Beyond Hipster
I just watched this interesting report on the word “hipster.” A few months ago, I got into a mild argument with McCarron over the word “emo.” McCarron said he hates emos. I said, “what’s an emo?” I mean, I know what the word “emo” implies, but I don’t know anyone who would refer to themselves as being “emo.” He said, “you know, people who listen to emo music and act depressed and dress in stupid clothes.”
Where McCarron and I argued is that in the worlds I’ve lived in, terms like “emo” and “hipster” are never used for self-definition. They’re derogatory terms used to describe others. In our self-conscious desire to avoid being labeled, we reject the labels that clearly include us and pin them on others within the same world with whom we do not identify, even though, to an outsider, we all look the same. Now, McCarron says that in Michigan, people will tell you “I am emo.” Which is a pretty interesting concept in and of itself … that country and suburban kids find comfort in identifying with a group, while city kids want to be regarded as individuals. Now that I think about it, it makes sense … in the city, you’re surrounded by people all the time that you want to set yourself apart from, while in the country you feel isolated and want to figure out where you fit in. I dunno.
Of course, now I’m just old and don’t really fit into any label. There was a period in New York when I was on the border of being a hipster, but I don’t think I’ve ever quite been stylish or cool enough to really hang. And now when I go to see bands, which I still do pretty regularly, I am the old balding guy who’s just wearing some dumb looking t-shirt and staring jealously at the young beautiful kids while silently judging them for being better than me.
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November 19th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Even in the city if no one self-labels, one can still apply the label to others. That’s what being judgmental is for!
Seriously, the whole subculture smacks of effort and that makes me sleepy. Want to be yourself? Be yourself! Just stop trying to convince me to listen to Panic at the Disco or whatever shitty music you listen to. I’m fine with NPR, thank you.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Right, I’m saying everyone applies to label to everyone else here, but no one applies it to themselves.
I love that your example of emo “subculture” is Panic! at the Disco. That’s like dissing hip-hop heads for trying to get you into Coolio. It makes my hipster alarm go kuh-razy. Are you really surrounded by that many people who spend their days incessantly trying to get you to listen to Panic! at the Disco?
And I think “be yourself” means nothing. We’re all just a collection of environmental factors and chemical reactions. What if “being yourself” means really getting into fashion trends? I see no superiority in paying no attention to your appearance or culture.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Panic dropped the exclamation point. I think it screwed with their listings in iTunes.
I know a guy (through WoW) who is in LA and describes himself as emo. But he may only do so online.
I also know a guy that we call “Hipster Phil” (to distinguish him from Phil and Flip, the other two Phils in that circle), but he hates that label. That is, of course, most of why we call him Hipster Phil.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Damn! I just got emo schooled! Well done, Mr. Harmon!
November 27th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Go to YouTube and type in “Awesome Possum”. Is this how you feel when hanging around the hipster kids, old man? If I were more hip I would have just embedded it right here, but screw that, I’m old too.