Hipster-ville

If America is the world's melting pot, then New York City is the amalgam of our great nation's cultures. Our cover spread this week reveals a television crossover between the United Kingdom and the United States, but here I'll point out a more resented and localized crossover — the manifestation of the hipster subculture.
Growing up in Brooklyn led me to realize that none of the borough's residents really wanted to stay there; rather, the end goal was to move on up a few stories and live in "the city." (Side note: The biggest tourist giveaway is when anyone calls it "Manhattan" during normal conversation.)
But as time passed, it seemed like roughing it in the 'burbs ended up being the more affordable option for many, and the hipster subculture emerged. Here, nightclubs and bars are just as modern but instead of radio-hit remixes and DJ Tiesto playing, you can hear local indie acts amid Yelle, Empire of the Sun and Grizzly Bear. Just don't make the mistake of calling anyone a hipster, because they will deny it to a cocaine death.
Although many are apathetic to this flannel-sporting, thick-rimmed glasses-wearing, Pabst Blue Ribbon-drinking culture because it prides itself on irony and pretension, the nationalization of this group's image has become a complete market unto itself. There is not a single clothing store that does not sell a plaid or flannel shirt, and Urban Outfitters and American Apparel sales are at an extreme high. Blogs run by Brooklynites make a fair amount of ad revenue and eventually grace the shelves of Barnes and Noble in book form. Example: latfh.com (Look at this F---ing Hipster) started — and still flourishes — as a tumblr that posts photos and videos of the most stereotypical and crazy-looking of the bunch, and now has expanded to become a multi-volume series of books sold worldwide.
So this goes out to you — the people around Rutgers who believe that any "hipsters" around here are mere poseurs of this supposedly whacked-out and pretentious subculture in Brooklyn. If you've ever given Animal Collective or MGMT a listen — or have even thought about trying on a pair of skinny jeans or a plaid shirt — you too are a victim of circumstance. It's only a short matter of time before hipsters are merely mainstream and generic.