Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

David Bowie? Too soon. Tupac? Too soon. Buddy Holly? Still too soon.

Bono or Kanye West? Go right ahead.

No dead Bowie jokes, please.
No dead Bowie jokes, please.

Dear Hipster:

In the world of perpetual hipster irony, what, if anything, is sacred anymore?

— Dave B.

Sponsored
Sponsored

You might be forgiven for thinking that our cultural moment, which in its time has boasted such insensitive occurrences as Hipster Hitler and other such “too soon” jests, respects no boundaries when it comes time to crack funny at the expense of others. But, like the sword-dueling immortals in the Highlander franchise who will not fight each other on “holy ground,” even the most jaded hipsters adhere to a kind of code placing certain subjects off limits.

Some things are exactly as you’d expect: you never laugh about adorable kids with terminal illnesses; even the ugliest, most ill-tempered stray dogs get a pass on account of their status as the victims of animal abuse; and any joke about slavery never lands well so don’t even try no matter how funny you are.

There are some hipster-specific taboos. The most noteworthy one is probably how it’s always too soon to joke about dead rock musicians. David Bowie? Too soon. Tupac? Too soon. Buddy Holly? Still too soon, even though homeboy has been dead considerably longer than I’ve been alive.

It doesn’t have to be a dead beloved rock star such as David Bowie. Even musicians most of you never cared about — such as the singer from Linkin Park, or half of Lynyrd Skynyrd — remain off limits for hipsters, because even a musician you don’t care about is still cooler than 99 percent of humanity. Of course, this prohibition doesn’t apply to living musicians. You want to take a dig at Bono or Kanye West? Go right ahead. I won’t stop you. But once they die, that’s it. Untouchable.

Dear Hipster:

So, I bought at a GW the other day what I thought would be the coolest thing ever: a hand-cranked pasta maker. I was so excited about it. I had all these great visions of hosting dinner parties where I would serve handmade ravioli, stuffed with exotic meats and cheeses, to my friends; all of whom would compliment me. It would have been wonderful. Anyways, what a pain in the butt. It turns out making your own pasta involves a staggering amount of work. I am disinclined, but at the same time I feel this weird sense of guilt over not wanting to put in the effort, like somehow I’m failing some hipster test. Is this what life has come to, a constant game of keeping up with the hipster Joneses? If so, something has certainly got to give.

— Perfectly Happy With Trader Joe’s Ravioli

Lots of things are like this — appealing on the surface, but maybe more hassle than they’re worth in the long run. For example, you might consider getting yourself a parrot. You could teach it to sit on your shoulder, and squawk at passers by. You’re a pirate now! That would be cool, right? Yarr...if’n you don’t overmuch mind the bird shit and claw marks, that is.

Of course, some people don’t mind the bird shit. It’s totally worth it to them, because whatever peculiar value they derive from the activity more than offsets the costs. But keep in mind it’s always better to find something worth it to you than it is to go around worrying about the parrots you’re not carrying around on your shoulder.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

When Rafael Payare met with Irwin Jacobs

The new Music Center is a heavenly hall
Next Article

San Diego Reader Best of 2024

A world-class museum, best drinking, best eating, best shops, ups and downs of Del Cerro, parent-friendly playgrounds, peaceful, eaze-y feeling
No dead Bowie jokes, please.
No dead Bowie jokes, please.

Dear Hipster:

In the world of perpetual hipster irony, what, if anything, is sacred anymore?

— Dave B.

Sponsored
Sponsored

You might be forgiven for thinking that our cultural moment, which in its time has boasted such insensitive occurrences as Hipster Hitler and other such “too soon” jests, respects no boundaries when it comes time to crack funny at the expense of others. But, like the sword-dueling immortals in the Highlander franchise who will not fight each other on “holy ground,” even the most jaded hipsters adhere to a kind of code placing certain subjects off limits.

Some things are exactly as you’d expect: you never laugh about adorable kids with terminal illnesses; even the ugliest, most ill-tempered stray dogs get a pass on account of their status as the victims of animal abuse; and any joke about slavery never lands well so don’t even try no matter how funny you are.

There are some hipster-specific taboos. The most noteworthy one is probably how it’s always too soon to joke about dead rock musicians. David Bowie? Too soon. Tupac? Too soon. Buddy Holly? Still too soon, even though homeboy has been dead considerably longer than I’ve been alive.

It doesn’t have to be a dead beloved rock star such as David Bowie. Even musicians most of you never cared about — such as the singer from Linkin Park, or half of Lynyrd Skynyrd — remain off limits for hipsters, because even a musician you don’t care about is still cooler than 99 percent of humanity. Of course, this prohibition doesn’t apply to living musicians. You want to take a dig at Bono or Kanye West? Go right ahead. I won’t stop you. But once they die, that’s it. Untouchable.

Dear Hipster:

So, I bought at a GW the other day what I thought would be the coolest thing ever: a hand-cranked pasta maker. I was so excited about it. I had all these great visions of hosting dinner parties where I would serve handmade ravioli, stuffed with exotic meats and cheeses, to my friends; all of whom would compliment me. It would have been wonderful. Anyways, what a pain in the butt. It turns out making your own pasta involves a staggering amount of work. I am disinclined, but at the same time I feel this weird sense of guilt over not wanting to put in the effort, like somehow I’m failing some hipster test. Is this what life has come to, a constant game of keeping up with the hipster Joneses? If so, something has certainly got to give.

— Perfectly Happy With Trader Joe’s Ravioli

Lots of things are like this — appealing on the surface, but maybe more hassle than they’re worth in the long run. For example, you might consider getting yourself a parrot. You could teach it to sit on your shoulder, and squawk at passers by. You’re a pirate now! That would be cool, right? Yarr...if’n you don’t overmuch mind the bird shit and claw marks, that is.

Of course, some people don’t mind the bird shit. It’s totally worth it to them, because whatever peculiar value they derive from the activity more than offsets the costs. But keep in mind it’s always better to find something worth it to you than it is to go around worrying about the parrots you’re not carrying around on your shoulder.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jacobs Music Center Grand Opening

The concert did what it was designed to do
Next Article

Clikatat Ikatowi returns to the Casbah for October 8 show

Venue saw the band’s last performance over a quarter century ago
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader