Amidst a sea of coffee drinkers wearing thick-rimmed glasses, manicured facial hair, skinny jeans and general expressions of intellectual disdain, a glowing symbol resounds: The Apple logo. For a subculture that prides itself in ironic social commentary and a rejection of mainstream corporatism, the overwhelming use of Apple products such as Ipads, Iphones, and MacBooks, is astounding. Subscribing to the branding and marketing scheme à la Steve Jobs seems directly contradictory to the independent spirit of individuality that the hipster holds so dearly. Has the I Pad killed the hipster? Is the hipster just another mainstream consumer demographic to generate corporate sales?
The fact of the matter is that expression of said identity via social networking tools requires a vehicle. Not to mention the hoards of designers, artists, and musicians whose art is often created, enhanced, or shared through Apple products. Here in lies the dilemma.
How does a counter-culture maintain and propagate its identity without being hypocritical? In this situation, irony has the last laugh and perhaps the term hipster, along with its set of values is passé and a new culture is emerging. Perhaps there is a post-hipster movement evolving in which the creative, sensitive intellectual can work in harmony with the corporate powers that be. Can this new persona deconstruct the consumerist constructs of society using the very products of the materialistic mainstream? We shall see, but one thing is for certain, those damn hipsters love their new I-pads.
