Hello Hipsters! (And cultural musings)

Whenever I want a good laugh, I go to answers.yahoo.com. A most entertaining website. I cannot for the life of me figure out why it is always one of the first search results on google because it is the least informative place to go for information.

It is definitely a trolls playground. Or Micah's playground I should say. A few months ago he posted a question (ok, I'll admit I helped a little) asking what kinds of baby food sweeteners he should use when introducing solid foods to our baby. On the list of things we tried he put honey. People who thought he was being serious were outraged and said things like "OMG take your baby to the hospital now" and "you are a terrible parent, don't you know what bolism is? ( I think that's how it's spelled?)"...

Still, I read something posted on answers.yahoo.com that ACTUALLY KINDOF MADE ME THINK A TINY BIT.
Here's a quote from the post:

"Yesterday, a hipster I was hanging out with, although he doesn't identify himself as one (but it's very clear he tries to be), was basically making fun of almost everyone we saw walking past. He claimed that everyone was "culturally brainwashed" and too mainstream for their own good etc. I'm not at all hipster, and I don't limit my friends to any one group (dynamic relationships create dynamic perspectives on life) but I couldn't help but think his actions were ironic.

Aren't hipsters, at least at this point in time, considered a mainstream subculture? In fact, since I live in the city of Chicago, I literally see as many hipster-wannabes as I do typical frat guys wearing the North Face. So couldn't it be argued that despite what hipsters claim they stand for, they're basically a mainstream subculture now?...

"All the "hipsters" I know act no different than the people they criticize - they shop at mainstream corporation stores such as H & M, Urban Outfitters, and American Appearance - no different than "mainstream kids" shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and American Eagle.

What do you think about hipsters? Are they contradicting themselves now?"

WELL ARE THEY!?

But let me even add to this a few of my own questions. What makes a hipster a "true" hipster? What about being "mainstream" is so abhorable to people? And why am I using so many quotation marks?

I believe much of the answer to this question lies in what I call the "hipster mentality" (there they are again). I believe The Hipster Mentality stems from behaviors in children as young as elementary school age.

SCENARIO!
Lets say you are really into dinosaurs. They are your passion and everyone knows how much you love them, and you even identify yourself as a dinosaur lover.

Then let's say you have a friend at school who hears about how much you love dinosaurs and they begin to investigate why it is you love them so much. In the end he ends up loving dinosaurs too and you think he's a GIANT COPYCAT.

Sounds so silly but we do this as adults too. Not as dramatically but I think we inwardly crave originality. This is probably a good thing in some ways, but it's also kind of a sign of immaturity. So what if you liked some indie band "before anyone else did?" Or you read the first twilight book and liked it even, but now you hate it because there are hordes of people waiting in lines to watch the multi-billion dollar film adaptation??

Some things are just popular. I don't really care. I love my Justin Bieber perfume.