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Week 11, What is Hip? Reevaluated

In my original analysis on the definition of hip I stated that the word “hip” defined somebody who was cool, or stylish. That it was a word used to describe multiple aspects of modern cultural life including the way people act, dress, and carry themselves in public. I also stated that the definition of hip changes significantly with the time that it is relevant to. I believe that the assertion that the definition of hip changes with its relevant time period is still a valid argument. But I would like to tweak my other ideas of the word hip, due to the readings and projects we have done this semester.

I am now inclined to believe that hip is synonymous with rebellion. After studying the history of the hipster starting in the 1960s to this day, it is appears to me that the essence of hip culture is always some sort of rebellious mindset against a controlling power. For example, in the 1960s, through the 1980s hip culture was based on branching out through unconventional means of expression i.e. drugs, music, and protests. These were more literal forms of rebellion, and back then the hip idea was supportive of fighting against the system, which back then was the government. And after reading the different authors and considering their perspectives on the evolution of hip. Because of these readings I am inclined to believe that hip is slowly evolving into mainstream commercialised culture.

The merging of these two cultures has created the commercially oriented world that I have grown up in. A world ruled by the idea that buying new things is “cool” and “cool” is achieved by having the newest I-phone or the biggest television, or even the most expensive car. This Idea also goes completely against the older idea that the government is restricting our freedom to express ourselves. With the assertion that cool is achieved by buying commercial goods then it is also logical to say that the idea of hip is being controlled and marketed to the general populous and the idea of being hip in this day and age is disconnecting yourself from the consumer mindset.

chloecolloquy

I agree with you that the definition where hip has continuously changing forms is one of the most relevant definitions but I love how you go one to describe hip as being a rebellion as it once considered in history. You do well in delving into the idea that while people may think they are being hip by keeping up with trends today, in reality they are actually just feeding into corporate culture and control.

cooljakeweaverthompson

I agree with you and your first paragraph when you stated that hips meant cool. I also really like how you use plenty of examples to strengthen your point of view.

chloecolloquy

In my first paper, I defined hip as a word that describes something that is ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’. The hard thing about being hip though is that it is constantly changing; one day it may be hip to wear bell bottom jeans and the next it may be jeggings. Since this paper, we have learned a lot more history about the word such as its hippie origins or how it is so easily influenced by music. We have also discussed how a hipster is not necessarily a hip person but occasionally the opposite. Some feel that a hipster is a person that likes to follow fashion or musical trends. Whereas the greater majority of others believe that hipsters tend to do the opposite and purposefully go against the grain listening to unknown bands and wearing disjointed clothing. I tend to agree with the later definition. Sure the word hipster contains the word hip but in reality I find hipsters to be individualistic creatures, people that wear funky clothes and act as if they don’t care what the world thinks.

For our next paper we are asked again to describe what hip means. In this paper, I will take a similar stance as described above and as I took in my first paper. Hip is essentially anything that is currently in fashion. I will elaborate on this to say that it varies depending on location, time period, and the element of a trend that one is analyzing. I will also touch on the fact that at the moment, it’s hip to be a hipster or unhip. Today, people are super focused on being individualistic. They demonstrate this by wearing clothes or styles that you don’t typically see in big box stores. However, to add to the confusion major retailers have picked up on this fad and are currently trying to sell clothes that meet such grunge or vintage standards. I will finish the paper by discussing how we are in somewhat of a conundrum for hip as it seems that we have exhausted be hip to the point where there are few more options.

srohrblog

Week 12: I understand the points you make about how hipsters aren’t necessarily “hip” though they are often given that definition. I think they can be viewed in both ways, though it depends on the person. Personally, I think today’s “hipster" goes along with the mainstream trends and fashions, but isn’t what I would consider a “true hipster”. I agree more with your definition that an actual hipster would be someone who has individualistic qualities and who is rebellious but “in the know”. This is a slightly different approach from my definition of hip, so I find it interesting that you focused more intently on the term “hipster”, though I think it’s good that you mention how the definition has changed from the past and how it is easily manipulated by music. Overall, I think you give a great understanding of the definition of the word “hip” and “hipster” from “then” to now.

thewhatiship

Week 12: To start with, I personally enjoyed the ideas you began with. In my original paper I also originally concluded that the definition of “hip” was difficult to pinpoint because it is constantly changing with the times. The cool and hip trends of today could very possibly be the past tomorrow, especially with our constantly growing society. The Point that I really wanted to talk about though was your point about society today being focused on the idea of individualism. In this era of constant change and innovation, the idea of individualism has positioned itself as the forefront of hip culture. Every entity on the internet is pushing us, its viewers, to be more than the status quo. To be “hip” in this day and age is to be an individual, and those things that define you as an individual also can now define you as a person of a stereotype.

cooljakeweaverthompson

I also defined hip as cool in my first paper. That was the first thing that popped into my head of what I thought the definition was. I like your point about how hip is always changing. I agree with that.

