In the 1990s and 2000s, the 1940s slang term hipster began being used in North America to describe young, well-educated urban middle class and upper class adults with leftist, liberal, or libertarian social and political views and interests in a non-mainstream fashion and cultural aesthetic. While definitions vary, hipsters are often associated with alternative music, "indie" culture (independent rock and independent film), and other non-mainstream products, such as vintage clothing. Hipsters may dress in a campy or ironic manner, pairing expensive vintage clothes with working-class clothing. The social scene in some major cities is centered in a gentrified downtown area where DJ clubs, fair-trade coffee cafés, and organic restaurants sit side-by-side with thrift stores and working class taverns. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Upper class is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Indie rock is a term used to refer to rock music that falls within the indie music movement. ... An independent film, or indie film, is a film that is produced outside of the studio system. ... 1950s vintage slip Vintage clothing is a term for garments hailing from another era. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... In San Francisco, during the mid-1960s, the bohemian center of the city shifted from the old Beat enclave of North Beach to Haight-Ashbury (pictured) as a response to gentrification. ... Organic vegetables at a farmers market in Argentina. ... A charity shop (UK), thrift store (US) or op shop (Australia/NZ, from opportunity shop) is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising. ...

History

1940s-1950s

See also: Hipster (1940s subculture) and hip (slang)

"Hipster" derives from the 1940s word "hip" or "hep", which jazz musicians used to describe anybody who was "in the know" about the emerging, mostly African-American sub-culture, which revolved around jazz.^[1] The members of the subculture were called "hepcats", a term which then morphed into the word "hipster." The first dictionary to list the word is the short glossary "For Characters Who Don't Dig Jive Talk," which was included with Harry Gibson's 1944 album, "Boogie Woogie In Blue." The entry for "hipsters" defined it as "characters who like hot jazz." ^[2] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hipster (contemporary subculture). ... Hip is a slang term, an adjective meaning fashionably current, referring to someone who is conversant with or deeply involved in a particular trend or subject. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... In biology, a subculture in a population of a microorganism is when one microbe colony in such a population is transferred onto blank growth medium and allowed to freely reproduce. ... Harry The Hipster Gibson (June 27, 1915 – May 3, 1991) was a jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. ...

The 1959 book Jazz Scene by Eric Hobsbawm (using the pen name Francis Newton) describes hipsters in terms of using their own language, "jive-talk or hipster-talk," he writes "is an argot or cant designed to set the group apart from outsiders." Hipster was also used in a different context at about the same time by Jack Kerouac in describing his vision of the Beat Generation. Along with Allen Ginsberg, Kerouac described 1940s hipsters "rising and roaming America,...bumming and hitchhiking everywhere...[as] characters of a special spirituality"^[3] Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm CH (born June 9, 1917) is a British Marxist historian and author. ... Argot (French for slang) is primarily slang used by various groups, including but not limited to thieves and other criminals, to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. ... Cant is an example of a cryptolect, a characteristic or secret language used only by members of a group, often used to conceal the meaning from those outside the group. ... Jack Kerouac (pronounced ) (March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) was an American novelist, writer, poet, and artist from Lowell, Massachusetts. ... Irwin Allen Ginsberg (IPA: ) (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hipster (contemporary subculture). ...

1990s and 2000s

In the 1990s, the term became a blanket description for the trend in the "alternative", "anti-fashion" fashion of middle class and upper class urban, young people moving into "regentrified" or soon to be "regentrified" neighborhoods in city centers. Often hipsters came to these poorer neighborhoods from well-to-do suburbs of major cities. In youth culture, the term hipster usually refers to young people who may have an appreciation for independent rock, a campy or ironic fashion sense, or an otherwise "bohemian" style. They are typically associated most closely with alternative culture, particularly alternative music, independent rock and independent film. An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle (a mode or style of conducting ones life) which carries the implication that it is not within the generally perceived cultural norm. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Upper class is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... In San Francisco, during the mid-1960s, the bohemian center of the city shifted from the old Beat enclave of North Beach to Haight-Ashbury (pictured) as a response to gentrification. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... For other uses, see Bohemian (disambiguation). ... Alternative culture is a catch-all phrase used predominately by the media and the marketing industry to refer to a variety of separate sub-cultures – (which are either loosely related or near-totally unrelated) – and are perceived by the general public as being outside or on the edge of so... Alternative music redirects here. ... Indie rock is a term used to refer to rock music that falls within the indie music movement. ... An independent film, or indie film, is a film that is produced outside of the studio system. ...

