Re Hipsters, my daughter had provided me the following explanation of hipster hierarchies, which is interesting.
"I believe you are referring to the Jordan/Austin Hipster Point Scale. This is a highly scientific point system based on embedded research conducted from 2005-2009. It's a lot like Magic Cards. You get points for doing different things: hanging out in certain coffee shops; wearing pink ironically; listening to and then getting tired of bands before they become famous so that you can then accuse them of selling out. You also lose points for various things, such as smiling too much and listening to top 40 radio. For instance, I get points for having gone to HSPVA, hanging out in the right places, and being BFFs with the Princess of Rockin' Robin (a hipster mecca), but I lose points for spending too much time at the mall. I've always maintained a negative point balance, and now that I'm in law school and enjoying it, the damage may be irreparable. Once you reach a certain threshold, say 5 points, you become a Hipster. Hipsters try desperately to look like they do not care about being cool so that they can be cool. This is a very delicate balance. Then, once you reach 20 points, you become a Scenester. Scenesters exhibit a true dedication to the lifestyle. They may forever be forced to work in retail due to their extensive tattoo work and metal facial appendages.
"Outside the scale are the Bohemians. Hipsters and Scenesters may be in bands, but they are usually an assault on the eardrums. Bohemians have actual talent, and they create the Scene. You cannot become a Bohemian, you are born one. Bohemians are not trying to be cool so much as they are suffering for their art. They are much more rare than Hipsters or Scenesters. However, it is important to remember that not everyone who produces art is a Scenester. As Taylor once remarked, "Putting paint brush to canvas does not make you an artist."
"The Scale is further supported by the work of Kathryn J. Fox in her article "Real Punks and Pretenders" (aka, an article I read in sociology class one time). In it, she describes the hierarchies of the Los Angeles punk scene. The real punks are those whose lifestyle choices prevent them from holding mainstream employment. The pretenders, however, are able to dress like punks on the weekend when they would like to attend a Casualties concert, but then convert to a more mainstream look to meet the dress code of their office jobs. See the abstract at the link below:
http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/sage/real-punks-and-pretenders-the-social-organization-of-a-counterculture-PaF8Z9FrcJ "In recent years, the hipster phenomenon has come to the attention of the general public. (
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/da5827240d/where-the-dirty-hipsters-are). More and more people are participating in the hipster lifestyle, although most will be deeply offended if you refer to them as a hipster. They existed long before this, hanging out at Diedrich's coffee and going to shows at Helios. In fact, now that the names of those establishments have changed, you get points for having been there at the time. Most people are not aware of the Point Scale system, and will refer to Hipsters, Scenesters, and Bohemians all as hipsters. The scale is much more nuanced than the common parlance on the subject."
