Q: How many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: You don’t know?
***
Reader "Sheila" (aka my mom) writes:
" . . . don’t or didn’t know the difference between hipster and hip so looked it up [at urbandictionary.com]."
Here’s what she found:
1. indie emo scenester hip scene hipsters trendy poser cool punk pretentious hippie … I saw a bunch of hipsters hanging out at the coffee shop today. …
2. You, for reading ironic, pseudo-intellectual dictionary entries on the word "hipster."
***
Back in the day (in this case "the day" being the late 80s, my friend Yuro used to call a certain bar "Wacky Hair and Glasses" because of all the, hmmm, what did we call them then, "trendy morons," I suppose, with, well, wacky hair and big nerd glasses, who would hang out there. But how would we know if we didn’t hang out there ourselves once in a while, and who were we to judge, you may ask? Well, we hung out there long before they showed up and ruined the place, that’s how, buster. Some people back then called them "trendies," I suppose, or "poseurs" would also fit the bill. Those who are only attached to a certain school of art or music for the fashion, for the appearance of it – dilettantes, perhaps. Wannabes.
***
The other day I was talking to some shabbily chic youngish Rendezvous patrons about an upcoming show at the bar of a band I really like (Death Vessel, 9/26, fyi). They had never heard of DV but couldn’t bring themselves to admit it or ask me more, especially when they saw on a poster that the band was on a "hip" indie label (Sub Pop). I’d say that’s a hipster move, not to dare to be inquisitive even when really curious if it makes one seem less in the know (thus the riddle, above).
***
Hipster quiz – In this photo, who is the hipster-hippie icon musician, and who is his or her beloved movie star, and, to see if you’re really hip(ster), can you name them? Scoring:
1000 points if you can name the hipster but not the movie star
100 points if you can name them both
10 points if you can name neither of them
-1,000,000 points if you can name the movie star but NOT the hipster musician
Ready? Go!
