A “Brief” Rant about Hipsters and Other Things
By The Very Unhip Meg Gusler
I love the Hipster Culture. There are a few people that I know that look at it with disdain. They scoff at the checkers and the plaid and the penchants to scarves and Indie music. They look down at the deep love Hipsters seem to have when it comes to their small coffee houses and their vegan dining options. Even their deep rooted love for everything that Urban Outfitters sells comes under scrutiny. Frankly though I would love nothing more than to be a Hipster kid.
Can you imagine it? Me sitting down to a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop with my Macintosh computer, square framed glasses, skinny jeans, plaid shirt just rumpled enough to make me look like I’ve been somewhere exciting the night before. What a life that would be. I would be typing away at my computer on my ironic blog about political knitting policies. Afterwards I would then put on my Aviator shades and walk down the street, gladiator shoes tapping along the side walk, Andrew Bird or Ben Folds blaring in my iPod, the classic white of course. And I’m studying something fascinating like Nonprofit Baby Saving in 3rd world countries with a minor in classical fiddle.
Now I know what you’re thinking, (at least those of you that I know well enough to be able to predict your opinions on my thought patterns), “Meg you do half of these things already!” And while yes indeed I do accomplish most of these same tasks in a normal day, no one considers me to be a Hipster. In fact I don’t know if I’ve ever been considered a major stereotype in my life, (other than nerd or freak these do not count because they are very vague and open to interpretation).
Take for instance my high school years; when I was a wee little freshman in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be a Goth. All that mattered to me was to own a pair of Tripp pants and to wear all black to school. I didn’t even want to dye my hair, all I wanted was a pair of Tripp pants. However, I was not allowed to own these pants. This is because they had chains and the chains were bondage paraphernalia. (I’m still not certain on this fact, but my mother still swears that the only reason girls wore those pants was to show the world how much rough and crazy sex they were having). And thus my dreams for being Goth were dashed because who could be Goth in early 2000 without the coveted Tripp pants.
But even if I had been able to acquire those coveted pants. I would never have been able to get more than one pair, so I would have one pair of Goth pants. Basic high school math proves that I would only be a Goth once a week. The other days of the week I would just be the strange unclassified person that I’ve always been. Really these pants would have never had any effect of my Gothitude. No matter what I would still be in the marching band, still be a silly optimistic little weirdo, and no one would ever take me seriously as a Goth.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I admire Hipsters and Goths alike, for being able to stick to one genre of clothing and lifestyle. Maybe the reason I want to be one of them so much is because I long to be a part of a culture like that. I would be a Hip Chick, sipping my latte and knitting a new scarf for my equally hip beau. Or maybe I’d be pale and Goth and dancing to trance music with my beau, who knows! The stereotypical possibilities are endless!
Alas and alack though because I am none of these. I’m Meg. I don’t think of myself in terms of a stereotype, but then does anyone? Do Goths look at themselves and say, “Yes, I am Goth.” Or does a Hipster glance at their reflection in Starbucks’ window and say ironically, “Look how hip you are!” Maybe it’s all my fault. Does the hero worship done by folks like me just lead to more stereotypes? I mentioned earlier that I was already a bit of a hipster. I guess one could also make a case for my Gothness. I’m pale, I love trance and screamo music, I really enjoy Nightmare Before Christmas and the color black. I even still LOVE to shop at Hot Topic, though less so since it’s been taken over by Twilight merchandise, (but that’s another rant for another day). Honestly I feel that we’re all quite diverse, even Hipsters carry some similar traits to Bros. I think we just settle in to the labels that are more obvious. Like I bet people in Collins just think of me as a knitter, or the Angry Guitar Chick, but they don’t know that I’m trained in both flute and tuba or that I’m a bit of a conservative politically. Look at yourself. Do people see just a weird Collins kid and assume you’re always high, or do they see the things you wish they saw, like your penchant for unicorns or your deep love of 1930’s musical theatre.
Maybe the point I was trying to make has gotten too deep. Really all I’m trying to say is how much I love the Hipster culture. Even though I’ll never be one anymore than I was ever a Goth, I still love it. And from time to time you may see me in plaid and gladiator shoes knitting away in the Cheshire Café. But I’ll also be talking about Science Fiction or music theory and being a rabid conservative whilst probably drawling out my speech due to my southern Indiana accent. Humans are really way too multi-faceted to ever expect us to be just one type of person. And I shouldn’t expect that out of Hipsters or Goths anymore than they out of me. At least in a perfect world….
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