Hip, Hip Hooray

I’m not a hipster. I don’t even play one on t.v.

I think I probably officially forfeited any claims to hipsterdom when I switched careers from journalism to P.R. long ago. Truth is, I never had a chance. I grew up as a preppy.

These days, I drive an SUV. I live in the suburbs. I like certain chain restaurants. So, I probably fit the profile of whatever is NOT a hipster. A mainstreamer? Or worse…a square?

And now the hard part: Until just a few months ago, I didn’t even know what a ‘hipster’ is. I wasn’t even really familiar with the term until my daughter – who is a self-proclaimed hipster  – introduced it to me.

She is definitely hip in terms of her musical tastes (I told you about that in blog last year). She even has her OWN preset on our Sirius/XM – AltNation! (as in ‘Alternative’).

But I think even Holly does not meet the true profile of what I’ve read online about this unique subculture. Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever met a hipster.

Is anyone in Tennessee REALLY hip? I mean, wouldn’t you have to go at least to Atlanta…or LA…or New York? Oh I suspect any college campus would actually be a destination.

Therein lies the problem for me. I wasn’t hip even when I was in college! We were preppies and preppies by definition are NOT hip. It’s hard to be hip when you wear khakis and polo shirts!

Probably the hippest days I had was during grad school and then, apart from … oh forget it. I wasn’t a hipster then, either. I played softball in grad school. Softball = Not hip.

Other pastimes over the years.

Fantasy sports = Not hip.

Long-term Financial Planning = Not hip.

Volunteerism = Very hip.

Coaching youth baseball = Fun, rewarding. Still not too hip.

So, as I said earlier…I’ve come to terms with it.

Still, I admit, I am truly fascinated with the notion of hipsters. They sport eclectic dress styles. They know all the trendy shops and bistros. They tend to live in lofts or old converted warehouses. They go to shows for bands I have never heard of. (And by the time I have heard of them, the bands are NOT hip).

They have a unique flair for expression that I’ve just never had. Of course, if we were all hipsters, we wouldn’t really be hip. So, I think you need squares like me to serve as a contrast. Hipsters need us. We’re cool after all.

Maybe, then, we find our own mantra in a pop from the 80’s – a decade that was more conservative than cool.  It’s “Hip to be Square.”

JG  

Originally posted 9/12/2012