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I'm still trying to figure out what this generation is doing that is original or good. In past decades we've had indie, punk rock, new wave, hippies, etc. All which did something original and had influence. This new generation just seems to rip off everything and is not very creative at all.
I keep seeing this term thrown around in a lot of the city threads, I.e. "oh the hipsters are moving in and ruining everything, yech." And yet the descriptions of what the "hipsters" are doing always sounds kind of cool to me: renovating old houses, doing various kinds of art, encouraging local businesses rather than chain stores, etc.
Does this mean I am a hipster? There is nothing hip about me that I have noticed. What exactly is a hipster, and why are they talked about as though they are some kind of plague? What is bad about them?
I am genuinely curious because as many times as I have heard this term I have still not been able to figure out exactly what kind of person it is describing, and if I in fact am a hipster and just didnt know it, and if I am, if I should seek a 12 step group or something to cure myself of it.
The reason people on CD say that the hipsters are "ruining everything" is because hipsters tend to be rich or at least from middle-class white families and they move into poorer city neighborhoods and cause gentrification. Understandably, this could cause people to get angry because hipsters moving into city neighborhoods that were for poor people causes the rents to rise as landlords know they can get away with charging higher rents on these richer hipster kids. Many poorer family neighborhoods in cities like New York and Chicago where the immigrant families living there for generations get displaced by higher rents when the hipsters move in.
I personally am dismayed when old established immigrant neighborhoods in big cities that have been there for generations are replaced by hipsters who all have a similar culture. Thus cities are becoming more homogenized rather than a cultural rainbow they used to be.
Basically, my definition of "hipster" is usually a white young person from 21-22 to 30s that comes from suburbia as a middle class or rich person who likes to dress up in flannel and have these big rimmed glasses on. They like to listen to music that no one else likes, like to wear fedoras and brogue boots or shoes (for women) and tight jeans and often times like to hang out at cafes and love Apple products. Hipsters also many times can be artists, models, actors and movie stars, musicians and other people of the creative arts so many you may see in big cities like NYC are actually celebrities or getting there in their own right. That is a very loose definition. If you want to *not* be a hipster, dress up like you're straight from the suburb. Live in a city while wearing baggy jeans and a big T-shirt and sports shoes. The hipsters may look at you very funny as to why you look so out of place as your not "hip" enough but then you wouldn't be a hipster! I know my brother *made* me not wear suburban clothes otherwise he said I'd look so out of place when I walked throughout my trip in NYC as there are tons of hipsters there.
Last edited by JKFire108; 01-07-2012 at 10:37 PM..
The reason people on CD say that the hipsters are "ruining everything" is because hipsters tend to be rich or at least from middle-class white families and they move into poorer city neighborhoods and cause gentrification. Understandably, this could cause people to get angry because hipsters moving into city neighborhoods that were for poor people causes the rents to rise as landlords know they can get away with charging higher rents on these richer hipster kids. Many poorer family neighborhoods in cities like New York and Chicago where the immigrant families living there for generations get displaced by higher rents when the hipsters move in.
I personally am dismayed when old established immigrant neighborhoods in big cities that have been there for generations are replaced by hipsters who all have a similar culture. Thus cities are becoming more homogenized rather than a cultural rainbow they used to be.
Well, it is what it is. People will go after whatever is cheap. It is also legal to buy and rent wherever you want. Gentrification is inevitable in many places. People will try and save money. This mean hipsters will do the same.
It's a new name for the same pretentious youth that consider themselves more progressive, intellectual and forward thinking than the average person that has been around forever - in the end they are pretty much only concerned about their image. Speaking strictly about style of dress it's not even really a sub-culture. At least not here, it's just the thing that's in fashion for young adults. And honestly, if the hipsters in Philly have accomplished nothing else, they've assisted with gentrification for outlying neighborhoods - and honestly, that's been a great thing for Philly. This look is trendy, and with that you get people who expend all their energy attempting to look cool which is..lame.
I think my style is a little "indie" or hipster, I have a nose ring because I think it compliments my facial structure, (I hate wearing glasses, am bad at online social networking and being anything other than a social awkward goofball and am just not cool, if that counts), and Free People is my personal shrangri-la. If people are dismissing me or judging me for that then it's no skin off my back haha.
Anyone who is in their 20's or 30's in Philly, at least, that is particularly concerned about being different and original should probably find a different style-niche, though, most people dress like that here, lol.
The reason people on CD say that the hipsters are "ruining everything" is because hipsters tend to be rich or at least from middle-class white families and they move into poorer city neighborhoods and cause gentrification. Understandably, this could cause people to get angry because hipsters moving into city neighborhoods that were for poor people causes the rents to rise as landlords know they can get away with charging higher rents on these richer hipster kids. Many poorer family neighborhoods in cities like New York and Chicago where the immigrant families living there for generations get displaced by higher rents when the hipsters move in.
I personally am dismayed when old established immigrant neighborhoods in big cities that have been there for generations are replaced by hipsters who all have a similar culture. Thus cities are becoming more homogenized rather than a cultural rainbow they used to be.
Basically, my definition of "hipster" is usually a white young person from 21-22 to 30s that comes from suburbia as a middle class or rich person who likes to dress up in flannel and have these big rimmed glasses on. They like to listen to music that no one else likes, like to wear fedoras and brogue boots or shoes (for women) and tight jeans and often times like to hang out at cafes and love Apple products. Hipsters also many times can be artists, models, actors and movie stars, musicians and other people of the creative arts so many you may see in big cities like NYC are actually celebrities or getting there in their own right. That is a very loose definition. If you want to *not* be a hipster, dress up like you're straight from the suburb. Live in a city while wearing baggy jeans and a big T-shirt and sports shoes. The hipsters may look at you very funny as to why you look so out of place as your not "hip" enough but then you wouldn't be a hipster! I know my brother *made* me not wear suburban clothes otherwise he said I'd look so out of place when I walked throughout my trip in NYC as there are tons of hipsters there.
That's a really silly reason to dismiss the undeniable merit of a blighted neighborhood getting new businesses, revenue, and seeing higher real estate prices - - people seem to forget that crime goes down significantly and areas become more stable and safer. This might not always be true for blue-collar neighborhoods are are not as "trendy" as others originally - but in Philly, hipster infiltration almost always means the area gets safer to live in and rents still stay cheaper than Center City, which makes it possible for people like me to remain in a city they would otherwise not be able to afford without worrying about being a crime victim every single day. Gentrification would exist with or without hipsters - and yes, it has it's cons. There comes a point where gentrification becomes sterilization and the neighborhood really loses it's original character and soul - everything becomes commercialized, and people who really contribute to their local communities via art and music(so, so much more important than the odd person who is selling paintings for tens of thousands of dollars or a multi-platinum band)
This has actually been a really enlightening thread, and I appreciate all the really thoughtful responses. I think I actually understand now, and this whole topic used to completely baffle me. It seems to be a much more complex issue than I thought, and I kind of get both sides of it now. I am not sure yet which side I fall on re: gentrification, but this is definitely food for thought.
I'm still trying to figure out what this generation is doing that is original or good. In past decades we've had indie, punk rock, new wave, hippies, etc. All which did something original and had influence. This new generation just seems to rip off everything and is not very creative at all.
Any "innovation" can be traced back to older roots that those people were ripping off. I'm not enough of a cultural expert to give specific examples for each genre of music and art, but find an expert and they will tell you! There is nothing new under the sun and never has been!
I'm more of the clown variety or at least that's what I gather from all the snickers and goofy looks, I receive, when out and about in the public domain.
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