By Katie McHugh
On March 4, hipsters and hipster sympathizers everywhere united for “a day of peace” much to the annoyance of normal people, cool people and people who properly capitalize words.
They want to create as big an impact as possible with their noble goal of “making the world a little more bearable.”
Yes, the glorious goal of not going out of one’s way to trip someone or make fun of them is indeed laudable and the whole world should hail.
Who do hipsters think they are?
Are they just always this miserable?
Why do they have to inflict well-balanced people with their lame and solipsistic philosophizing?
Here are their three rules guaranteed to better the plight of man:
“Say not a single unkind thing about anyone or anything. If at all possible, try not to even think a nasty thought. If we do, reflect on why it was that we thought to say it in the first place.”
Listen, if I refrained from thinking unkind or unpleasant thoughts, I’d have no brain activity beyond that of a comatose slug.
I’m human.
My flaws are clear to me and so are other people’s.
Is it a crime to notice?
Politically incorrect jokes make me laugh.
But I guess I’ll have to sober up and take life more seriously, like a hipster.
Those people are obviously the epitome of clearheaded, somber stoicism.
“Show everyone we cross paths with some genuine human compassion. Be it with a smile or kind words, just spread some love.”
Yeah, I think I’ll skip smiling cheerily at the creep leering at me from across McKinley’s and the driver who almost runs me over at the crosswalk.
“Make not one person the exception to the rule. Not everyone deserves to have roses thrown at their feet and have a holiday in their honor, but nobody deserves to feel alone. Reach out. Talk to someone new. Care about them, and we will be cared for in return.”
Okay, hipsters.
Maybe you guys haven’t heard, but no one owes anyone anything.
So some people feel lonely.
That’s so sad!
Maybe we could “raise awareness” for them and their sadness.
Let’s have “a day of sadness” in which we march down Brooks walk crying quietly to ourselves while listening to Spoon.
Fortunately, the internet has its fair share of people like me, who are comfortable with the hatred embedded deep in the fiber of their being.
“A day of hate” was held in our honor. The introduction to the day of hate reads as follows:
“I have an idea for a day of war. a day where everyone just hates everyone else and kills each other. a day where we ignore any instilled moral values and go primal on everyone’s ass.”
Tell me more!
“Call everyone rude names and use every obscene word you know… often.”
Sounds like a normal day to me so far…how “ironic.”
“Fight. A lot. Use nunchuks, swords, hammers, slingshots, whatever. Just try to make everyone bleed all over the place. I’m too lazy to go make more rules. FUCK the ‘a day of peace’ event going around. We’re humans, dammit, and we aren’t made to be accepting.”
That’s right. I celebrated “a day of hate” by doing what I always do: not wearing 80’s style glasses, listening to bands people have heard of, not having enough money to buy a MacBook but enough to buy normal shoes, and just enjoying my life as an element of the anti-hipster portion of healthy society.
but what is yellow journalism • Apr 26, 2013 at 10:43 am
“my flaws are clear to me and so are other people’s.” WELL not to beat a dead horse here but methinks you may lack some clarity in that general area. i base that assumption off of the fact that you just wrote a rather tedious article about the “flawed” desire for compassion and peace. an interesting take on things, coming from a middle class white girl living in America, a country whose people haven’t been subjected to war or invasion and violence in hundreds of years and who, i might argue after reading this article, may not understand just how astoundingly and profoundly lucky they are to have been born into the circumstances they were born into. i would feel bad for you girl, cause all that negativity in your head must be a real bitch to deal with, but for some reason i just can’t seem to muster any compassion on your behalf. i wonder why?
Anonymous • Sep 23, 2011 at 2:30 am
Hey guys,
We are closing comments on articles from last year. This one’s still pretty active, so I thought I’d give any would-be commenters a heads up, so you know we’re not ignoring you.
Thanks,
Dan Bauer
Editor-in-chief of Web content
Nikki • Sep 12, 2011 at 9:31 pm
This article just makes me sorry that you have such an unhealthy mindset.