Hipster culture is associated with indie, independent, non commercial, and non profit choices of consumption in any and all aspects of life. This includes listening to independent rock or any form of non-mainstream music, thrift store shopping, eating organic, locally grown, vegetarian, and/or vegan food, drinking local or brewing beer, listening to public radio, etc. Hipster scenes are associated with vintage clothing and vinyl records, and magazines like Vice and Clash and website Pitchfork Media. Indie, an abbreviation of independent, is a term regarding a trend seen in music, film, business and subculture originating in the late 20th century. ... A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a goal to make a profit. ... Indie rock is a term used to refer to rock music that falls within the indie music movement. ... A charity shop (UK), thrift store (US) or op shop (Australia/NZ, from opportunity shop) is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising. ... Organic vegetables at a farmers market in Argentina. ... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... Hens kept in cramped conditions — the avoidance of animal suffering is the primary motivation of people who become vegans A vegan is a person who avoids the ingestion or use of animal products. ... Public broadcasting (also known as public service broadcasting or PSB) is the dominant form of broadcasting around the world, where radio, television, and potentially other electronic media outlets receive funding from the public. ... 1950s vintage slip Vintage clothing is a term for garments hailing from another era. ... 33⅓ LP vinyl record album The vinyl record is a type of gramophone record, most popular from the 1950s to the 1990s, that was most commonly used for mass-produced recordings of music. ... Cover of Vice Magazine, V12N11 Vice is a free glossy magazine founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and currently based in New York City that covers contemporary independent arts and youth culture. ... Clash is a bi-monthly British music magazine that details the so-called literary clashes that occur in the readers daily life surrounding music, fashion, love and hate. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ...

Contemporary hipsters are largely associated with leftist or liberal social and political views and sometimes a general appreciation of intellectual pursuits, with an ironic appreciation of lowbrow or lower class culture and subculture. In 2003, Robert Lanham's satirical humor book The Hipster Handbook claimed that hipsters are young people with "...mop-top haircuts, swinging retro pocketbooks, talking on cell phones, smoking European cigarettes,...strutting in platform shoes with a biography of Che [Guevara] sticking out of their bags." ^[4] In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Literati redirects here. ... For the form of speech, see Irony. ... // Description Lowbrow is one of several names given to an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles area in the late 1970s. ... A social class is, at its most basic, a group of people that have similar social status. ... Robert Lanham is the author of the satiric books The Hipster Handbook and Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees and Other Creatures Unique to the Republic. ... The Hipster Handbook (2003) is a satirical guide to hipster culture by Williamsburg, Brooklyn author Robert Lanham. ...

The term is also used in a pejorative fashion, to assert that a person may be superficially following recently mass-produced, homogeneous, urban fashion trends, overly concerned with their image and the contradictions of their identity. Often in its negative connotation, 'hipsters' are considered apathetic, pretentious, and self-entitled by other, often marginalized sectors of society they live amongst, including previous generations of bohemian and/or "counter-culture" artists and thinkers as well as poor neighborhoods of color. This article is about the sociological concept. ... For other uses, see Bohemian (disambiguation). ...

Philosophy

Hipsters tend to associate themselves with liberal, libertarian and/or anti-capitalist political ideology. This could be as concrete as espousing socialist philosophies, or simply being a supporter of a certain political party. Socially, this means support of women's rights and gay rights, especially since one hipster stereotype is being perceived as ambiguous or bisexual despite one's actual sexual orientation (As there are many hipsters that mainly identify as heterosexual, homosexual, and lesbian as well.) Hipsters are not usually associated with organized religion and are usually atheist or agnostic, although some embrace Wicca, Buddhism or the Emerging Church. However, this does not mean that they cannot belong to an organized religion or follow some religious ideology, such as liberation theology. Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Anti-capitalism is any and all opposition to capitalism. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... The term women’s rights typically refers to freedoms inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalized or ignored and/or illegitimately suppressed by law or custom in a particular society. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ... Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love or sexual desire exclusively for members of the opposite sex or gender, contrasted with homosexuality and distinguished from bisexuality and asexuality. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... This article is about same-sex desire and sexuality among women. ... For other uses, see Wicca (disambiguation). ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings, sometimes described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer various ways that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... The emerging church (also known as the emerging church or the emergent church movement) is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. ...

The overall aesthetic has elements of a liberal ethos. The vintage clothing and thrift store appearance of hipsters in a modern liberal context reveals a wish to consume ethically, combined with a desire to superficially evade their privilege; to avoid purchasing new clothes from large corporations accused of unfair working conditions, such as Gap and Nike. This choice usually manifests itself through refusing to purchase items such as clothing from large corporations, but also extends to a preference for bands who are not signed to major labels and/or who do not offer their creative output for use by the advertising industry. 1950s vintage slip Vintage clothing is a term for garments hailing from another era. ... A charity shop (UK), thrift store (US) or op shop (Australia/NZ, from opportunity shop) is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising. ... For other uses, see Gap. ... Nike, Inc. ... // Advert redirects here. ...

The hipster aesthetic of irony is often associated with the appropriation of elements of lowbrow or working class culture. Low-brow culture from the past, such as sitcoms from the 1970s and 1980s like Three's Company and The Facts Of Life may be enjoyed in an ironic fashion. Similarly, elements associated in a clichéd sense with working class culture. The modern hipster culture appropriates some signifiers of working class identity in an ironic fashion, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.^[5] The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Pabst Blue Ribbon (colloquially PBR) is an American brand of beer with a long history and current popularity among the working classes and retro hipsters. ...

