many diggs its gotten and grinning like a smug idiot the whole time, and the other window ordering boat shoes.

 

[lifersfc]

Who cares about hipsters. Just let them do their own thing.

 

[v0rtex]

Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant

Nice find. The many comments, here and on Adbusters, seem to be missing a theme to which the author only briefly refers. Hipster as deliberately unattractive. Unlike punk...

All subcultures are in some way like this - they're a rejection of "mainstream" social values.

As the impressively attractive, wealthy or well connected tend to do quite nicely out of mainstream values, it stands to reason that all subcultures will attract poorer, uglier, less powerful members of society who will create social hierarchies based around other values (who's got the biggest mohawk or most ironic 80s sneakers...)

So I agree with you in that regard, but I don't think it's limited to hipster culture.

 

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

I guess I have to sell my fixed gear!

 

[indesertum]

it's illegal in most states not to have brakes on your bike.

 

[indesertum]

wait, if i wear raw jeans, uniqlo/aa shirts, am into photography, am saving for a pair of n(n) 泰八郎, and ride a fixed gear bike am I hipster?

 

[Rock]

I read this article a few days ago and was also surprised by the hypocrisy in Adbusters. Dead end of Western Civilization? Really? It's just a subculture.

There is a surprising amount of hate for hipsters here considering the overlaps between SF and hipsterdom are many. Slim jeans, western shirts, flannel, fitted clothes, acetate frames, etc all get their fair share of love in SW&D (even moreso on SUFU). Out here in the midwest I think a lot of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the hipster and a somewhat fashion-conscious guy. Where guido or Aberpreppy is considered "normal," everything else is viewed as somehow "underground" or "weird." That may be their ignorance at parsing subculture (or even just culture), but still.

I kind of disagree with so-called indie rock music being labelled "hipster"-- as far as I can tell, it is just the only respectable rock music being made right now. Unless you are a big Daughtry fan.

The only thing I knew about hipster "philosophy" was that they tend to try for irony and obscurity. Seems like an initial attempt at postmodernism that becomes increasingly derivative with each Polaroid-ed iteration. I'd never heard of the drunk party aspect of the culture.

Still, I don't think I've ever been to a "hipster bar" to see this phenomenon in full force. I'd be interested to see some of the dedicated lifestyle hipsters who dominate the gentrified neighborhoods in big cities.

 

[LabelKing]

I don't trust eyeframes that aren't acetate--I make exception for tortoiseshell and solid gold, but the latter is usually of a tacky nature.

I think that among the subcultures, the hipsters have the most acceptable tastes.

I mean, would you trust the taste of someone who looked like this?

 

[Nico Samuel Pleninsek]

Originally Posted by indesertum

it's illegal in most states not to have brakes on your bike.

Do you never tilt onto the illegal side of life? Never took a drink before age 21?

I really don't understand some of the criticisms in this topic here. What is wrong with seeking obscurity? Do we on here not do that? If you ask me the whole idea of even caring about clothes seems a bit hipster-esque.

To be honest the whole hipster thing has so many parellels to prior subcultures like skinheads, mods, punks; it is the same damn thing packaged in a different time period. And yet this article paints the picture that this hipster movement's only concern is vain aesthetic; is this not the same as the former ones?

Why is there this angst against fixed gear bikes? Who gives a ****; personally I respect those who "adopted the fixed-gear bike as the only acceptable form of transportation" because it is a ******* workout. Yes I have one, but usually I just use my roadbike. Is it so "hip" to give a damn about the environment that one should not out of fear of being called a hipster?

Am I a hipster for doing black room photography? Am I just a fagot trying to play the irony card, should I catch up with technology and go digital? I guess everyone on here who loves nice leather shoes should emerge into the 21st century and by a comfort shoe.

"the youth of the West are left with consuming cool rather that creating it" --sounds like styleforum, but wouldn't it almost be hipster-esque to make your own clothes? I mean a sweatshop kid can make that **** for cheap. Anyhow I know some "hipsters" who are damn good artists.

 

[Rock]

I'm all about obscurity and acetate frames too, that's kind of what I'm saying. I'm not even close to hipster, but SF users have some serious similarities in general.

Originally Posted by Nico Samuel Pleninsek

"the youth of the West are left with consuming cool rather that creating it" --sounds like styleforum, but wouldn't it almost be hipster-esque to make your own clothes? I mean a sweatshop kid can make that **** for cheap.

Yeah, this seemed funny to me coming from Adbusters, as I know many hipsters who pretty much shop second hand/thrift for everything they can. And Adbusters is all about upending or challenging conceptions of "sexy" in ads, which is sort of what hipsters do in their goofy way. The article did have a weird anti postmodern vibe... a lot of "creating cool" comes from rehashing/collaging/pastiching existing ideas in new ways. I guess the article is more about a small group of tragically hip trendwhores who pretend they are apathetic.