Free Write (11/11)

Hip’s relationship to what Douglas Ruchkoff calls “the game of likes” is dependent on one another in the online community. Their relationship goes hand in hand with each other because you cannot really have one without the other. The more likes that a tweet or post receives is makes it more hip than others. If you post a picture on instagram and it gets five thousand likes, it is more hip than another picture that only gets a hundred likes. If you post a picture and it only gets a twenty likes, you cannot call it hip because it has so few likes.

What is Hip? Reevaluation

What is hip?

My meaning of the word “hip” has not changed much since the beginning of class till now even with writing two papers about it. For our first paper, “What is Hip?,” we were asked to provide a personal definition of what hip means to us. The way I described hip was this: “The term “hip” means something different to every single individual. Hip, in the broad, universal sense, usually means cool or awesome.” So, in others words, I thought that hip meant to be cool and it means something different to everyone, which it does today; but, it is not just that. Hip also means being unique and different from everyone else. It means to dress, think, and act differently from everyone else. One thing I did not state that now is clear to me is that hip today completely contradicts what it actually meant thirty years ago. Hip was to be the opposite of being mainstream, which hip is today. Everyone tries to be unique and different. By doing this, it makes hip not hip. As hip becomes more and more mainstream, it is less and less hip. Big corporations and the internet has been the main culprits in this process. This never really occurred to me at the start of this class, but now I am realizing more about hip and its mentality. At the beginning, I really only thought that hip meant cool. I never really thought about the uniqueness hip held. It is much more that being cool.

#hip

Research Progress #2

I have found all the sources I need and I have met the peer reviewed source minimum and found overall more than 4 sources. I have read all of them and will begin writing my paper today or tomorrow.

#gentrification

Research Progress

My research has been going well. I have found 3 peer reviewed articles and 2 website articles that seem helpful. I found the peer reviewed articles from JSTOR and ProQuest. The other website articles were founded from google.

#gentrification

How did once run-down neighborhoods like Times Square and the Bowery become such gleaming jewels of New York City geography? It took time, but a process known as gentrification transformed these areas into some of the hottest properties in New York.

Change is constant in modern city life. So what do we mean by "gentrification"? How does it happen? Who wins and who loses? What comes next? Writer and urbanist Benjamin Grant explains.

Indie Then and Now (Talk Show/Source Dialogue)

On the stage of a talk show. Only the host is talking and introducing the authors coming on stage.

Me Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jake Weaver-Thompson and welcome to Late Night With JWT. We have a wonderful show for you tonight. We will be talking about Indie Then and Now; mainly how indie has changed throughout the years. For us to really dig deep into this subject, I have for you, five of the best authors of Indie pieces to help us dive in. Our first author is an American author, journalist, and an editor. Please welcome the author of Our Band Could Become Your Life, Michael Azerrad. (Crowd cheers while Michael comes out on stage and he shakes my hand)

Next, we have an American historical analyst, historian, journalist, and he wrote Alternative to What? and Why Johnny Can’t Dissent. Mr. Thomas Frank everybody.

(Crowd cheers while Thomas comes out on stage and he shakes my hand)

Me We also have an editor, journalist, and he wrote The Decade of Indie, Nitsuh Abebe. (Crowd cheers while Nitsuh comes out on stage and he shakes my hand)

Me Next to come on our show is writer, she works at University of California, Berkeley, and wrote Slanted and Enchanted, Ms. Kaya Oakes. (Crowd cheers while Kaya comes out on stage and he shakes my hand)

Me Lastly, ladies and gentlemen, we have an American nonfiction writer and poet who wrote Republic of Outsiders, Ms. Alissa Quart. (Crowd cheers while Alissa comes out on stage and he shakes my hand. Everyone is on set for the first time sitting on chairs and the couch)

Me How is everyone doing this fine evening?

Michael, Thomas, Alissa, Kaya, and Nitsuh Doing well, thank you. Thanks for having all of us on your show.

Me Oh, it’s my pleasure. We won’t beat around the bush. Let’s dive into our topic tonight. Indie Then and Now. My first question for all of you is this: How do each of you define indie, and has in changed at all?

Michael Azerrad How I would define indie and what that word really means is “DIY, do it yourself.” Another thing that indie is, is this: “purism and authenticity as well as idealism about the power of music.”

