Really Obscure Blog Post

The word “hipster” has always reflected a rejection of mainstream society. In the 40s, hipsters were youths who followed the hot jazz and swing movement. They used slang, sarcasm and experimented with drugs. Their attitude and sexual practices were considerably relaxed. They were the first “alternative” movement, primarily characterized by a movement of white middle class youths attempting to adopt the “hip” Negro culture.

Today, Urban Dictionary defines hipsters a little differently.

“Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence and witty banter.”

Though it is technically a state of mind, hipsters are also recognizable by their fashion: shaggy haircuts, tight fitting jeans and wide rimmed glasses with no frames. They believe in counter-culture, progressive politics and independent thinking. They strive to be “effortlessly cool” and early adopters, always staying one step ahead of popular culture.

Thank you Urban Dictionary, but that was a very long and fancy way of saying something that is much simpler: hipsters are people who do not like something purely because everybody else likes it. Anything that is socially acceptable is toxic to a true hipster. They thrive on their superior knowledge of the way the world works and enjoy putting people down for not understanding.

You know you are talking to a hipster when the conversation turns into something like this:

You: “Hm, this is a good song. Who sings it?” Hipster: “Oh, they’re pretty underground. You’ve probably never heard of them.”

Sound familiar? How about this one: “I only like their old stuff. They were better before they were famous.”

You can tell you’ve just had an encounter with a hipster if you are feeling a little frustrated and a lot stupider.

They consider themselves rejects of popular culture; hipsters are religious followers of their own alternative subculture, doing everything it tells them to. These are the hipsters who shop at American Apparel and make documentaries on their MacBooks. They wear wide rimmed glasses, plaid shirts and headbands across their forehead.

A true hipster (in theory) will follow no one when it comes to movies, music and fashion, even their fellow hipsters. They seek out their bands and movies before everyone else, and take pride in their “superior knowledge” of culture just because they have found some crummy band that nobody else likes.

If it sounds silly, it should.

You can argue that pop culture robs people of their individuality and ruins our society’s taste for art, but at the end of the day you cannot dispute what makes someone happy. A lot of people went to see “Avatar” because their friends told them to, but does that mean they enjoyed it any less?

Popular culture is a community, and a fun one to be a part of. We all enjoy discussing the movies, music and clothes we have in common with friends. If you do not, then you are most likely hanging out with others who enjoy belittling the interests of others.

Are people so insecure that they need to simultaneously put down what you like while explaining why what they like is better? Why can’t we simply enjoy what we enjoy without other people having an opinion?

It might be cool to think everything is lame, but if you open your mind you have access to an entire world of arts and entertainment, regardless of who likes what. Blindly following the crowd, any crowd, is what really kills individuality.

Hipsters conform to nonconformity. They contradict themselves just by existing. For people who are so obsessed with searching a greater meaning to life, they don’t seem to be doing a good job learning about who they really are.

In this way, “hipsterism” is merely a myth. It’s not so simple to simply classify someone as “hipster.” Like most behavioral conditions, hipster occurs on a broad spectrum, with many people landing in the middle.

A person who simply adorns hipster fashion may not be a hipster at all. Listening to indie music doesn’t make you a deviant. We all like what we like for our own reasons. There may just be a little hipster in all of us.

This may seem obvious, but when in doubt, be yourself. Listen to terrible music because it makes you feel good and wear ugly clothes because they are comfortable.

The hell with everyone else, what do you like?