What kind of phones do stereotypical hipsters have?
July 21, 2012 9:50 AM Subscribe
What is the stereotypical hipster phone? iPhone? Flip phone?
What is the stereotypical hipster computer?
Curious considering they listen to records etc. Are they rocking out to records while storing a music collection in their iPhone as well?
Curious considering they listen to records etc. Are they rocking out to records while storing a music collection in their iPhone as well?
The iPhone's not for storing my collection, just carrying around a small piece of it--32gb isn't nearly enough space for that, especially lossless.
posted by box at 9:55 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 9:55 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yup, iPhone and Macbook are the essentials.
Curious considering they listen to records etc.
I think there are people that might be called "hipsters" by others who collect records; I really highly doubt it's their only method of listening to music. They download music like everyone else.
That Mr. Show sketch where the guy drags his record player to the cafe isn't actually a thing.
posted by windbox at 9:57 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Curious considering they listen to records etc.
I think there are people that might be called "hipsters" by others who collect records; I really highly doubt it's their only method of listening to music. They download music like everyone else.
That Mr. Show sketch where the guy drags his record player to the cafe isn't actually a thing.
posted by windbox at 9:57 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Mod note: Folks, if there is an answerable question here, and I'm not sure there is, your jokes aren't helping. Okay just to think your funny answer to yourself and move on.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:02 AM on July 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:02 AM on July 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
iPhone/MacBook air.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:08 AM on July 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:08 AM on July 21, 2012 [2 favorites]
Are they rocking out to records while storing a music collection in their iPhone as well?
Vinyl releases tend to come with a code for a free digital copy of the album.
posted by griphus at 10:18 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Vinyl releases tend to come with a code for a free digital copy of the album.
posted by griphus at 10:18 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Everyone is giving the wrong answers. I'm about to give the right answer.
Flip phone, yes, but not just any flip phone. I rock a Jitterbug--no music, no camera, terribly difficult to text, weighs, like, 12 pounds. I get jealous looks whenever I pull it out, and, lemme tell you, the dial tone impresses the ladies.
This is not a joke. I logged in to metafilter for the first time in a month to post this, and I've been a hipster for a decade, you know, way before it was cool.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:22 AM on July 21, 2012 [5 favorites]
Flip phone, yes, but not just any flip phone. I rock a Jitterbug--no music, no camera, terribly difficult to text, weighs, like, 12 pounds. I get jealous looks whenever I pull it out, and, lemme tell you, the dial tone impresses the ladies.
This is not a joke. I logged in to metafilter for the first time in a month to post this, and I've been a hipster for a decade, you know, way before it was cool.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:22 AM on July 21, 2012 [5 favorites]
MacBook, one or two generations old, with a die-cut vinyl sticker, possibly incorporating the glowing apple logo.
IPhone in a visually interesting case
posted by zippy at 10:22 AM on July 21, 2012
IPhone in a visually interesting case
posted by zippy at 10:22 AM on July 21, 2012
The point of having both mp3s and records is to always have music around in some form if it's an important part of your life or identity or how you get through the day, but to also have the high-fidelity version available (records and CDs) for further enjoyment when possible. So I do defend hipsters in that regard. Re: iPhone/MacBook, that's the standard hipster combo; doesn't mean it's the only way to get your mp3 and mobile info fix, but it's often a natural choice for those in artistic fields and/or those who want to fit into that subculture.
posted by limeonaire at 10:26 AM on July 21, 2012
posted by limeonaire at 10:26 AM on July 21, 2012
I'm not sure about the phone, but for computer it's definitely a MacBook of some variety.
(My scientific method for determining this: go into a hipster-ish café, count the number of glowing apples you see upon entering.)
posted by anaximander at 10:29 AM on July 21, 2012
(My scientific method for determining this: go into a hipster-ish café, count the number of glowing apples you see upon entering.)
posted by anaximander at 10:29 AM on July 21, 2012
It may be unanswerable because there is no single hipster stereotype.
Of the people I know who wear over-sized glasses and scarfs, most have iPhones. However, most of them don't have record players. The people I know who collect records dress like NASA contractors and drink cheap coffee. They're also capable of having a conversation without pulling their phone out, so I don't know what they have.
posted by RobotHero at 10:58 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Of the people I know who wear over-sized glasses and scarfs, most have iPhones. However, most of them don't have record players. The people I know who collect records dress like NASA contractors and drink cheap coffee. They're also capable of having a conversation without pulling their phone out, so I don't know what they have.
posted by RobotHero at 10:58 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Okay, so I mostly define 'hipster' in a non-pejorative way, where it's people who have lots of friends and acquaintances, and create things and put on shows and go to events and make thoughtful aesthetic choices and stuff like that.
And by that yardstick, most of the biggest hipsters I know are (relatively) poor--and, if they're into technology at all, it's in a functional way. And so, not surprisingly, they mostly have random phones--either an old hand-me-down or whatever the phone store was giving away for free that day. Their computers (if they even have one) are, to large extent, pretty similar.
The way I use 'hipster' does not seem to be the usual way that people use it on the internet, though, so YHMM definitely V.
posted by box at 11:12 AM on July 21, 2012 [4 favorites]
And by that yardstick, most of the biggest hipsters I know are (relatively) poor--and, if they're into technology at all, it's in a functional way. And so, not surprisingly, they mostly have random phones--either an old hand-me-down or whatever the phone store was giving away for free that day. Their computers (if they even have one) are, to large extent, pretty similar.
The way I use 'hipster' does not seem to be the usual way that people use it on the internet, though, so YHMM definitely V.
posted by box at 11:12 AM on July 21, 2012 [4 favorites]
Agree with iphone/macbook.
I do worry sometimes that I may be a hipster. Um.
posted by Because at 11:50 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
I do worry sometimes that I may be a hipster. Um.
posted by Because at 11:50 AM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
It depends. If they're the BoingBoing flavor of hipsters, then it's either a jailbroken iPhone, or some oversized Android phone hacked and running a hackerspace-made fork of linux. With Instagram as the only app.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:04 PM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 12:04 PM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
…I've been a hipster for a decade…
most hipsters i know would die before they self-identified as a "hipster." you know, bc that would mean they're not as unique as they think they are.
iphone/macbook. (i live in hipster central.)
posted by violetk at 1:22 PM on July 21, 2012
most hipsters i know would die before they self-identified as a "hipster." you know, bc that would mean they're not as unique as they think they are.
iphone/macbook. (i live in hipster central.)
posted by violetk at 1:22 PM on July 21, 2012
Depending on the specific type of hipster, I'd say try a SpareOne and a quirky little Taiwanese netbook coupled with a purposeful superiority, or an iPhone and top-of-the-range MacBook Pro coupled with a cultivated deliberate technophobic/cluelessness.
posted by Magnakai at 4:48 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by Magnakai at 4:48 PM on July 21, 2012
Erm, I have both an iPhone and a Macbook Pro (several years old). I am not even remotely a hipster - I listen to country music, and not fancy-ass alt-country either, but Nashville country. Also, I wouldn't know how where to find vinyl if you paid me. I just like Apple products, perhaps?
posted by timetoevolve at 11:50 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by timetoevolve at 11:50 PM on July 21, 2012
Yeah, hipsters come in different flavors. iPhone is most popular... But isn't the iPhone pretty much the go-to in a broader sense? I don't think the iPhone or MacBook or iPad being popular with hipsters says much about hipster tastes as much as it does about urban 20-30 somethings. Professional suit bro or preppy girl or IT nerd or hipster or whatever other stereotype you want.
posted by Windigo at 1:19 AM on July 22, 2012
posted by Windigo at 1:19 AM on July 22, 2012
Mod note: Sorry guys, but this can't really be a discussion about who is/isn't a hipster. If you think you know what the popular/general idea of a "hipster" is and what specific device they are likely to favor, go ahead and offer your observation, but we need to stick to the question, such as it is.
posted by taz (staff) at 2:36 AM on July 22, 2012
posted by taz (staff) at 2:36 AM on July 22, 2012
I think there are 2 questions:
1.What's a hipster phone?
2.What phone do most hipsters have?
For 1 I'd say a non-smart phone, probably something old with cache, like a Nokia candy bar phone. As far as computer, their old MacBook, pre-unibody style.
For 2, well, most everyone has either an iPhone or an android (whatever was cheap and new when they got their last carrier subsidy), and the new MacBook laptops seem ubiquitous. I think the only group that that differentiates hipsters from though is hardcore nerds, corporate drones, and Luddites.
posted by Salamandrous at 11:51 AM on July 22, 2012
1.What's a hipster phone?
2.What phone do most hipsters have?
For 1 I'd say a non-smart phone, probably something old with cache, like a Nokia candy bar phone. As far as computer, their old MacBook, pre-unibody style.
For 2, well, most everyone has either an iPhone or an android (whatever was cheap and new when they got their last carrier subsidy), and the new MacBook laptops seem ubiquitous. I think the only group that that differentiates hipsters from though is hardcore nerds, corporate drones, and Luddites.
posted by Salamandrous at 11:51 AM on July 22, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lemur at 9:54 AM on July 21, 2012 [12 favorites]