Rank the Austin metro areas in "weirdness"......give it a try! (Georgetown: fit in, home)

[artsyguy]

Austin is weird in a flippant and sarcastic way....never seen so much flippant attitudes and sarcasm in all my life.

[love roses]

I'll give you that, at least to a degree. I've been seeing that attitude a bit more lately.

[artsyguy]

I've never visited Hutto though.

I think sarcasm and a flippant attitude is just a way people relate to each other there, it's like an "in crowd" thing, rite of passage, or some secret code of acceptance like "you're one of us"....... it's not really a bad thing there.

Originally Posted by love roses

I'll give you that, at least to a degree. I've been seeing that attitude a bit more lately.

[capcat]

I agree with those who mention lower Burnet Rd. It's more about keeping Austin real than keeping Austin weird, imo. One thing about the trendier areas...anyplace where people dress up to go out and keep Austin weird just don't pass the test. Places where you fit right in wearing jeans and a t-shirt represent the laid back Austin style/Armadillo World Headquarters era best.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Think about old Austin weirdness is, when you think it's disappeared, what's happened is it's just moved somewhere you don't expect and sort of gone into hiding again from the anti-weirds. It takes time, and patience, and familiarity with what it is in the first place, and sometimes a promise not to reveal the secret, to find it.

Funny how people describe Austin "weirdness" as something ethereal and magical, almost as if it is conjuring itself of its own accord.......and maybe it indeed is....think of the root of "genius"....genie shares the same root...and what is creativity but something oozing out of a magic lamp of sorts, on its own time and dime....

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Austin is weird in a flippant and sarcastic way....never seen so much flippant attitudes and sarcasm in all my life.

That's "hip" as opposed to "creative" or 'Creatively Weird"...huge difference.......hip is how Austin changed.....before it became "tragically hip", it just WAS.......didn't have to prove anything to anyone, no top ten lists yet, etc....now, it has to perform like a show dog, dancing and prancing to the jerking leash of the new arrivals from California and other places who force fed the "LA Hip" monniker on Austin.......

Austin is just a performing act now.....

[artsyguy]

What does that have to do with my post?

I think it's "weird" that "sarcasm" and flippant conversations are the way a lot of people relate there. Are you saying that has to do with the city being really "hip" now?

Originally Posted by inthecut

That's "hip" as opposed to "creative" or 'Creatively Weird"...huge difference.......hip is how Austin changed.....before it became "tragically hip", it just WAS.......didn't have to prove anything to anyone, no top ten lists yet, etc....now, it has to perform like a show dog, dancing and prancing to the jerking leash of the new arrivals from California and other places who force fed the "LA Hip" monniker on Austin.......

Austin is just a performing act now.....

[inthecut]

I wouldn't consider it a continuation of your thought stream, as much as a thought I had after reading your post is all.....

Just think of this as jazz......I just played off the thought in my own way........who knows what EITHER of us is driving at........maybe it just sounds good....or we are trying to be "tragically hip" in our own way....

[ATX Homeboy]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Funny how people describe Austin "weirdness" as something ethereal and magical, almost as if it is conjuring itself of its own accord.......and maybe it indeed is....think of the root of "genius"....genie shares the same root...and what is creativity but something oozing out of a magic lamp of sorts, on its own time and dime....

You're right on.

The reality behind Austin Weirdness for me is just my memories of Austin and the way things used to be. Most of the weirdos tuned in, turned on, dropped out, moved on, or grew up and have families of their own now.

I don't think we can ever get back to where we were.

I also think that many people come here looking for this elusive weirdness as though they are going to find it under a rock, kinda like looking for gold at the end of the rainbow. Many people who post on here talk about moving/living in Austin but really don't. They end up living in RR, Georgetown, hill country, or some other place that's close to Austin so they can work. Then, they can visit Austin to point and laugh at the "neo-weirdos" instead of becoming one themselves. I think TexasLady indicated earlier that people in Austin were the party. Now, people come here to be entertained like its just a show that they watch instead of being an active participant in the great party of life.

On a side bar, I don't know anything about flippant attitudes either. I mean I've lived here my whole life. But, I do know about the sarcasm and yes, most of that is an inside joke/understanding between those of us who were raised here.

[artsyguy]

In every other town or city I've been too, sarcasm is usually seen as a sign of rudeness, disrespect, and lack of social graces.

Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy

On a side bar, I don't know anything about flippant attitudes either. I mean I've lived here my whole life. But, I do know about the sarcasm and yes, most of that is an inside joke/understanding between those of us who were raised here.