According to Bjørn Schiermer (2014, pg. 169), the term hipster originated in late the 1940s, and “was a term for the decadent connoisseurism and over-refinement of late black jazz culture”. Schiermer also imparts, in an interview with Laurie Taylor, that the “hipster culture is no traditional subculture, it’s less uniform” (Taylor, 2014; Schiermer, 2014). Schiemer also voices the culture explores and appreciates what previous generations did not (Taylor, 2014; Schiermer, 2014). Urban Dictionary informs that, by a contributor by the alias of Trey Parasuco (2006), the modern hipster is defined as a subculture of men and women in their 20’s to 30’s who value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics. They also appreciate the art of indie-rock and exploit creativity, intelligence, and witty banter (Parasuco, 2006). Lauren Alfrey (2008) contributes to Parasuco’s (2006) definition, stating that hipsters are not identifiable in terms of race or class, but solely from their actions and personal tastes. Bjørn Schiermer (2014) humorously quotes multiple fictional “guides”, one authored by Robert Lanham, The Hipster Handbook, stating that “[T]he handbooks all agree on the following characteristics: Hipsters are young, white and middle class, typically between 20 and 35 years old”, and expresses that this is common misconception of hipsters, in fact, those who argue such claims are, most likely, themselves hipsters (Schiermer, 2014, pg. 170). This accusation leads to how hipsters achieve irony within their culture. Oh, The Irony Hipsterdom lacks authenticity, to glue that it needs to hold its sense individuality together, allowing the trend to spread internationally, and, therefore, blending in with multiple other subcultures and lifestyles, such as the terms “nerd” or “geek”, which are commonly associated with the hipster (Haddow, 2008). The label itself is even shunned by it’s own members, creating a rift between true hipsters and those who appear genuine, but in reality are masked behind an untruth by calling themselves the tem (Alfrey, 2010). Supporting Alfrey’s observation, Haddow (2008, par. 3-7) shares his experience at a hipster party: “‘So… this is a hipster party?’ [Haddow asks] the girl sitting next to [him]. She’s wearing big dangling earrings, an American Apparel V-neck tee, non-prescription eyeglasses and an inappropriately warm wool coat. ‘Yeah, just look around you, 99 percent of the people here are total hipsters!’ ‘Are you a hipster?’ ‘F[ornicate] …show more content…
49). Irony, once again, is shown through the train of thought of a hipster.
Are Hipsters “Preppy”?
The first known use of the word preppy was in 1967, and defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “someone who dresses or acts like a student at a prep school”, with neat clothes, while speaking formally and properly (Kantor 2011, pg. 30-31). Many use the terms preppy or hipster interchangeably, but, in fact, the hipster is often described as the opposite of their preppy counterparts. The consumption of preppy brands, such a Ralph Lauren and Lacoste, revolves around the idea of consumerism, which hipsters, referring back to Perry and Frank (2006; 1997), rebel against.
Conclusion
The hipster is a complex group that are defined as the following: young individuals that value objects of past generations, creativity, intellect, and witty banter; lack authenticity and blend in with the general population; and are ironic in their sense of style and tastes, as well as tending to reject their label as a hipster. With this in