Kelly • Sep 8, 2011 at 4:26 pm
This article is so poorly written that it fails to make sense at all, and for that reason, does not offend me.
It does make me worry about a potential staffing shortage on The Campus though–I hope some more promising writers decide to join the staff, for the sake of the student body and whoever else reads The Campus.
John • Apr 1, 2011 at 2:03 pm
I think its hilarious that people are offended by the term “hipster,” but when someone is good with computers its those same people calling them “geeks” and “nerds.” Weird how that works.
Harris Mecido • Mar 22, 2011 at 4:48 pm
I enjoyed Ms. McHugh’s musings. As the article indicates, the most pedantic and myopic people tend to be politically correct. How can you expect to be taken seriously if your appreciation of humor lacks lacks sophistication?
Bess Green • Mar 20, 2011 at 1:56 pm
This article is hilarious. Lighten up and have a sense of humor.
Class of '10 • Mar 19, 2011 at 10:23 am
Other things that are hipster, according to Katie McHugh-
1. Defect spending
2. Civil Rights Legislation
3. Panic! At the Disco
4. holding the door open for someone
5. Alternative Energy Sources
6. Taxing people who make >$250,000 annually
7. Kanye West Shutter Shades
8. People who drink black coffee
9. stem cell research
I think??? not really sure what I’m supposed to get from this??
Don’t we hate hipsters because they’re judgmental and unwilling to accept a view outside of their own? Or do we actually hate them because of the wolf shirts?
And why did this article receive more comments and attention than the one saying feminism “denies the obvious physical, psychological, intellectual and emotional differences between men and women” ???
Why too did the Campus feel the need to print either of those articles? Is the participation in the news room so low that they have no choice but to print these, above all, *poorly written* diatribes? Or are they trying to stir something up so they can have another opportunity to write a stirring letter from the editor about freedom of speech?
I agree that providing an outlet for any student to express themselves in a constructive, well thought out way SHOULD be the purpose of a student paper’s opinion page, and that it’s completely appropriate. Can we at least work with authors to give their editorials a thesis or a point? At least something other than poorly constructed sentences about the people the author hates?
To the Campus: you don’t need to print shitty journalism to make a point about freedom of speech.
To Katie McHugh: Please continue to write in to the campus–All points of view should have equal opportunity to be expressed–but please learn to write like a human.
To everyone commenting on this and not on other, actually inflammatory, interesting, or thought provoking articles the campus has actually published: if you’re insecure about the fact you might be a hipster, it’s okay, apparently there are plenty of people at AC that you can commisserate with. Instead of getting pissy about the fact that McHugh is throwing around words that don’t make sense, maybe try to read and comment on articles that don’t have lame 2011 insults in the headline.
Great job all around!!
John • Apr 1, 2011 at 2:05 pm
perhaps you should look up the phrases “sarcasm” or “satire,” or better yet check out the website stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. Lighten up.
Kate • Mar 18, 2011 at 9:51 am
I’ve read two of Ms. McHugh’s articles and that was enough to thoroughly disgust me. Why is this person allowed a platform upon which to spew her un-funny, un-talented hate speech? Please, for the good of humanity and literate people everywhere, resign your post.
Jarrett Masunaga • Mar 17, 2011 at 11:37 am
Frankly it’s not that the opinion here is offensive so much
as the fact that it doesn’t seem to say anything. The “day of
peace” is ridiculous and meaningless? Is this your thesis? So what?
Are you trying to tell us that peace advocacy is a liberal plot or
something? It seems to me like the day just stinks of liberalism
and so you have to spew hatred about it even though you don’t know
what the fuck you’re talking about. And no I’m not using the term
“don’t know what you’re talking about” as a generic insult, I mean
that you really don’t seem to know what it is you want to say, what
you’re railing against, or what you’re railing in favor of. By the
way, is this the same Katie McHugh who said that Allegheny is
closed minded and obsessed with upholding the establishment because
we don’t welcome the ideas of Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh?
