Hipsters are People too

A lot of people make fun of “Hipsters” these days:

- I saw this youtube video parodying them called “Hipster Olympics”

- Not to mention the website “Look at this Fucking Hipster”

- There’s even a song out called “Fuck you Hipsters”

One could even say that there’s an “Anti-Hipster” movement on the rise. I recently read this blogpost and then this article about “Hipster discrimination” up in Portland, OR. And another one in New York.

Isn’t that a lot of negativity directed towards a certain group of people?

From what I’ve heard, it’s because “hipsters think they’re too cool for school,” or that “it’s what they get for dressing /acting like that.” And while I admit that some of them can be pretty weird to the point of obnoxious, we all need to remember: 

Hipsters are people too.

And just like people, some of them can be the jerky-jerks who deserve a good ass-stomping. But, also just like people, (you see where I’m going with this?) they can be really cool if you get to know them.

For one thing – hipsters are pretty well-educated / well-informed about certain subjects. If you actually take the time to listen to one of them, instead of dismissing it as “hipster devil-speak,” you might find that they’re pretty knowledgeable about this or that.

(Granted, you should take anything anyone says with a grain of salt until you can verify it yourself)

Also – hipsters are pretty thrifty and know a lot of ways to save money. Shopping at thrift stores? Buying / drinking “two-buck chuck”? Riding a bike or taking public transit instead of buying a car? All made popular / socially acceptable by hipsters. You should be thanking them.

And finally – hipsters can be pretty fun to hang out with. They’re usually very creative and witty (smart) and know a lot of fun things to do that don’t cost a lot of money. I think they’re (partially) responsible for the “Ugly sweater Christmas Party” I went to a couple years ago and the resurgence of the artwalks.

Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t hate that one jerk hipster who made fun of you for still owning CDs or the other one who thought you were a fascist for eating meat. Those people are judgmental and naturally inspire feelings of anger/disdain. But don’t use those people to signify the whole subculture of hipsters in general; underneath that flannel shirt and hidden behind those Buddy Holly glasses is a person like you who deserves to be treated with respect.

And if you don’t, then you’re a bigot – and I will no longer consort with the likes of you!

GOOD DAY!

My Theory on the L.A. Hate

So I think I’ve found one of the reasons why “people from L.A.” have such a bad reputation:

Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the U.S. As such, a lot of people who want to “make it” in the world eventually want to move here - the logic being that larger cities have more opportunities, ensuring its inhabitants a greater chance of success.

And while this is true of all major cities – such as New York, which some consider is ‘the greatest city on Earth’ –L.A. stands out from the rest of them in the way that, over the years, it’s become increasingly notorious for making people “famous” for no apparent reason.

Because of this phenomenon, Los Angeles has become known as this place that grants fame to people just for living here. And this “fast track to celebrity” (which we so often mistake for “success”) attracts a certain kind of people – the kind who want to be noticed.

Keep in mind that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to be noticed or appreciated. It’s a very human trait that’s inside all of us at some level. But some people want / need it more than others and those are the ones that flock to L.A. (specifically Hollywood)

But what these people fail to appreciate when they finally get here is that everyone else has the same goal. And it is incredibly difficult to achieve that goal in a city this large with that much competition against you.

For a person to truly stand out, they need to market themselves..… constantly….to a greater degree than everyone else….who are already doing the exact same thing.

And it’s this kind of 24/7 “mega-marketing” that has them practically shouting LOOK AT ME! all the time (to no one in particular) that creates the kind of self-absorption, elitism and conceitedness that everyone hates about this city.

But the only reason people think “everyone from L.A.” is like this is because that’s how well those people market themselves.

So….yeah. L.A. attracts a lot of obnoxious people that get a lot of attention. And I think that’s one of the reasons why people from here get such a bad reputation. Am I right / wrong?

What do you all think?