Article: Why do People Hate Hipsters

[Bruce Wayne]

Just The Facts
1.The term arose in the 40's to describe middle class whites acting like black musicians, now referred to as "nerdcore".
2.The hipster rebels against social norms by paying way more attention to them than anyone else.
3.Every aspect of hipster culture amounts to little more than a elaborate pissing contest.
4.They were, like, totally better before they went mainstream and sold out. I saw them with like 10 other people.
A Brief History of Smug
"Hipster" is another one of those subcultures that is hard to nail down. It can refer to any number of bands, people or situations. But just like emos have bitchiness and goths have acne scarring, hipsters can generally be identified by their completely unwarranted arrogance.

 

[Pompidou]

Drop "Trust Fund" and "Vintage Clothes", add their values to "High End Accessories" and "Mac Products" and you've got something close to me in a pie chart. I would've sworn regular café patronage would be part of the pie - otherwise, why bother having Mac products?

 

[Lillemor]

Thanks, I've just learnt something new. I've never heard of hipsters before.

The hipster rebels against social norms by paying way more attention to them than anyone else

This is the only thing I can for certain recognize to some degree in myself and I think it's a very good thing! I don't necessarily rebel but I certainly am consciously present in this world, which you would be surprised at how many people aren't, and I certainly am critical of my social experiences and question the sense in these.

 

[Tomasso]

Seen cropping up in NYC........

Signage:

Traps:

http://gothamist.com/2010/05/11/psa_dont_feed_the_hipsters.php

http://gothamist.com/2011/03/14/have_you_fallen_for_a_hipster_trap.php

 

[Pompidou]

A friend of mine posted that bottom hipster trap photo on Facebook today, and one of the replies was, "Beer, sunglasses and cigarettes? Looks like an anybody trap" to which another pointed out the specific brands involved and said, "Oh, they definitely have a specific target in mind, but you've gotta kill a few dolphins to catch a tuna."

 

[sheeplady]

There have been several articles and interesting pieces on issues related to boys not growing up to be men. In other words, there has been a disturbing trend in the US that some men at ever increasing ages are acting like boys.

Personally, I am bothered by this trend. I can see some correlates in people I observe around me: men with children who can't be bothered to provide, men who can't/ won't commit, men who can't support themselves, men who still live at home (not to take care of their parents or for financial reasons) because it is easier than having your own place. This is not to say that all men are like this (obviously they aren't) or that women are somehow superior, but I haven't noticed a similar trend (or read anything like this about) women.

I'm not saying this is related to hipsters (I don't think there are any around here- they probably like greener pastures than my city), but as I read through this tread some were speaking of people not growing up and it reminded me of this.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Where did the hipster fascination with Pabst Blue Ribbon come from? That was my high school beer, I didn't even drink that after Freshman year in college. It was rumored that the water intake for the PBR plant was downstream from Peoria Illinois sewage disposal plant...

Later

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's more of that insufferable "hipster irony." The idea is to mock working-class culture by partaking of it in an ostentatiously self-aware manner.

Around here the PBR fad peaked about three years ago, and they've moved on now to Narragansett.

 

[Tiller]

If I may be so bold, the vintage and hipster subcultures are anything but kindred spirits.

On this very board there are many members that I respect, but have nothing in common with outside of clothing interest. Many people here are philosophically/politically on the exact opposite side of me when it comes to many issues. What connects us is not belief, but the simple fact that we enjoy similar styles. One doesn't have to follow a mission statement to be considered "vintage", you simply have to enjoy the style.

If I understand what a modern hipster is correctly, one must first agree to certain principles and knee jerk reactions in order to truly be considered a "hipster". Unlike the vintage community which is simply held together by interest in a certain clothing style, hipsterdom is held together by a manifesto of annoyances.

I wear a fedora because I enjoy it, and I find them practical in many ways. I also respect the skills and talents it takes to build a proper fedora, and the generation that is most famous for wearing them. On the other hand a hipster would seem to choose to wear say a stingy straw fedora, in order to make a statement against a western culture that hasn't truly existed in any meaningful way since the late 50's. The very underlying reason a proper hipster wears said hat is based solely on the "ironic" statement it makes.

"I drink PBR, because the people who were once known for drinking it are the antithesis of what it is to be a hipster, therefor if we drink it we are proving how ironic and brilliant we are. After all it's so lame that only someone as amazing as we are could make it look so cool." If I'm not mistake this is the general esprit de corps of the hipster subculture. Hats are stupid, unless we are wearing them to show just how stupid they are. PBR is a horrible beer unless we are drinking it, showing just how horrible it is. Boy the people who actually enjoy/enjoyed such things are stupid, and in no way compare to out brilliance!

Irony, combined with teen angst, an over inflated ego, and of course a feeling on entitlement that rivals a crown prince, seems to be the ideals that the hipster subculture wants to project.

So why again should hipsters be defended, beyond the general line of "they have a right to be that way"? Holden Caulfield wasn't a brilliant philosopher despite what he may have thought in that famous banned booked, the modern hipster isn't brilliant either no matter how much they believe they are better then the "phonies" of the world.