Alissa Quart I would have to agree with Michael on that. I would also like to add that indie is “today social rebels may try to bypass major manufacturers or conventional distributors.” By saying this, I mean to do things independently. In the words of Michael Azarrad, do it yourself.

Me That’s very good stuff. I never thought about it like that. Thank you Alissa and Michael. What would you say defines indie Nitsuh?

Nitsuh Abebe I would say that indie, in today’s society, has become the norm. “It’s not just the music, either. I don’t know quite when it happened, but at some point a certain vague strain of ‘indie’ dropped its last vestiges of seeming weird and became a commonplace.”

Kaya Oakes I would completely agree. Indie has become the norm in all senses. Look at Urban Outfitters. “The success of a retail chain that has exploited indie music and blatantly borrowed from crafting and DIY styles. Urban outfitters… was a junction in tune with the hippie counterculture and its taste for handcrafting.”

Thomas Frank I think Kaya hit it right on the head. “Forget the music; what we are seeing in just another overhaul of the rebel ideology that has fueled business culture ever since the 1960s, a new entrant in the long parade of ‘countercultural’ entrepreneurship.” Corporations are killing the indie mindset and what it all stands for.

Me Wow, these are all great points. Indie has definitely changed of the years. Alright, we are going to take a short break. When we come back, my indie is coming our way. (Commercials are shown, then back to the show)

Me Welcome back to Late Night with JWT. If you are just joining us, to get you caught up, we are talking about Indie then and now. I just asked our guest how they would define indie. My next question for them is what was indie like in its early years.

Thomas Frank Indie, when it began, was all about being independent and going away from the conventional norms of society. I think Michael would agree with that point.

Michael Azarrad Haha, yes I do. DIY is what indie was all about. Be independent and stop relying on others.

Kaya Oakes Indie was more than music then. It was about the underground community and culture. It was the mindset that you have.

Nitsuh Abebe For me, my favorite part of Indie was the music. That has changed though now.

Alissa Quart Indie was all about the amateurs, dreamers, and rebels. It was going against the norm and corporations.

Me More great points of how indie was in the early days. My last question for our guests is this: what has indie turned into and do you like the path that it is taking?

Kaya Oakes Indie has adopted its opposite. Indie is no longer indie. Indie is the norm in today’s society making it not indie. Everywhere you look, there indie is. The internet and clothing companies are the main reasons why indie has become the norm.

Alissa Quart Indie went from nonconformists to conformists. I hate the direction indie is headed.

Michael Azarrad I’d prefer to not even talk about the path indie has taken. It makes me sick. The meaning of indie took a complete 180 and headed in the other direction.

Nitsuh Abebe Preach brother, preach. I couldn't agree more. Indie music has even changed and split into two different groups. We have the mainstream side and the alternative side. We have a MAINSTREAM side. Are you serious?!? That’s the opposite of what we were about. It is disgusting how indie has changed over a short period of time.

Thomas Frank The only thing I have to say is this: consumerism is indie now and I can’t stand it. Big business has changed indie forever.

Me This is great stuff you guys. I would love to continue this discussion, but we are just out of time. Thanks for joining us today. We will see you tomorrow right here on the Late Night with JWT. Have a good night!!!

The main idea behind gentrification is to renovate homes and local stores in run-down urban communities, by wealthy individuals, to improve property value and to displace low-income families and businesses.

#gentrification

What happens when the hybrid hipster culture hits black America?

“Blipsters” are black hipsters. The main idea behind this style is “who cares?” “Who cares if I look how I do?” As perceived, they don't care what they are dressed in; the more obscure and crazy, the better.

#culture #blipsters

Ill Mind of Hopsin V (reflection & thoughts)

This music video is hip in the sense of the word twenty to thirty years ago because of the video being independent and different. The meaning and purpose of the music video completely contradicts what hip means to day. It is more hip in the sense of being a hipster and not wanting to be like anyone else. Hopsin was extremely original while writing this song and making the video. He took his own route and ran with it. Rap, these days, is always about getting lots of money, drinking and smoking a lot, and chasing women. This video went in the completely opposite direction. He went against what basically rap is all about. That is hip and very different. Hopsin’s purpose of making this song was to guide and tell young men and women that what they believe is fun and hip now will not benefit them later in life. He is speaking to the youth of today about how the media and their own hip hop idols have made them prioritize the wrong things. They have been shown a false reality and what is “right” in this life of ours, but in the scheme of things, is just wrong. It negatively affects them and everyone around them who cares. The main audience that Hopsin is trying to communicate with are the misguided, immature young men and women in today’s society.