Typical white female. (See that? I just used irony. I know how to
hipster.)
Alex Lee • Mar 16, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Katie McHugh, your prose makes me sick. Get a grip. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about when you mention hipsters. Youre just trying to create distractions from the topic and stir up hatred for our fellow peers by stereotyping and falling back on the same old cliches. As for everyone else, put your name on your opinions if you actually believe in them.
upset student • Mar 13, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Your article displays a strong sense of intolerance and hatred towards many living on this campus (including staff). You take a term such as hipster which refers mainly to the beat generation in the 1950s or now the stereotype of the Williamsberg brooklynite hipster and use it as a disguise for your real agenda: to attack liberal politics. Your consistent use of the word “hipster” not only discredits your argument but makes you sound unintelligent and uncultured.
Your criticizing a day in which there is a non-violent protest, in order to recognize the numerous hate crimes that have recently occurred on campus, but for what reason? Because you feel threatened? In no way is the march attacking or targeting you as a person, but for some reason you take high offense to the issues at large. Your ideas of hatred towards people are abominable and serve only to make this campus a less safer and tolerant place, with every word you spew. The definition of being a human being is bestowing a sense of compassion and understanding onto one another.It is what separates us from being animals! However, you generalize us with your ideas of hatred as though we are just a bunch of uncivilized animals who have no moral character or cannot demonstrate restraint.
You state “Listen, if I refrained from thinking unkind or unpleasant thoughts, I’d have no brain activity beyond that of a comatose slug.” It seems a little sad that all you think about is hatred and hating others.With such a view point like that, no wonder what you write is completely deficient of any competence or skill.
Concerned Individual • Mar 12, 2011 at 9:26 pm
I think it’s clear to everybody that in your own words: “if I refrained from thinking unkind or unpleasant thoughts, I’d have no brain activity beyond that of a comatose slug.” What I want to know is why you CELEBRATE this viewpoint? Almost anybody in the world, and any clinical psychologist, (not just “hipsters”) will tell you that you’re going to live a miserable and unfulfilled life if every thought in your head is unpleasant. I see no relationship between hipsters and normal, good-hearted individuals trying to make the world a better place – no relationship, that is, except that you seem to hate both groups equally.
Just for fun, I’ve rewritten the beginning of your article, except instead of discussing the terrible “hipsters,” I’m talking about… well, you.
::
On March 4, sad bitter people and their sympathizers everywhere united for “a day of hate” much to the annoyance of kind, understanding people and people who don’t care if words are capitalized.
They want to create as big an impact as possible with their ignoble goal of “making the world a little less bearable.”
Yes, the glorious goal of going out of one’s way to trip someone or make fun of them is indeed laudable and the whole world should hail.
Who do these venomous people think they are?
Are they just always this spiteful?
[Perhaps even more importantly…]
Why do they have to inflict well-balanced people with their lame and solipsistic philosophizing?
Amy Zhan • Mar 12, 2011 at 2:00 pm
You have to pay a troll toll to see the boy’s hole.
But trolling aside, its also very lovely for the Campus to put out an article like this in conjunction to a campus wide “March against Hate” event taking place. But I would recommend readers before they waste their times answering to this article, like I’m doing now, to divert their attentions from such blog-like rant pieces and focus instead on major events happening locally and worldwide, such as the March against Hate, the Japanese quake/tsunami disaster, etc.etc.etc.
Steve • Mar 12, 2011 at 2:04 am
Joke comment: I always assumed hipsters were apathetic and against the main stream? So how can this be a ‘hipster-holiday’? Almost seems like a conspiracy to subversively control hipsters. Or in fact simply a contradiction to try and organize or categorize hipsters into a national/global movement for a singular cause.