 

[Undertow]

If I may be so bold, the vintage and hipster subcultures are anything but kindred spirits...

I think that was all well stated, Tiller. Good observations!

 

[Tiller]

http://gothamist.com/2011/03/14/have_you_fallen_for_a_hipster_trap.php

TrustoCorp is a New York based artist (or artists) dedicated to highlighting the hypocrisy and hilarity of human behavior through sarcasm and satire.

Another "ironic" artist. How dull.

Also thank you for the kind words Undertow.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The thing about all this "ironic art" and "ironic humor" is that there isn't the slightest thing new or hip or "edgy" about it. Duchamp signed a urinal and called it art seventy years before these kids were even born. And as far as Ironic Comedy is concerned, it was the hot new thing in vaudeville in 1915. Fred Allen used to sit on the stage apron and get huge laughs reading his reviews to the audience.

It's all been done before. And it's been done better.

 

[Pompidou]

You're right in that the genre is anything but new. I hope none of said comedians claim to be innovative. I think society changes enough to leave a permanent market for ironic social satire. It's as old as humanity. The oldest name I can put down at the moment is probably Aristophanes, and that's from around 400BC or so. So, it's fair to argue there's nothing new in comedy, nothing new except the source material. As far as edgy goes, I think that can only be judged by the audience, and it's fair to say most aren't as well read as yourself, so I imagine it's pretty edgy to most everyone else who encounters it. Is that a good thing? Probably not. It'd be great if the arts continually built upon one another, but in reality, at least to me, they seem to have remained static.

Going back a page to answer Tiller's question as to why hipsters should be defended. They shouldn't. I can't think of any subculture that specifically warrants defending for any reason other than yours that, "they have the right to be that way". The real question is, why should they have to be defended? Live and let live, I say. In order for a person to defend hipsters, someone else has to offend hipsters, and is it really worth it? It takes equal energy to offend and defend, I imagine, but where the latter can be excused as just doing the right thing, the former can't. Barring the truly vile groups of the world that need no specific mention, I try to avoid any sort of looking down.

 

[Gene]

It's all been done before. And it's been done better.

So it could be stated the fact that since hipsters think they are the first group to be ironic, is, in itself, ironic. Therefore, hipsters being ironic is irony defined.

This makes my head hurt...

 

[Tiller]

The real question is, why should they have to be defended? Live and let live, I say. In order for a person to defend hipsters, someone else has to offend hipsters, and is it really worth it?

Hipsters usually get offended when someone responds to their antics. They are like the proverbial six year old who moves his finger closer and closer to his sibling yelling "I'm not touching you!", and then starts crying when the sibling punches them in the face, usually screaming "They hit me, and I didn't do anything to them!!"

Not surprisingly their "brilliant", "ironic" actions, and statements have annoyed some people. When anyone responds to them they become shocked that a philistine is challenging their brilliant statements about the modern world. When this happens enough times to enough people the entire subculture starts being viewed negatively (fairly or not). It has less to do with live and let live, and more of a question of turn the other cheek when someone is trying to insult you. I understand that many people are good Christians and all, but some of us have a harder time holding back our tongues and fist then others. If you slap me and I slap you back, forgive me if I don't feel bad when you start crying that I hit you harder. Which seems to be what has happened to the Hipsters (and could by why their are fewer and fewer adopting the title).

The same thing happened to the hippies who came before this new brand of Hipsters (and after the old Hipsters were aged of corse). Even some people who may have agreed with the philosophical/political undertones of hippiedom, got tired of their antics. You even hear the occasional "get a job" response that both subcultures seem to have heard over the years .

The negative view of Hipsters didn't suddenly arise from the swamp of pop culture like the fictional Nessie. It's something that has built up over time, many problems that the Hipsters have when regards to how others view them have been self inflicted.

A dissenting minority feels free only when it can impose its will on the majority: what it abominates most is the dissent of the majority.
Eric Hoffer

Now I personally wouldn't put a sign up that says "No hipsters allowed on this property". At the same time though I don't feel the need to defend them say if someone was complaining about a bad encounter they had with one.

Now so there is no confusion I'll say I know there are people who dress hipsterish (I guess that's a word kinda.... well it is now anyways [huh]), but who aren't Hipsters since they don't sign onto the mission statement. I'm not talking about them.

 

[MikeBravo]

I suppose the definition of "edgy" can change over time. Lenny Bruce was arrested in Australia for saying "What a F_king wonderful audience" in 1962. He was also procsecuted a number of times in the US for obscenity. These days nobody laughs unless it "F_k this" and "F_k that".

A few years ago there was the "Raw Comedy Festival" here in Australia, which was also televised. All the comedians had the word "F_k " or a variation thereof as the main component in their routines and the audience was in gales of laughter ... hilarious!

Then this girl (she was from Alaska I recall, thought I don't remember her name) came on and started her routine, and she was as funny as any other performers on the night, but nobody was laughing, everything was silent. About half way through her act, I realised what the problem was and I think she worked it out at the same time. So she starts with the "F_k this, F_k that"; suddenly she's the funniest thing on the planet! The audience is in stitches, even though her jokes hadn't changed. The only change was the use of the word "F_k " (have I said it enough?)

