Wednesday 20 August 2008
Hipsters
A good piece in the latest Adbusters on 'hipsters' (which I confess I don't take ordinarily).
With nothing to defend, uphold or even embrace, the idea of "hipsterdom" is left wide open for attack. And yet, it is this ironic lack of authenticity that has allowed hipsterdom to grow into a global
phenomenon that is set to consume the very core of Western counterculture. Most critics make a point of attacking the hipster’s lack of individuality, but it is this stubborn obfuscation that distinguishes them from their predecessors, while allowing hipsterdom to easily blend in and mutate other social movements, sub-cultures and lifestyles.
It's a variation on the theme of the 'end of
Bohemia' but powerfully written and points to the tedium of apolitical contemporary culture – this goes beyond music and the counter-culture, but also, I think, infects literature (choose your own offender).
See Momus's response
and the masterful K – Punk's rejoinder.
Posted by Rowan Wilson
Tags: internet
PermalinkComments (3)Related PostsEmail to Friend