The Great Hipster Debate

This one has been a long time coming.

We need to have a talk:

The Hipster talk. If you are like me you may have been called a hipster (even by some of your closest friends… AHEM!!!! Jimmy)

Usually in my circle used with the connotation that you are very white… see “Stuff White People Like” for more details… you may be an avid recycler, have plastic glasses, bangs, hand made purses, vintage clothing, a moleskine journal in said purses, and have a career in architecture as well. (but not a requirement)

You may be called one because you think Rivers Cuomo is dreamy and you own a mac computer that you use whilst you study for your PhD, and bike around the San Diego Area with your old school vans. (But no one is pointing fingers)

You may be one because you talks about Gentrification and city planning, and live out in the Valley, drive a most rad van, mingle with hipsters on the daily, and wear cords, and old vans….

But what exactly is a hipster?

I like succinct definitions

I have “googled” this phenomena for a delightful wiki answer… yet still feel perplexed.

I have ascertained these notions and phenomena to be of the hipster variety:

1. The internet does not like them, i.e. Toothpaste for Dinner

2. Natalie Portman is like the queen of them

3. This website is awesome!

Because I do not like labels I suppose, so I would not immediately leap to the conclusion that I can be so tragically hip.

1. I think these outfits are cool:

2. I don’t enjoy coffee, i.e. starbucks, nor am I that fond of Mac which is trying to take over our lives like Michael Jordan and Hanes.

3.I don’t have sweepy teen bangs.

4. because if i’m a hipster Isabel is one too.

5. I like cheeseburgers

6. Because I’m a huge nerd.

I did find the sites of the books (The Hipster Handbook, A Field Guid to the Urban Hipster ) that started this whole fandango to find they have a quiz.

The quiz gave me this answer:

Elizabeth Street Shop Girls
Fashionistica Auteurux

Though indigenous to a relatively miniscule and esoteric habitat, Elizabeth Street Shop Girls are so highly regarded by certain Hipsterati that their pursuit is not only recommended, but may regard the seasoned observer with particularly satisfying results. [continued on page 131 of the book]

Which is what I assume the Eagle Rock area means to us on the west side of the nation.

______________________________

And on another note:

Isabel was not labeled in the process of the quiz!!!!

and she’s all about the

and the

and everyone including Clay Aiken knows it.

____________________________

Jimmy on the other hand has not taken the test:

But here’s his answer according to me taking the test like a Jimmy:

Straight Edge
Hipto Besquarum

The Straight Edge lifestyle is a rigorous one. These Hipsters have managed to reinterpret the very concept of Hipness in order to lend countercultural cachet to a lifestyle both utterly devoid of youthful trappings and identical to that preferred by Squares, Nerds, Mommy’s Boys, Bible Students, Goody Two-Shoeses, and Chickens. [continued on page 68 fo the book]
_____________________________

my conclusion:

I like Molly Ringwald. And other things that make me happy…. if it’s a phone, a shiny necklace, a book, or a post-it. So long as it’s not starbucks I won’t sweat it.

And I won’t brag about it… which is where this negative conotation comes from (Isabel and I know braggers, and if they are reading this they may already know that we think they’re lame)