Then I realised that that word is the "laugh track" for a live audience. On television, you get the canned laughter telling us when to laugh, on stage it's the "f" word that tells us when to laugh. Sad

PS the web site edited my posting, but you know what I mean

 

[Son_of_Atropos]

Hipsters usually get offended when someone responds to their antics. They are like the proverbial six year old who moves his finger closer and closer to his sibling yelling "I'm not touching you!", and then starts crying when the sibling punches them in the face, usually screaming "They hit me, and I didn't do anything to them!!"

Not surprisingly their "brilliant", "ironic" actions, and statements have annoyed some people. When anyone responds to them they become shocked that a philistine is challenging their brilliant statements about the modern world. When this happens enough times to enough people the entire subculture starts being viewed negatively (fairly or not). It has less to do with live and let live, and more of a question of turn the other cheek when someone is trying to insult you. I understand that many people are good Christians and all, but some of us have a harder time holding back our tongues and fist then others. If you slap me and I slap you back, forgive me if I don't feel bad when you start crying that I hit you harder. Which seems to be what has happened to the Hipsters (and could by why their are fewer and fewer adopting the title).

The same thing happened to the hippies who came before this new brand of Hipsters (and after the old Hipsters were aged of corse). Even some people who may have agreed with the philosophical/political undertones of hippiedom, got tired of their antics. You even hear the occasional "get a job" response that both subcultures seem to have heard over the years .

The negative view of Hipsters didn't suddenly arise from the swamp of pop culture like the fictional Nessie. It's something that has built up over time, many problems that the Hipsters have when regards to how others view them have been self inflicted.



Now I personally wouldn't put a sign up that says "No hipsters allowed on this property". At the same time though I don't feel the need to defend them say if someone was complaining about a bad encounter they had with one.

Now so there is no confusion I'll say I know there are people who dress hipsterish (I guess that's a word kinda.... well it is now anyways [huh]), but who aren't Hipsters since they don't sign onto the mission statement. I'm not talking about them.

Bravo.

 

[Zombie_61]

Is that what they're called, "Hipsters"? I thought they were just a bunch of snotty kids with the erroneous belief they were somehow superior to everyone else who dress in clothes they found in the dumpster behind the local Salvation Army. [huh] I mean, I'm not the most sartorial guy out there, but damn.

Seriously, I don't really have an opinion one way or the other because, as far as I know, I don't know any hipsters.

 

[Tiller]

Seriously, I don't really have an opinion one way or the other because, as far as I know, I don't know any hipsters.

The only reason I've known any is because I used to work in the Adirondack Mountains during the summer, which seems to attract their kind during the summer (never any other time of the year from what I heard). They would show up acting like a group of snotty punks, thinking that they were better then everyone around them, well at the same time they were proving how "cultured" they where by staying at a place with lots of trees. Cause they "get it" and society doesn't man!

"Because like we need to like respect mother Earth, cause like if we don't like who will? Cause, like this whole area is like totally how society should be you know? Cause, like we have totally forgotten what it's like to be like one with mother Earth! This whole society is like so messed up man! *Starts drinking soft drink from his novelty cup with the long twirly straw* Like society is so wasteful, like no one knows how to do anything brilliant! People are so stupid! *Takes a bite of their hamburger that's in their other hand.*

It's like so horrible how stupid people can be! The only thing that sucks about this place is all the rednecks here. Stupid people driving around in pick up trucks! Like hello! Mother Earth is dying! *Throws hamburger wrapper towards trash bin, completely missing the bin, but none the less not bothering to pick up the damn wrapper and put it the trash can.*

People are so wasteful, idk how our culture became so stupid. *Continues sucking up soft drink out of twisty straw.* All people care about is material things, not things that really matter like the planet! *Checks 300 dollar wrist watch that Dad gave him for his birthday.* Well, man I got to go meet my girl on the bike path in ten cause like we are going to try to become one with nature! If only more people did this the world would be a better place!"

Of course they don't tend to realize that all the bike paths, and little scenic benches and standing platforms were built by people, and have about as much to do with living in the woods, as Disney Land's Main Street, U.S.A has to do with living in a small town.

But I digress.

 

[sheeplady]

The only reason I've known any is because I used to work in the Adirondack Mountains during the summer, which seems to attract their kind during the summer (never any other time of the year from what I heard).

I grew up in the Adirondacks. Suddenly I think I might have met some of these people, but that describes a lot of "city" tourists up there- particularly the statements about the rednecks. (You have to understand that although we needed the tourists to survive, they weren't "us" but "other." We were the "rednecks" to them, they were the "tourists" to us. They weren't all bad, but one or two bad ones you met a day made you stereotype.)

These are the type of people that you knew would be dead within 48 hours of the ice storm we survived in '98 (some of us didn't have electric for two months and some had their roads blocked for that time too).
Either that or they would have died when they found out that the local McDonalds is only open three months a year. ("What? Your town is so ghetto your Mickey D's closes 9 months of the year?")