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[Tumetsu]

So since hipsters and indies share lot of common things, what is the actual difference? I know that some unwary indies can become hipsters but what is the key difference?

Is it that hipsters want to be different from mainstream at any cost while indies like to be what they are, but don't care if they have some mainstream traits?

Let's discuss this so that we can learn to avoid dangerous hipsterism which preys all of those work with inide related stuff 

[dEnamed]

To me, a hipster is someone with a firm believe of superiority over others due to taste based choices. Someone playing or developing Indie Games, just an indie. Someone doing the same but thinking "I'm worth so much more as a human because of it", that's a hipster.

[Tumetsu]

To me, a hipster is someone with a firm believe of superiority over others due to taste based choices. Someone playing or developing Indie Games, just an indie. Someone doing the same but thinking "I'm worth so much more as a human because of it", that's a hipster.

To me that sounds more like snob or elitist, though I guess those are qualitites commonly associated with hipsters too.

[s0]

Hipsters are a subculture. They wear thick-rimmed glasses, skinny pants and "ironic" T-shirts and listen to indie music. Like every other music-related youth subculture, they often put on a veneer of individualism even though they all express their "individuality" in exactly the same way.

The concept of "irony" is important in hipsterdom. Irony in the hipster sense of the word means adopting something that is considered to be "bad taste" by the cultural establishment and repurposing it as a fashion chic. Examples include mustaches, sideburns, trucker caps and the aforementioned thick-rimmed glasses.

[mirosurabu]

Do hipsters really exist?

[Dragonmaw]

Not really.

I actually use hipster to refer to specific friends of mine who have a deep and abiding love for things which other people find awful or stupid. One friend loves to draw really bad (and really fucking hilarious) Simpsons pictures. Another loves cheesy halloween-style horror of OH NO... GHOULS AND GHOSTS AND SKELETONS... AND A GRAVE WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!!!!! Another loves super robot shows, especially sentai.

Hipster has really just come to mean somebody who enjoys or engages in an activity most other people find stupid. You'll find that most people who are labeled as "hipsters" who only like things "ironically"... actually like the things that they are supposed to only like as a joke.

IDK, it's a catch-all word for "person who shares a different opinion than me" now.

[Player 3]

But in my context, hipsters are usually those who find different interests, like Dragonmaw said, but feel special because of it. Indies would do it because they like it.

Then again, this is coming from the peanut gallery, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[handCraftedRadio]

To me, it seems like an extension of sarcasm from words into actions and appearance. I always get the feeling that the labeled 'hipsters' are 'sarcastically' wearing something, or 'sarcastically' doing some activity. It seems as if they do not sincerely enjoy these things, but the enjoyment comes from making fun of those who do sincerely enjoy them, or the activities in themselves.

It is sometimes hard to tell if someone is being sarcastic or not, but it is easy to tell whenever somebody is laying it on heavy.

[s0]

Hipster has really just come to mean somebody who enjoys or engages in an activity most other people find stupid. You'll find that most people who are labeled as "hipsters" who only like things "ironically"... actually like the things that they are supposed to only like as a joke.

Nah, if you're genuinely into something most other people find stupid, you're a nerd. If you claim you're doing it "ironically," you're a hipster.

My impression is that a lot of hipsters are actually nerds who try to be "cool" while still retaining their nerdy interests.

[Nugsy]

Hipsters are the new Emos.

Look at me! I'm so different! *does the same thing as thousands of other people*.

[Tumetsu]

My impression is that a lot of hipsters are actually nerds who try to be "cool" while still retaining their nerdy interests.

I think this at least partially hits the nail on the head. Rather many "hipster qualities" can be applied to specific nerds too.

Then again, definition of hipsters seem rather elusive. For example:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hipster
http://www.cracked.com/funny-4573-hipster/

First one gives rather positive picture of "hipsterism" while Cracked's definition adds in the negative aspects like feeling superior to others.

Also:

That which constitutes Hipsterdom is hard to nail down, as it is such a broad term. Prevailing attitudes and philosophies largely center around apathy, esoteric cultural items, and irony.

Read more: Hipsters | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/funny-259-hipsters/#ixzz1US1ehqEQ

[Superb Joe]

i have never and will never understand the inextricable link between music and fashion. if you let what goes into your ears dictate what covers your groin then you're a silly person.

[moi]

Everybody is somebody else's hipster

[Superb Joe]

Everybody is somebody else's hipster

i belong to nobody. a man outside time.

[Theophilus]

Hipsters are people who intentionally do the "non-mainstream" thing to be different and cool, and gain self-esteem from it. The things that they can't change to be not-mainstream, they claim they do ironically.

"Dude, that band on your t-shirt has a facebook page."

"It's ironic."

"THATS COOL"


At least, that's my take.

[Aquanoctis]

It seems to me that people do these things (reject mainstream culture) just because they want to be with the in crowd. For them 'hipsterism' is a New and Interesting and Different Mainstream. Whether people like it or not, the subculture they belong to is their own 'mainstream'.

Although, referring here to the main mainstream, I know some people who will just reject anything that is popular just because it has the 'mainstream' tag, even if they enjoy that thing. For example, a certain song might be deemed painfully mainstream. Even if a 'hipster' (or whatever else) may actually enjoy/grow to enjoy the song, they simply reject it without any further regard/exploration on the sole basis that is has been deemed by the masses to be 'mainstream'.

...but then, eh...labels, who needs 'em. It's where prejudice starts.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Do hipsters really exist?

i think a few do but it's exaggerated by the internet into becoming a meme. there are far more furries than hipsters. it's largely become a term of opprobrium, nobody thinks of themselves as a hipster, just as nobody thinks of themselves as a sheeple. a hiptser is something you accuse other people of being to make fun of them

as for the relationship between hipsters and indies: many people make fun of hipsters as a group, fewer people make fun of indie game developers as a group, so in order to disparage one group that isn't made fun of they say it's actually the same as or composed up of another group that is made fun of

hipster is often identified with (as others mentioned) someone who looks down on other people for their tastes. but in reality basically everyone does that; i've never come across a person who doesn't think less of some other person for liking a bad game, or bad music, or bad writing (although there are people who recognize that it's a bad thing to do that and try to avoid doing it). e.g. my father looks down on people who like rap, my brother looks down on people who like mmorpgs, i look down on people who think the modern my little pony is better than the 80s my little pony, many people look down on people who like justin beiber, others look down on people who like modern art, or harry potter, or halo, and so on

[Smithy]

Are people here really so mentally preoccupied with this? It reminds me of the troll relationships and social bullshit in the latest MSPaint adventures comic.

[C.D Buckmaster]

Hipster is more label, than sub culture.  It just seems to be an easy way to generalise a counter-culture that has always sort of existed and simplifies all of their actions into attempts of pseudo-superiority over the more mainstream populace.

It mainly pisses me off because there is nothing more condescending than someone accusing you of only liking the things you do, so that you can feel better than other people.

It's the same thing that happened with emos a couple years back, lots of emos were socially well-adjusted people, but people just saw them as stereotypes.

[s0]

BTW: The word "hipster," as coined by Norman Mailer in the 50s(?) originally referred to young white middle class men who imitated the wardrobe, language and (perceived) lifestyle of black jazz musicians without actually playing jazz themselves (or being musicians at all). So "hipster" kind of implies a poseur, someone who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.

Hipsters aren't "counter-cultural" in the least.