Hipster Haters

Maybe I'm slow, but I didn't fully realize hipsters were so hated until about two minutes ago. But now, thanks to Gavin Laessing and his "Better Know Your Hipster" article, I have become fully aware of the "cancerous" breed.

Collecting and categorizing the habits of the hipster brings us a picture of a dirty, drug-addled, narcissistic, arrogant and contrary species.

But aggregating the negative traits of any social group will lead to a similarly distasteful view. Let's take the Greek system (Aug 20 entry of Stuff Hipster's Hate). Equally robotic fashion dictates (khaki shorts, polo t's and flip flops). Also distainful of sobriety. Often misinformed or ignorant of history and current events. Prone to use the word "like" and other fillers more often than actual communicative content. Inclined to associate only with other Greeks. Discusses last night's "bang" while using public transportation. Well, huh.

But let's take a demographic that's not the antithesis of the hipster. Let's take the baby boomer. Moderatly cut denim. Land's End tops of a hunter green, navy or maroon shade. Pastels in spring. Fans of JCPenney, Macy's, Target and the mall in general. Classic rock listeners. They enjoy boating, moderate dining, occassional travel, but most of all financial stability.

Grouping classes of people by relatively similar interests is marketing. It's advertising.

Taken individually, the person easily tucked into a category based on the cut of their pants falls more and more away from a stereotype or a mailing list and becomes less and less the bane of society.

There are hipsters, Greeks and baby boomers who alike are drug addicts. There are hipsters, Greeks and baby boomers who alike are passionate about a valid social cause.

If we are going to attack apathy, let's be clear here and attack apathy, not the latest subculture, which will be replaced by the tweens of today in an even more abominable form (these people grew up with Miley Cyrus and High School Musical, do not tell me it will get better).