What is a hipster?

[Dida]

I heard the word "hipster" thrown around a lot, usually in a derogatory way. So what does it mean and what are some of the defining characteristics of hipsterism? I would guess that they probably frequent coffee shops, bookstores and buy groceries from Whole Foods?

 

[Joecoolyo]

Pabst and irony.

 

[Tahuti]

Nevermind.

 

[sophie]

Come to UCSC and you'll understand. They are everywhere.

Basically hipsters are people whose defining characteristic is being unique. Their common stereotypical phrase is "I liked x before they were y" (the y generally being "cool" or "popular") This often also applies to clothing, where they strive to be bizarre or "ironic". Generally they wear extremely tight pants and some kind of ironic t-shirt (something extremely retro, things like that). They often sport some variation of eccentric facial hair, such as curled mustaches, handlebar mustaches, things like that. They best way to identify if someone is a hipster is to ask them if they are one; if they fervently deny it, they are surely a hipster.

 

[CivCube]

Intentionally quirky.

 

[Antilogic]

Not just intentionally quirky, but intentionally and vocally non-conformist combined with a penchant for utterly obscure and "authentic" stuff. Another common element is probably a love of indie music/movies, and free trade merchandise.

 

[gangleri2001]

Hipster is a term of the 1940's slang that later evolved into hippy but that has been recicled because everyone has forgotten its original meaning and the fact that the famous term hippy is nothing but a shortening of hipster (a rather ******** shortening by the way because both have the exact same amount of syllabes). It's just that after the metrosexual fad vanished the fashion & trends gurus didn't know how to call new fads, so they began to use terms long fallen into oblivion. First it was emo, now it's hipster's turn and tomorrow it may be minuteman, who knows?

 

[Antilogic]

Emo suggests a more depressed mood, which I don't necessarily associate with hipsters.

 

[gangleri2001]

Emo suggests a more depressed mood, which I don't necessarily associate with hipsters.

I was using emo as an example of another term that fell into oblivion and that has been rescued in order to call a new trend fad.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Consumers who trend towards items, taste, and opinions that create a thin self-deception that they are in the creative class and not actually the filthy consumers they are.

So in a way, they're the cultural world's equivalent to the Internet libertarian. Vocal with their opinions-when no one cares, while slowly going insane little by little, step by step, in the endless waltz that their self-perception of themselves as "producers" and the reality of their uselessness are forever entangled in.

 

[Disgustipated]

It's funny because in their attempt at non-conformity they are becoming more conformist. The more they try to be different, the more lame they are. I actually think many are liking stuff that no one could possibly like in an attempt to be cool. I don't think they actually like some of the things they claim to like. Some of these indie bands are so horrible, no one could possibly actually like them. They only claim to like them in order to be cool.

 

[Save_Ferris]

Hipsters are like porn- You can't define one, but you know one when you see one.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

A -supposedly heterosexual- male who wears a scarf when it isn't winter.

 

[Skwink]

These people are all Hipsters. The best way to spot a hipster is a pair of large framed glasses.

 

[mechaerik]

I hated hipsters before it was cool.

 

[Quackers]

Hipster! *points @ mech*

 

[Tahuti]

These people are all Hipsters. The best way to spot a hipster is a pair of large framed glasses.

Honestly, the woman on the right looks kinda cool.

 

[Silurian]

Jeepster’s are better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5m8w2VK79k

But you have to be careful driving on the A3.

 

[chegel]

He did not even wear a scarf before it was not cool.

 

[Kennigit]

I'm curious as to how to exactly define a female hipster? The only real thing I can tell for a female hipster is the distinguishable red lipstick or dressing exactly like zooey deschanel (who also has the lipstick). Otherwise a girl can be classified as some other category.

And obligatory empty frame large glasses, but that's becoming a bit too mainstream nowadays I feel. And that's also gigantic with the asian community recently, and surely very few of them are "hipsters" (especially the studious asian teens as opposed to the skinny jean cigarette smoking asians).

post contains massive stereotypes, but I'm all for talking stereotypes.