A very popular growing trend among the hipster subculture is the organic farm movement. In Allen Salkin's article for the New York Times, "Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat," the author explores two hipsters who moved to Tivoli, N.Y. to work on an organic farm. Hipsters are generally known for a sense of hyper awareness of environmental and social causes; Salkin's article illustrates it well. Though hipsters may not have such access to large farmland, the trend is growing in backyards and patios across America. Hipsters are gathering at the local co-op to exchange seeds and ideas while gaining an identity with a greater sense of irony. ^[6] In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ... Organic may refer to: Look up organic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tivoli usually refers to: Tivoli, Italy, an ancient Roman (now Italian) town, the first bearer of the name Tivoli Tivoli Systems, Inc. ...

Criticism

Elise Thompson, an editor for the LA blog LAist argues that "people who came of age in the 70s and 80s punk rock movement seem to universally hate 'hipsters'", which she defines as people wearing "expensive 'alternative' fashion[s]", going to the "latest, coolest, hippest bar...[and] listen[ing] to the latest, coolest, hippest band." Thompson argues that hipsters "... don’t seem to subscribe to any particular philosophy...[or]...particular genre of music." Instead, she argues that they are "soldiers of fortune of style" who take up whatever is popular and in style,"appropriat[ing] the style[s]" of past countercultural movements such as punk, while "discard[ing] everything that the style stood for." ^[7] For other uses, see Mercenary (disambiguation). ...

In Mac Montandon's New York Times article, "The Beard: Hip, but Hot," the author explores the fad of the Riker-style facial beard (in reference to a Star Trek character), which is popular among hipsters living in the Williamsburg and Lower East Side areas. The author argues that hipsters follow fads until the trend falls out of fashion or becomes widely unpopular. The idea of riding a trend out is contrary to the hipster's general love for all things "countercultural", but it may contribute to the irony sought out by hipsters. ^[8] Canadian Globe and Mail style columnist Russell Smith poked fun at hipster fashions when he asked his readers "aren't you... bored with the artistic hipster uniform of superskinny jeans, canvas Converse high-tops and beard?"^[9] The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Williamsburg is the name of some places in the United States of America: Williamsburg, Brooklyn in New York City Williamsburg, Colorado Williamsburg, Florida Williamsburg, Iowa Williamsburg, Kansas Williamsburg, Kentucky Williamsburg, Maryland Williamsburg, Massachusetts Williamsburg, Michigan Williamsburg, New Mexico Williamsburg, North Carolina Williamsburg, Ohio Williamsburg, Pennsylvania Williamsburg, Virginia including Colonial Williamsburg... Categories: Manhattan neighborhoods | Stub ...

Christian Lorentzen of Time Out New York claims that metrosexuality is the hipster appropriation of gay culture. But for Lorentzen, the modern hipster drinks in underground culture with a heavy dose of irony and insincerity. He writes that "these aesthetics are assimilated — cannibalized — into a repertoire of meaninglessness, from which the hipster can construct an identity in the manner of a collage, or a shuffled playlist on an iPod."[1] Put simply, any ideological connotation is stripped away and discarded leaving only a look and a pose. Hence irony could be seen by some as an excuse for hypocrisy. The distinctive Time Out logo, seen on all its publications Time Out is a publishing company based in London, England. ... For other uses, see Metrosexual (disambiguation). ... Aesthetics is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. ...

See also

• The Hipster Handbook
• Indie (music)
• Indie (culture)
• Independent film
• Irony
• Kitsch
• Camp (style)
• Liberal elite
• Yuppie- considered the ideological opposite of the hipster

The Hipster Handbook (2003) is a satirical guide to hipster culture by Williamsburg, Brooklyn author Robert Lanham. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ... Indie, an abbreviation of independent, is a term regarding a trend seen in music, film, business and subculture originating in the late 20th century. ... An independent film, or indie film, is a film that is produced outside of the studio system. ... Ironic redirects here. ... Kitsch is a term of German origin that has been used to categorize art that is considered an inferior copy of an existing style. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... Liberal elite and liberal elitist are terms used by some ideological opponents of liberalism to refer pejoratively to affluent liberals, who, their opponents claim, are elitist and disconnected from the rest of society (note also the US term limousine liberal, the Irish term smoked salmon liberal, or latte liberal as... Yuppies (young urban professionals, young up and coming professionals or less commonly young upwardly-mobile professionals[1]) is a market segment whose consumers are characterized as self-reliant, financially secure individualists. ...

Related publications/websites

• The Fader
• Vice Magazine
• DigForfire.tv
• Pitchfork Media
• Ignore Magazine
• Brooklyn Vegan
• Paper Magazine
• Mass Appeal
• Indie Krush - Indie Music & Art Collective in Las Vegas
• I Heart Comix - Indie Promoter & Record Label in California
• 'Beauty Bar - Indie, Dance, Nu-Rave, Hipster & Scenester Bar'
• Hipster Runoff - A popular blog that documents emerging hipster trends in music and fashion.
• Clash Magazine

Several humorous websites that poke fun at the hipster scene include Hipster Hunter - Guide to understanding hipster scene and Hipster Bingo.

References