Hipster? • Mar 11, 2011 at 9:09 pm
I don’t consider myself a hipster, but I think that the day of peace is an important day to celebrate and it is completely pathetic that someone can be so hate and spite filled to chastize this holiday by claiming it to be nothing more than a moot attempt for social advancement by these so-called hippies. How terrible is your life that you find it necessary to sneer at others and not care about the feelings and emotions of those around you? The day of peace is simply a call to take time out of our self-consumed lives to realize that there are people around us who are suffering from hate and predjudice. It is a day to put aside our differences and love those around us simply because we are all human and deserve to be loved and accepted by one another. Your proclaimed theory that we have primal instincts to be hateful and violent are so far from the truth that I wonder how you came to this knowledge. It is proven that even our earliest ancestors lived in colonies that worked together for the good of the community, not themselves. To claim that we are instinctually mean is a misinterpretation of the concept of fear of the “other”. Yes it is true that throughout history war and other crimes have been committed due to people believing that those different from them are not worthy of the same human rights; however, this is acceptable is completely ascenine. Thankfully there are very few people like you in this world, otherwise slavery and even holocaust actions would still be rampent in our society. Unfortunately, hatred and predjudice do still exsist, and the day of peace is trying to reduce the number of hate crimes and violence that occur in our society.
Sid V. • Mar 11, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Socalled Hiptster,
I never thought I’d be able to agree with this particular author on anything but I find myself agreeing with her and thinking you’re an ass. I assume you’re participating in the “Day of Peace” well look at the 4th sentence or the last sentence in your first post…seems like you’re a little more involved in the “Day of Hate”. Perhaps you should rethink your position in a context that accords the same respect you request to others with differing opinions. Your bigotry feeds our prejudice and disapproval. Also I would like to say that I have a general dislike of hipsters and I’m part of another “outgroup” so it’s not just those evil conformists.
“To hate is to show you still care”–Henry Rollins
Not a Hipster • Mar 11, 2011 at 6:16 pm
I’m not a hipster, and I have even teased my friends from time to time for possessing “hipster” qualities, but this article was kind of offensive, even to me. Just because a group of people out there (which, by the way, I wouldn’t characterize as hipster at all, just because some of the people celebrating happen to “belong” to that subculture…) wants life to be a little more pleasant, FOR EVERYONE, for a DAY doesn’t mean they’re bad people. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy and see the people around you be happy as well.
If you want get your kicks by being a judgmental asshole, which is apparently the case, Socalled Hipster is right, you should probably see the counseling center. It’s probably not healthy for you or anyone else you interact with. But hopefully the rest of us are at peace enough with ourselves not to be too affected by your malicious attitude. Celebrate hatred all you want; see where that gets you in the long run. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
Classify them what you may, but bashing people for for wanting to be nice is just unnecessary.
Socalled Hipster • Mar 11, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Ever think that it has more so to do with you than the group as a whole? maybe you just don’t understand our humor or maybe you’re clearly judgmental and that puts people on edge. Either way you’re demonstrating prejudice and disapproval for an outgroup based on what i can only assume is from a lack of interaction and stereotypes. good job social conformists, we strive on your bigotry.
Socalled Hipster • Mar 11, 2011 at 2:02 pm
I found this to be very rude and close minded. The “day of peace” is just one day where people are encouraged to be a kinder, what’s so wrong with that? Do you enjoy it when people are rude to you? If you do you might want to stop by the counseling center because dude, you’ve got some problems. Not only “hipsters” believe that the world could be a much easier place if people were kinder, when did the human race lose that kind of compassion. By celebrating the “day of hate” you are promoting the idea that everyone can be a dick to everyone else and it doesn’t matter. Forgive me for wanting one day, just one day out of the year where people are just a little bit nicer. Just remember, all those “hipsters” believe in karma and if you’re a mean person, the world will get back at you.
Pro-Hipster • Mar 11, 2011 at 4:32 pm
You expect hipsters to have a since of humor as you attack a facebook event that you’ve decided they are associated with? Ha, I doubt anyone in the same position as them would be cracking up about this.