So, the debate continues around Nevius’s article about the Tenderloin getting “trendy”. Today, he put up a blog post which covers a great deal of the discussions we had about his article after it was published, and he freely admits to not being in the know. Again, overall we thought the article was good for its format (it’s the Chron, after all), but the whole hipster thing got out of hand and reeked of some higher up, “knowing better”. One can only hope that the reactions might show them the error of their ways, but that’s probably doubtful.
But, out of all of this came a real gem of hipster definition by espresso69 in the comments of the Nevius’ blog post:
If someone calls you a hipster and your immediate response is laughter- you’re probably OK
If someone calls you a hipster and your immediate response is denial and a feeling of being under attack? Brother/Sister- you probably are guilty as charged.
Answer the following as honestly as you can:
1. Do you have a bike and do you ride it everywhere you go?
2. Do you live in the Mission because “it has everything”?
3. Do you have clothing or accessories with birds painted on them?
4. Do you wear woolen and or odd shaped hats regardless of the weather?
5. Do you visit McSweeny’s or other related sites more than three times a week?
6. Has a “design” project of yours ever been featured on Laughningsquid.com
7. Have you ever considered moving the Brooklyn or Portland or Austin?
8. Have you ever defended the “aural aesthetics” of ’70′s “Yacht Rock”?
9. Tim & Eric? Pretty funny, huh?
10. Do you smoke American Spirits because “they don’t have any many toxins”?
and lastly-
11. Have you ever played, or have listened to a close friend play, a ukulele at Dolores Park?If you have answered yes to 3 or more of the above, well, you are a hipster…have fun listening to the new Bon Iver album (on vinyl hopefully-that’s how it sounds best)
And naturally, it begs the age-old question: Is there actually such a thing as a “loinster” as opposed to a regular hipster (take a look here) or is it more a case of, “like whatever, shut up”?
10 Comments until now
What the hell is “Yacht Rock”?! (Am too lazy to look it up.)
Cheesy shit you’d in theory listen to on a yacht. It’s a lot like White Zinfandel being “jacuzzi wine”.
I assume by “loinster” you’re not referring to the crackheads, winos, and other poor, crazy types who inhabit the sidewalks, nor do you mean the recent immigrant families from the Middle East or East Asia.
As a variation on hipster, I would say that a loinster regularly shops at the Goodwill on Geary. A loinster can put the face to a number of regular taggers who mark up the ‘Loin on a nightly basis. Loinsters may have moved to the ‘Loin from Portland, Austin or Brooklyn, but most likely from SoCal. Loinsters aren’t afraid to admit they get food from Pizza Hut, Subway, or the combination KFC/Taco Bell. Loinsters will eat a $75 dinner then have High Lifes and Jamesons afterwards. Loinsters know more Muslims by name (from the various bodegas, liquor stores and cafes in the TL) than they do Jews. And Loinsters know that anyone who moves from the TL to the Mission is a traitor.
That’s about all I can think of.
I’m pretty stoked that the definitions of what’s “hipster” are becoming so broad and changing so rapidly that no one can quite follow it at all. Come on dudes, Yacht Rock was cool like five years ago! Hip kids don’t play ukuleles at dolores park, they’re busy using their bongo knives. McSweeny’s isn’t really “hip” either (it’s good though!).
and lots of people who are totally un-hip do all the other things on the list.
Bah. A proper “loinster” doesn’t care about anyone moving from the TL to the Mission, or anywhere else. All they want to know is (a) were they driven out by the roaches/bedbugs/neighbours and (b) is their apartment available and (c) how much is it? Your average “lointser” is quite likely to be a recent immigrant (like me), possibly crazy (like me), enjoys drugs (like me) but mostly doesn’t give a flying fuck about most things and is more interested in how they can live well and eat well cheaply so they can live free of the corporate scourge.
Meanwhile I plan on fighting vermin with vermin. I’m breeding a race of super-bedbugs some of which I will be surreptitiously be slipping into the pockets of hipsters I see frequenting the loin. Eventually they’ll get the message, or be devoured by the bugs.
high school is permanent
“kill hipsters” scrawl in the bathroom at Amsterdam Cafe. Could have been a ‘loinster or a hipster trying to be ironic. The world may never know.
http://tumblr.com/xue3f6d7m8
Speaking of Amsterdam, the owner is doing a Mikkeller Night, a gypsy brewery out of Denmark, this Wednesday, July 20. Not sure which brews they’ll have available special. Had some of their tastier pale ales in the past though out of the bottle – good stuff. Stop on by after work!
this blog, this post, is all stupid
none of you are from san francisco, let alone the tenderloin
please go away
I’ve been of the opinion that anonymous comments are more stupid, especially when coming from people working at the Twitter offices.
We should get a drink someday though, stupidblog. I’ll bring along all my family’s San Francisco County birth and death certificates for conversation.
I like the ‘please go away’ part. This website didn’t enter its URL into your browser by itself.