What's a hipster?

H

Hjortsberg

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Was taking street photos with M6 at 7th and Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles and someone came up and called me a "hipster." No, actually he called my M6 a "hipster camera." I was hungry and was looking forward to my surf and turf burger I get at this place called Sea Salt so I wasn't really paying him much attention and was thinking about my lunch. He seemed surprised he even said it and immediately appeared somewhat apologetic.

What is a "hipster" anyway. I mean, I know everyone calls everyone they look down on a hipster, but what is the true definition.
 
Hjortsberg said:
Was taking street photos with M6 at 7th and Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles and someone came up and called me a "hipster." No, actually he called my M6 a "hipster camera." I was hungry and was looking forward to my surf and turf burger I get at this place called Sea Salt so I wasn't really paying him much attention and was thinking about my lunch. He seemed surprised he even said it and immediately appeared somewhat apologetic.

What is a "hipster" anyway. I mean, I know everyone calls everyone they look down on a hipster, but what is the true definition.
Click to expand...

It's a word used by people who are morons to describe anyone who has any kind of eclectic taste or visual style.
 
For this one, the "hive mind" approach is probably as good as any and better than most. My top two results from a google search on 'hipster' were:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hipster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_(contemporary_subculture)

My favoured line from the Wikipedia intro paragraphs was:
In a New York Times editorial, Mark Greif states that the much-cited difficulty in analyzing the term stems from the fact that any attempt to do so provokes universal anxiety, since it "calls everyone's bluff".
Click to expand...
...Mike
 
Hjortsberg said:
Was taking street photos with M6 at 7th and Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles and someone came up and...
Click to expand...
When I lived in LA, that's the kind of intro that ended with something like '[...and] killed me.' I understand things have changed for the much, much, better.

...Mike
 
The main element of 'hipster' in the fashion and commodity sense is an ahistorical fetishization of certain tropes e.g. flannel shirts, high ankle serge denim jeans, large beards and/or mustaches. "Film camera" is a popular trope among hipsters; not actually shooting film to any decent degree, but having a film camera as a fashion accessory.

This is what propmpted the 'hipster' remark.
 
He wanted me to say something negative about him since he was feeling bad for saying something bad about me, I guess.

I said, "I don't know anything about you so how can I say something about you?"


He said, "You can call me a washed out hippie." (He was an older guy that appeared to be in his late 50s early 60s with long hair and 60s kinda styled clothes.)

I really just wanted to eat my surf and turf burger at this point and didn't respond.

He said, "I'm just writing down here at Starbucks."

I still didn't say anything. He walked away and I looked over at the Sea Salt restaurant wondering if it was 11:00am yet when they would be opening. I turned back and the guy was in the middle of the crosswalk looking at me with a huge grin on his face.
 
A hipster is someone who uses a film camera (e.g., Holga) to take pictures of their bearded friends and/or the sushi they are about to eat.

Not to be confused with a RFF member who uses a film camera (e.g., M2 or R4A) to take pictures of door knobs and cats, before inquiring about the proper Rodinal formula for stand developing the same.

Cf. DPReview member of the Sony NEX forum who asks how many X's their camera has.
 
mfunnell said:
When I lived in LA, that's the kind of intro that ended with something like '[...and] killed me.' I understand things have changed for the much, much, better.

...Mike
Click to expand...

you gotta be real careful in Los Angeles. Everywhere. I walk miles and miles and it can go bad, real bad, anytime, anywhere, in an instant. The place that freaks me out the most is Hollywood Blvd. in front of the Chinese Theater. I've live here 30 years, mind you and that place terrifies me. So many people wandering around with tons of money, confused looking for something that isn't there. That place is gonna break bad one day. Mark my words.
 
Wow, didn't know there were modern day hipsters. My lasting impression of a "hipster" is the 50's high school and college in crowd listening to jazz and trying to outdo each other in 'cool'. Basically upscale wannabe beatniks.
 
RichL said:
Wow, didn't know there were modern day hipsters. My lasting impression of a "hipster" is the 50's high school and college in crowd listening to jazz and trying to outdo each other in 'cool'. Basically upscale wannabe beatniks.
Click to expand...

So all that's old is new again? Seems "Hipster" comes from "Hepster" as in "Hep" Jazz/heroin term. Maybe word comes from Africa. Means "Eyes wide open."

I dunno. I recommend Sea Salts' Surf and Turf Burger at 7th and Fig:

http://seasaltfishgrill.com
 
Sit down and watch a few episodes of Portlandia, it's all about Hipsters and Hipster central (Portland, Oregon).
 
There is a few versions of hipsters.
People who use film cameras instead of digital.
People with beards or hippy clothes.
Basically liking things that aren't mainstream so to speak, indie music or something really unknown to people. That's a hipster.
Male & female of course
 
Hipsters aren’t bad people in my neck of the woods... (NNJ & Brooklyn Heights). They support film, vinyl, bicycles, vegetables and love sex. Although they (male and female) don’t use razor blades I find them to be intelligent and well informed people. Their hygiene has a bit to be desired but I don’t sleep with them so no harm done. I don’t get it, why the animosity towards hipsters ?

BTW: There is a small hipster community in Ratchuburi, Thailand and Da Nang, Viet Nam. It’s a world wide happening.
 
Hipsters are already a decade extinct as a youth culture, their beards are turning grey and their fixies are growing a electric drive (and their Lomos are getting replaced by something less affordable).
 
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