What is a hipster anyway...?
Well may you ask. And it's a valid question if the premise of the blog is to give its readers the ability to transform into the new hipcats of Japan (like Pokemon with less oddly named cartoon critters and more instructional prose...)
"Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter.
Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses. Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs."
Interesting (also mildly hilarious that every poster on Urban Dictionary tries to write in a legitimately "serious" dictionary style).
Surely though there is more to "hipsterdom" than skinny jeans, geek glasses and vintage?
A key aspect of hipster fashion, humor and attitude is irony. As it is a sub-culture that springs from post-modernism even the name "hipster" is ironic; as it is post-cool, post-hip, post-trend, post-fashion. As Encyclopedia Dramatica will tell you (another worthy source):
"The "Hipster"'s lifestyle is shrouded in a mystical rhetorical substance known as "irony". It is said that "hipness" manifests itself in areas where there is the most irony. Irony is a difficult concept to understand, so perceiving it takes hipness in itself. Irony can also be perceived or created out of such things that are "unhip". Where ever the irony is, once perceived by the "hipster", the "hipster" must begin to decode the irony for hidden messages and must take the messages of the great "hip" to heart. If you see a "hipster" lethargic on the couch watching "Gillian's Island", this is what he is trying to do."
A hipster in Melbourne (a shy beast found mainly in areas such as Fitzroy, St Kilda and Brunswick possibly drinking a soy based beverage) might wear a "Beaches" tshirt as part of an ironic statement against naff 1980's melodrama (or a secret harboring of love for the Midler). This would be considered funny in its brazen irony by their hipster friends and so the uncool act of plastering Bette Midler across your chest at VegieBar becomes "hip".
It is essential we understand the concept of irony and the "hip" in Australia or New York if we are going to grasp the ideas (and differences) of "hipness" in Japan.
Irony as a concept is not an organically Japanese notion. Irony, sarcasm and cynicism are all represented by the exact same word in Japanese (hiniku 皮肉). This has lead to a perception that Japan has an inability to understand irony in humor when a slapstick style is more traditionally favored. (See forums on JapanReference or Denshi Jisho)
This is not uncommon in other Asian nations either, for example Slate Magazine published an interesting and quite apt article by David Goodman on the subject of irony being lost on Chinese audiences in relation to the "fixie" (fixed-gear or no gear) bike trend that was popularized by the Western hipster scene.
In it Goodman attests to the difficulties of irony translating in China through a quote by Juanjuan Wu, a professor at the University of Minnesota and author of Chinese Fashion From Mao to Now:
"Hipster fashion only really works by communicating your irony—in other words, someone needs to 'get it.' Hipster irony in dress would most likely be misinterpreted in Chinese society as simple poverty or weirdness."
So how can hipster culture that is so intrinsically linked with notions of irony survive in Japan? Because irony does indeed exist in Japan. But why Japan if not China?
Perhaps we can refer back to Douglas McGray's article Japan's Gross National Cool from my last entry in order for a comparison and explanation to present itself.
Japan and China are historically very different and yet in broad factors strikingly similar. Both are steeped in a tradition of complex hierarchy and Confucianism (Japan's experience was slightly different but the essentials are there), both had experiences as strong national powers, both saw this power collapse or erode through war and tension in a similar time(Japan in the World Wars, China after the Civil War), both were forced to rebuild their society and culture after these events.
However the main difference between Japan and China is that while China became insular and closed off from globalizing influence under Communism, Japan chose to rebuild with aforementioned "fusing elements of other national cultures into one coherent whole".
McGray attests this process of globalized cultural trait formation has continued. So this may explain why youth in China can't understand the irony of a fixie while Japanese hipsters laugh it up in their ironic glasses, bow tie and Diff'rent Strokes Tees.
No comments:
Post a Comment