The “hipster” – legitimate cultural phenomena or overused punch line? As the young and the over-caffeinated discover ever more banal and superficial means of self-expression and fronting authenticity, the rest of society looks on in disgust.
Current trends indicate that the proliferation of hipsterdom has spurred on a parallel industry of bloggers, commentators, and inspired cynics to reaction. The quantity of rolled-eyes and judgmental stares is proportionally tracking the sales in raw denim and aviators.
“Bullshit Hipster Bike Videos” is a relative newcomer to the cacophony of grumpy social critics incensed at the sight of the displaced café lumberjack. Since its inception in August of 2013, the author of the blog has excoriated these neo-café racers, amateur moto-philosophers, and urban aesthetes with their penchant for “classic” metal.
Motorcycling has provided fertile ground for the young, urban, and bearded (aka “Yubbies”) to enact their perennial fantasies of individualism, historical cultural authenticity and freedom.
For some unfathomable reason, the Yubbies have managed to fold in motorcycling as a natural ancillary activity to their preoccupations in crepe-soled leather boots, piercings, coffee, and toeing the contradiction between drinking working-class and/or craft beer.
I’m not really bothered with it all. If folks want to front a vintage style whilst filming their weekly city boulevard cruise, thinking themselves a hybrid of Brando, McQueen, and Paul Bunyan, then so be it; there are far worse things to fantasize about.
Comments