STOP CALLING ME HIPSTER: Why This Trend Has Gotten Out Of Hand

Just don’t do it. It aches my nerve. It bruises me to the core. It slanders my being and it is a disservice to my personality. OK, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but you get the point.

   

Oxford Dictionary defines hipster as; “a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.” Ironically, the word has come to contradict itself. 

When used as an adjective describing a person, “hipster”, has the implication that the subject is intentionally trying to be outside of the norm. By creating an entire category for people that are attempting to do this, it places them right back in the box they were originally trying to escape; double entendre to say the least.

"Hipster" can however be used as a subcategory for something unsubstantial, such as a clothing style or a music genre. To actively describe someone as a hipster has gone too far into the realm of calling someone a joke.The cyclical phrase has been popularized by many who had no intention of placing injury with insult.

Nonetheless, there is a tinge of resentment that comes over me whenever someone calls me a hipster, which actually happens a lot. I’ve been on a journey discovering myself for the past year and I feel that anyone who resorts to calling  me a hipster is questioning my authenticity as a person. As if I’m putting on an act. It is an extremely surface-level observation that shows no real effort in trying to know me.

I understand the trendiness of the word. It has become a default way of trying to describe someone who dresses well while drinking Starbucks, or someone who has new ideas. Why not just say that they dress well? Why not just say they have a creative style of thinking? Why not just go get your own Starbucks?

Just admit that they are unique without trying to categorize them.

I may see the world differently, but it is not because I want to prove anything to anyone. I’d rather you call me eccentric, call me bizarre, call me zany, or just say cool shirt and keep it moving.