New Cities/New Soviets

July 08, 2005

hipsters vs. professionals

showcase showdown part 11


I've been thinking a bit about the "hipster" tag again recently.

My standing theory was "hipsters are a bogey" -- that since "hipsters" doesn't refer to a coherent social group, the concept was more driven by social angst and fear of exclusion than anything else.

Moreover, though, I have come to understand the way the concept divides "hipsters" from another, unstated group. This group is the "professionals", pictured here as an office worker.

So is "hipsters" a way of negotiating the realities of service work? Of feeling both connected and repelled by the people who wait on you?

It functions like that, yes, but also people use it with affection. This young man once said to me at the cart: "there should be more carts like this, you know, hipster carts!"

Posted by Sam at July 8, 2005 05:04 AM

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