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Hipster

I was not sure of the exact definition of the word hipster - except in reference to an article of clothing. I could not have asked for a more succinct explanation than this.

An artificial appropriation of different styles from different eras, the hipster represents the end of Western civilization – a culture lost in the superficiality of its past and unable to create any new meaning. Not only is it unsustainable, it is suicidal. While previous youth movements have challenged the dysfunction and decadence of their elders, today we have the “hipster” – a youth subculture that mirrors the doomed shallowness of mainstream society.

It is a great article about the malaise of cultural vacuity that spreads beyond the West, invading public and private spaces alike. Being cool and hip is no longer about "being" anything at all. It is no longer about a state of mind or a world-view but about acquiring the accouterments associated with that culture. Like a stage prop, there is nothing behind the facade of "cool'.
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