I Am the Anti-Hipster

Mattie Hanson
Phi Delta Theta

Call me mainstream, but I’ve never been one to think that defying society is a necessary part of being a teenager. Sure, I went through my own version of a rebellious phase in high school, but it was more of a statement to my parents than to anyone else. I don’t have a problem with liking popular music, wearing well-known brands, or using terms and expressions that are ubiquitous among my age group.

For all of those reasons, I hate Hipsters.

I know, I know: hating Hipsters makes me even more mainstream. But you know what? I couldn’t care less. My high school had a uniform, so standing out in a crowd wasn’t really an option. Now that I go to USC, there’s a different sort of uniform. I see guys wearing the same sorority philanthropy tanks that I have in my closet, and I showed up to Spring Rush last year wearing the same Sperry Topsiders as half of my brothers. There’s a style to the Greek community at USC, and I’m all right with that.

What is so frustrating to me about the Hipster movement is that they’re all hypocrites. They claim to defy the trends of the masses, as if wearing flannel shirts and moccasins somehow makes you a threat to the status quo. News flash: there’s an entire city of people who dress like you. It’s called Portland.

I know that their hearts are in the right place. With the way the Internet and social networking have taken over our methods of communication, it sometimes seems like every high school and college student in the country is into the same music, styles and trends. But is that really a bad thing? Does liking Watch the Throne (like everyone else I know) make me a slave to society? If I didn’t like what I was listening to, I wouldn’t listen to it. Maybe everyone listens to the same music because good music appeals to everybody.

Taste is subjective, I'm not going to debate that. It’s not mine or anyone’s job to dictate what is good and bad, but trends take off because they have the support of the masses. The very principles upon which our country was founded rely on this system of popular support. Nothing, in government or in music, will please everybody. The goal is simply to please the majority of people.

I’m a big supporter of standing for what you believe in. I’m passionate about my tastes in music and dress, and staunch on my political beliefs. I’ve never been one to fall into a mob mentality or stand with the crowd just because I’m scared to be in the minority group. But opposing the status quo on principle alone, just because you want to seem cool and subversive? That’s a waste of time.

So to all you Hipsters who might have accidentally stumbled upon this newspaper, I have this to say: if indie music and awkwardly fitting pants are your thing, then go for it. Bob Marley phrased it best when he said, “Live the life you love, love the life you live.” But please, for Heaven’s sake, don’t do it just because you’re against what you perceive as being “mainstream.” Trust me, you’re the only one who thinks you’re cool.