I've been living in the Bushwick/Williamsburg area for the past 5 years, and I fit the general description of a hipster. Yes there are people who have similar interests who live here - the same is true almost everywhere. When a person decides they like something which other people may also like, (i.e. TV on the Radio, Twilight, Animal Collective, Harry Potter, Grizzly Bear, The Office, The Stranger, The Daily Show) it does not make them any less of an individual. Common interests are a common occurrence everywhere in the world. The fact that hipsters are currently under fire from whomever, claiming lack of originality and integrity, is also a standard happening. Culture evolves in this manner constantly. A person (or group of people create item A) - a bigger group of people identify with item A - it snowballs - a culture is created - a group of people decide that item A is bullshit - they create item B - it snowballs - some people from the group that really dug item A decide they identify and appreciate item B too - item B replaces item A in popularity and cultural significance - and so on and so forth. Yes there is a counter culture in Brooklyn - yes it gaining more popularity. This is not in and of itself new or exciting. My qualm with the counter culture in Brooklyn is not the elements of uniformity or the occasional spoiled/sneering participant - it's the lack of direction and interest in matters truly more relevant than individual pursuits. In important subcultures (Beats, Hippies) there was a vital reason why those individuals bonded together to create a whole greater than its parts. The Beats helped forge the way for individual expression in literature, free from traditional structure, The Hippies wildly pursued new horizons in the mind, new perspectives on how to live and be in general, and in turn helped stretch the boundaries of popular music. Hipsters live near each other yes, can identify one another based on visual similarities, but there is no real sense of a unified community working together, or even having a shared cause. Beyond similarities in personal goals nothing really ties it all together. That being said - I like living around other musicians and artists. I like it because as a musician I must be inspired to create something, I can't just switch it on and off - seeing other individuals working hard to make something is a beautiful site - its something that lights a fire under my ass too. If you have a healthy amount of self-esteem you should have a touch of pride when it comes to the people you identify with, if you continue to think negatively about the people you don't see eye to eye with you'll only get better at it. Judging and criticizing typically doesn't lead to lasting happiness. All I can say really is that I'm looking forward to what new counter culture emerges to topple the current heavyweights. (this response is directed more towards the commenters than the author of the post - Maria has a healthy outlook)
On Being a Hipster Is an Excellent and Wonderful Thing!
I've been living in the Bushwick/Williamsburg area for the past 5 years, and I fit the general description of a hipster. Yes there are people who have similar interests who live here - the same is true almost everywhere. When a person decides they like something which other people may also like, (i.e. TV on the Radio, Twilight, Animal Collective, Harry Potter, Grizzly Bear, The Office, The Stranger, The Daily Show) it does not make them any less of an individual. Common interests are a common occurrence everywhere in the world. The fact that hipsters are currently under fire from whomever, claiming lack of originality and integrity, is also a standard happening. Culture evolves in this manner constantly. A person (or group of people create item A) - a bigger group of people identify with item A - it snowballs - a culture is created - a group of people decide that item A is bullshit - they create item B - it snowballs - some people from the group that really dug item A decide they identify and appreciate item B too - item B replaces item A in popularity and cultural significance - and so on and so forth. Yes there is a counter culture in Brooklyn - yes it gaining more popularity. This is not in and of itself new or exciting. My qualm with the counter culture in Brooklyn is not the elements of uniformity or the occasional spoiled/sneering participant - it's the lack of direction and interest in matters truly more relevant than individual pursuits. In important subcultures (Beats, Hippies) there was a vital reason why those individuals bonded together to create a whole greater than its parts. The Beats helped forge the way for individual expression in literature, free from traditional structure, The Hippies wildly pursued new horizons in the mind, new perspectives on how to live and be in general, and in turn helped stretch the boundaries of popular music. Hipsters live near each other yes, can identify one another based on visual similarities, but there is no real sense of a unified community working together, or even having a shared cause. Beyond similarities in personal goals nothing really ties it all together. That being said - I like living around other musicians and artists. I like it because as a musician I must be inspired to create something, I can't just switch it on and off - seeing other individuals working hard to make something is a beautiful site - its something that lights a fire under my ass too. If you have a healthy amount of self-esteem you should have a touch of pride when it comes to the people you identify with, if you continue to think negatively about the people you don't see eye to eye with you'll only get better at it. Judging and criticizing typically doesn't lead to lasting happiness. All I can say really is that I'm looking forward to what new counter culture emerges to topple the current heavyweights. (this response is directed more towards the commenters than the author of the post - Maria has a healthy outlook)