Help me define the term hipster

[StriderShinryu]

Snippity

Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

I find it funny that one of the attributes always associated with hipsters is the pretentious elitist attitude.. and then the ones complaining about "them" generally come off as more elitist and pretentious than even the most textbook hipster.

Put simply, hipster is the new emo. It's a less than scientific group that people get lumped into because someone else wants to make themselves feel better by association and comparison. (Which, when you think about it, is almost the definition of "hipster" that the "anti-hipster" crowd themselves use)

 

[SturmDolch]

There are a couple at my University... They wear vintage clothing, strange colours, have weird hair, and big sunglasses/glasses. Some wear glasses without lenses. Like, they'll wear things just to look "unique".

I'm wondering if it's possible for anyone that isn't Caucasian to be a hipster? At my University, there is a very large Chinese population. Many of the ones that come over to study fit the description of hipster exactly. But they are usually just referred to as "mainlanders". Or what about people that just dress as hipsters but otherwise listen to pop music like everyone else? I've seen a couple of people like that...

I think as long as you're trying to be different because you want to be different and not because you like it, you're being a hipster.

 

[Nieroshai]

I'm one of the rare(READ: nigh-nonexistant) socially Conservative... sigh... hipsters. Everyone tells me I look and act the part and I can't prove them wrong, but I guess as they say saying you aren't one is the first step towards being one. But whatever. I guess the best way to define "the demographic" is taking an ironic sense of humor too far(growing facial hair BECAUSE you think it'll look stupid, lenseless specs, scarves in June), being "obsessed" with nonconformity, indie music, "a bit of pretentiousness" if what I hear is true(I don't believe this about myself but I didn't see the vegan spinach in my teeth this morning either), USUALLY socialist/progressive leanings(but not me, that's too conformist), etc. There's of course the belief that we're all living off of trust funds, but I call bull. The one about us being well-educated but hopeless artists is somewhhat true though(sadly). So yeah, that's about all I can dredge up.

 

[Altorin]

There are a couple at my University... They wear vintage clothing, strange colours, have weird hair, and big sunglasses/glasses. Some wear glasses without lenses. Like, they'll wear things just to look "unique".

I'm wondering if it's possible for anyone that isn't Caucasian to be a hipster? At my University, there is a very large Chinese population. Many of the ones that come over to study fit the description of hipster exactly. But they are usually just referred to as "mainlanders". Or what about people that just dress as hipsters but otherwise listen to pop music like everyone else? I've seen a couple of people like that...

I think as long as you're trying to be different because you want to be different and not because you like it, you're being a hipster.

"hipster" is a culturally revelant things. Different cultures would have their own stereotypes that we might consider "hipster", they might actually be of a higher social rank then we put hipsters, and that culture might have their own social rank that we attach to hipsters for a different stereotype we might think of as better.

I don't think race itself has an impact, it's more "culture", so if there's a subculture of chinese people in your town, they might have their own social castes. But a single chinese person who's raised in a largely white america culture wouldn't have any problem being a hipster.

 

[Altorin]

I'm one of the rare(READ: nigh-nonexistant) socially Conservative... sigh...

that's actually a pretty hipster thing to say now that I think about it

 

[Snake Plissken]

You're welcome

 

[Majora Major]

Encyclopedia Dramatica's article is 100% accurate.
Look them up there - I'd link but the escapist never wants to register the hyperlinks to them.

Ooh...it sure is. I'd link you to it, but I fear visiting ED again might put a trojan on my computer.

 

[Hashime]

My definition would include a wool cap at an inappropriate temperature, riding a poorly maintained "vintage" bike without a helmet, a scruffy beard, wearing large headphones in public, flannel and denim apparel, using an apple computer, spending large amounts if time at starbucks, horned rm glasses, etc.

 

[l3lazec]

The deffinitions of hipster seem to get broader and broader every fucking day, it's ridiculous. When people talk or accuse people of being hipsters oten the only tinkg they're reffering to is their appearence. Wearing hoodies makes you a hipster... thick rimmed glasses makes you a hipster... Converse shoes make you a hipster. Right, so by that logic my fucking dad is a hipster? And since when did it become so terrible to like indie or less well known music than chart music? I'm sorry I'd rather listen to Four Tet than rush off to buy Kesha's album.

When people talk about smug, affluent, upper middle class, ironic, judgemental hipster stereotypes, mow many of you have actually encountered any of those types of people? I haven't seen a social clique recieve this much hate and vitriol since emos.

Fact is, and I bet people will hate me for this, people hate hipsters because it's cool. Of course it fucking is. All publications hate hipsters periodically. Is there any basis for a level of hatred and distaste on this level? No. The afformentioned extreme stereotype probably doesn't even exist.

These days it just seems to be an irrational hatred of anyone young, fashionably concious, and remotely politically minded. I wont even mention indie music because anyone who has any taste in music listens to lesser known or indie artists.

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head here. Most hipster-bashing can be turned around on the person who's doing the bashing. It's just people looking for something to pick on to feel better about themselves.

 

[SirDeadly]

I believe a hipster is a brand of underwear which has a large elastic band which sits on the hip.

 

[mr_rubino]

I was a hipster when they were still underground. Now they're mainstream and totally not cool.

What an oddly post-modern thing to say.