#hopsin

Ill Mind of Hopsin 5

The description that I have written for this music video is this:

The music video is filmed in a basement of a house that presumable belongs to one of the young men in the video. The first scene is of the camera scanning the entire room giving the audience a sense of the surroundings. We see glow in the dark posters of ridiculous stoner characters, posters of hip hop celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, and Lil Wayne, black lights, beer bottles, a bong or two, a stereo, and a small television set. Everyone one is wearing dark clothes and there are no bright lights on at all. It seems to be just a normal day, maybe after a long day at school; then they went back to a friends house to smoke out and chill. They were bumping some music and passing a bong around amongst themselves. All of a sudden, when the camera stops scanning the room, it settles onto one spot and Hopsin appears out of nowhere. He is dressed in all white; white shoes, white pants, a white shirt, a white beanie, and his white accented contacts. This in itself means something deep. It seems as though he is angel sent down from heaven to tell them what they are doing is wrong and how they are throwing their lives away. He says that their priorities, decisions making, and goals are screwed up.

#Hopsin

chloecolloquy

Timothy Leary (10/22/1920-5/31/1996) is most commonly known today as the Harvard professor who encouraged youth to experiment with LSD. Leary was born in Massachusetts but went on to graduate from the University of Alabama and eventually continuing on to Berkley where he received his doctorate in psychology. After a few years doing research work etc. Leary accepted a job lecturing at Harvard in 1959. Leary’s first experience with taking LSD occurred during a trip to Mexico where he took mushrooms to experience the effect they may have on the mind. Once having experienced them, Leary was convinced that they opened new doors and immediately started to research them back in his lab in Harvard. Leary worked with colleagues and students on these studies and this eventually caused him problems. The issue was not necessarily that his work wasn’t scientific or valued but rather that he was allowing if not encouraging students to take LSD outside of the experiments. Once Harvard realized what Leary what promoting, they fired him, but not before the press got word of his work at Harvard. Once the scandal settled down, Leary began to write about his findings, publishing many books and continued to promote the value of psychedelic drugs through the IFIF (International Foundation for Internal Freedom) he created. Thomas Leary eventually converted to Hinduism and is most famously quoted for his line “Turn on. Tune in. Drop out.”

http://www.biography.com/people/timothy-leary-37330#experiments-with-drugs

http://www.biography.com/people/timothy-leary-37330#background-and-early-career

iamkiannavincent1

Anaconda by Nicki Minaj is a great representation of whats hip in todays culture because this song is about having a big butt, and how no one will accept you if you’re butt isn’t big enough. In the music video, she does exercises that show women how to increase butt size. She often talks about how having a huge butt is very important and how men don’t want a girl without a “thick body”. “Say he don’t like ‘em boney, he want something he can grab”& “Fu*k you if you skinny bitc*es”. These quotes are perfect because it just explains how men don’t want a skinny girl, and how women don’t accept other women who are skinny. This song definitely isn’t a good representation of women, and its very degrading, and It shows the morals and main focus of many young women in todays culture. This doesn’t apply to all women, but it clearly targets young women who are in their self conscious stages in life and want to fit in. Nicki Minaj isn’t the best role model for any young woman, but so many look up to her because she's “bad” and she has an unrealistic “perfect” body. Young women have a hard time understanding that what seems “perfect” is usually fake or surgically altered. Young women need to appreciate natural beauty and stop objectifying their bodies. Having a perfect waist and a big butt is hip now, but people take it to far when that becomes the main focus of their attention. That doesn’t just apply to women, it applies to men who look for women with the “perfect” body and demean women who don’t live up to those expectations.

The official online home of the Allen Ginsberg Estate.

I was going through Ken Goffman’s “Counterculture Through the Ages” and the first person that really caught my attention was Allen Ginsberg. Everyone that Goffman talked about before him, I knew or knew of them. That’s why I chose Ginsberg.

Allen Ginsberg was an American poet who lived from 1926 to 1997. He lived in New Jersey and New York. He was a leading member of the Beat Generation in the late 1950′s and then was also an active member in the counterculture that soon followed. Ginsberg spent lots of time in Mexico, South America, India, and some parts of Europe writing and developing multiple view points and saw things from many different perspectives.

Unit #1 Assignment

Option #3 Fly (Hopsin)

In this video, Hopsin talks about how our priorities are based off of what society shows us and we think that stuff actually matters. He says that the things that are hip or thought of to be “necessary” really don’t matter in this life. He says to focus on the things in life that make you happy, not to the people around you. Just do you.

#Hospin

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