Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rchristo10]

[xpat]

[itistime]

People shoud do what they want to do.
If someone wants to make an uber-effort to
be different (but look like every other person
trying to do the same thing), then they should
be able to.

Heard this several years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmxchS9FDI

[cwflaneur]

[cwflaneur]

[Steelrails]

[cwflaneur]

[Steelrails]

[Mr. BlackCat]

I wouldn't compare punk or hip-hop subculture to hipsters. What do hipsters stand for? What is the subculture, exactly? The only thing I have against hipsters is their hypocritical judgement of others. I lived with a hipster (before it was cool to hate hipsters ) and he mocked me for working for the 'man' and having a boring life. This while he collected cheques in the mail from his wealthy grandmother every couple of weeks. He grew up in a rural area known for it's extreme privilege. He would openly mock others with his hipster friends for being mainstream, while they all smoked their cloves and went shopping together at Urban Outfitters or whatever. That sort of seems to be the M.O. of hipsters. Whereas punk, hip hop and other subcultures generally grow from the poor, urban and disenfranchised youth, hipsters are generally middle-upper class white kids with high education and very little life/world experience. Yet they are the most judgmental group. They think being laughed at for wearing a bowtie is akin to racial segregation in urban areas. Nothing is ever authentic or real with a hipster because they have never been forced to face the authentic or real. They think poverty is a holiday, something to visit and play dress-up with. While it's been fashionable to copy the poor for decades now, no other group has done it with so much malice and contempt for the actual poor as hipsters do. That may be why so many people have such disdain for them.

[vDroop]

I came to Korea before the hipster talk began. It still interests me. All the articles, and threads about this group.

The only thing I know for sure is that everyone has a different definition. What a waste of time to worry about this crap.

[joelove]

Never met anyone who fits that sort of description. And you say there are a lot of them? Are they planning some sort of takeover? They sound like a bunch of (mostly young?) snobs to me, who are far from uncommon.

[DIsbell]

Yeah I've hung out in some crowds that would be generally labeled as hipster before and I can't say I've had the pleasure of meeting the stereotypical sneering, pretentious Trustafarian. Those types mostly exist in stories on the internet, or at least they wouldn't be commonly seen around the more genuine types of people involved in local art, music, biking, etc scenes.

The problem with throwing out cliches about Urban Outfitters (which in particular is a rampant meme about hipsters- on the internet...) is that because there's little self-identification and uniformity to what's called "being hipster" (in spite of what the internet memes tell you) it's really hard to find living hipster examples of the cliches. Most tend to be poor kids scraping by or working-class late 20 or 30somethings. The crowds I hung out with were more into thrifting and vintage and wouldn't touch Urban Outfitters with a 10 foot pole. Other groups might be into it, though.

But even within a local scene I'd find loads of variation. Among the crowd that frequented local basement shows, virtually all of which who'd be flagged by a local frat brother/chubby internet blogger as hipster, there were: crust punks, dudes in black metal bands, super nerdy types really into bending circuits and playing Magic the Gathering, radical queers, dudes and chicks really into organic farming, grindcore enthusiasts, skaters, guys who dressed like lumberjacks and spun mowtown and dance mixes at local dives, major potheads, people who organized local charitable projects, arty types, and so on. And no one used hipster in any kind of self-affirmative way like you'd see with the term punk, hip-hop, or whatever. Yet there was loads of genuine activity and creation, and a lot of acceptance.

[happiness]

[quote="DIsbell"]
crust punks, dudes in black metal bands, super nerdy types really into bending circuits and playing Magic the Gathering, radical queers, dudes and chicks really into organic farming, grindcore enthusiasts, skaters, guys who dressed like lumberjacks and spun mowtown and dance mixes at local dives, major potheads, people who organized local charitable projects, arty types, and so on. /quote]

interesting types there. i wonder if there are any in Korea actively doing something besides "writing a book/blog" or take digital photos. im dying for some stimuli here sometimes

[stilicho25]

Disbell, that was not what I found. Williamsburg in the late 90's through 2000 was an utter hellhole of pretentious whiny trustafarians living in apartments that cost upwards of 1500 dollars a month. The most damning thing I can say about Bedford was that the station was empty every morning going into the city. Every other station was packed with people heading into their jobs. Yet Bedford was empty. I am sure that organic farmers and charity types could afford to live in a nieghbourhood like that. Yeah right.

[Mr. BlackCat]

Disbell, I find it interesting that in defending hipsters from being judgmental you've decided to name call and insult people. Yes, everyone who has a problem with pretentiousness is a fat internet blogger or a frat boy. And you wonder why people call hipsters snobs.

I also find it interesting that you name all sorts of types of people under the umbrella of 'hipster'. I think we might be talking about two different things. Just because you go to a basement show or wear vintage clothes doesn't make you a hipster. In my hometown I've organized lots of shows in the backroom of record shops and the Salvation Army clothes me out of work (out of necessity). But I don't go around pretending I'm the first person who has done these things, I don't scoff at people for liking different music as I do and I don't co-opt and misrepresent the word 'irony'. Trust me, I don't sit around and think about hipsters all day. I'm bored at work and saw this thread so I thought I'd add my two cents. But go to the Plateau and Mile End areas in Montreal, neighbourhoods that used to be rich in culture and working class dedication and tell me these kids who have driven up the rent, forced old businesses out and superficial ones in and who walk around like everyone owes them something for it don't get on your nerves. It's funny how you protest that there isn't uniformity among hipsters. It's all a uniform, a preconceived notion, just like every other subculture that has been co-opted. The fact that you and other hipsters think they're so different is what is so hilarious. Yeah, I've never seen thick glass frames and a bowtie before. At least most other subcultures embrace their common identity instead of pretending no one's every worn flood pants before and they're the cleverest boy who's ever lived.