So I guess Pokémon are a hipster thing now...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

A local art gallery did an exhibit called "Pokémon Battle Royale" that consisted of 151 artists submitting artwork of the original 151 Pokémon. Pics are here if you're interested: http://pokemonbattleroyale.tumblr.com

However perhaps more interesting is who came. Think of your stereotypical Pokémon fan...and then look at the people in these pics:





I'm actually kind of legitimately surprised.

[Хahar 🤔]

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

[Goldwater]

Do they like it ironically?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Yeah but they mostly don't look like the people in those pictures.

Now granted I'll admit this probably says more about my neighborhood than Pokémon, but seriously even I was a little surprised to see that, even the clientele of most of the local coffeeshops don't all look like that. (Some obviously, but at a much lower proportion than in those pics.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Unsurprisingly by the way, Snorlax is the best one from that exhibit:



They're all pretty cool though. Worth a look.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Now granted I'll admit this probably says more about my neighborhood than Pokémon,

...and boom goes the dynamite.

[Simfan34]

When the Good Revolution comes, these people will have to be sent to re-education camps.

[traininthedistance]

I, uh, really don't see that any explanation beyond this is necessary here:

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Oh noes!  Early-to-mid twentysomethings who look like early-to-mid twentysomethings that grew up with the original Pokemon are indulging in entirely understandable nostalgia!  What ever shall we dooooooo?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Call me when the other 500+ Pokémon are included too.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Call me when the other 500+ Pokémon are included too.

Ew.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Lol, this one is hilarious:

[Marokai Backbeat]

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Particularly the ones that get super pretentious about the original 151 and would be willing to go to some sort of art exhibit showing them. I don't see how this is all that surprising to be honest.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Looking back at your childhood in a humorous or ironic way is a perfect hipster (or just grown up young'un) thing to do.Not surprised at all, since it's an art show, which itself gives it a different type of audience and I'm sure they'd love to go see their favorite characters as portrayed by these folks.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Also, I wouldn't say these people are hipsters... at least not in the "coffee shop" type of sense. These are the basement dwellers who go on Omegle dressed as Japanese anime fairies to talk with their "con" friends over the internet because they don't have any real ones.

[traininthedistance]

Also, I wouldn't say these people are hipsters... at least not in the "coffee shop" type of sense. These are the basement dwellers who go on Omegle dressed as Japanese anime fairies to talk with their "con" friends over the internet because they don't have any real ones.

This statement is so wrong in so many ways it's kind of perversely beautiful.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I, uh, really don't see that any explanation beyond this is necessary here:

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Oh noes!  Early-to-mid twentysomethings who look like early-to-mid twentysomethings that grew up with the original Pokemon are indulging in entirely understandable nostalgia!  What ever shall we dooooooo?

I'm definitely not complaining. In fact had I known about it at the time I would've went, I'm a little sad I missed it even if it was almost two years ago, and I definitely enjoyed the Tumblr compilation. It also got me interested in checking out future exhibits at this place.

But think of the type of person who'd go to an anime or Pokémon convention. They normally wouldn't look like the people in those pics, even if in the same age bracket.

[traininthedistance]

I, uh, really don't see that any explanation beyond this is necessary here:

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Oh noes!  Early-to-mid twentysomethings who look like early-to-mid twentysomethings that grew up with the original Pokemon are indulging in entirely understandable nostalgia!  What ever shall we dooooooo?

I'm definitely not complaining. In fact had I known about it at the time I would've went, I'm a little sad I missed it even if it was almost two years ago, and I definitely enjoyed the Tumblr compilation. It also got me interested in checking out future exhibits at this place.

But think of the type of person who'd go to an anime or Pokémon convention. They normally wouldn't look like the people in those pics, even if in the same age bracket.

My understanding is that the universe of people who played Pokemon, and remember it fondly, is way way way wider than the universe of people who would go to an anime con.  This isn't some niche thing, this is the equivalent of Mario and Zelda for people just a couple years younger than us.

And, of course, there are a) plenty of people who are hipsters as well as geeks, and even more importantly b) plenty of geeks who don't look like the stereotype.

...

A related, broader point: liking retro video games- genuinely, I might add, not just "ironically"- is a pretty mainstream thing to do, especially among the more hipster-esque segments of the population.  I would like to enter this august establishment into the record as Exhibit A, Your Honor.  (And would also like to note that they have branches in Jersey City and Philadelphia, as well as imitators elsewhere, so it's not an isolated thing.)

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Also, I wouldn't say these people are hipsters... at least not in the "coffee shop" type of sense. These are the basement dwellers who go on Omegle dressed as Japanese anime fairies to talk with their "con" friends over the internet because they don't have any real ones.

This statement is so wrong in so many ways it's kind of perversely beautiful.

I have a large contingent of people who look exactly like these people come to my parents' house every year during Anime North. I'm sorry that you think I'm wrong, but I'm not.

There's a difference between this...



and this...





The first is an authentic hipster. The second is a scene kid stuck in the middle. These are the types of people who go to conventions. They look a bit hipstery, sure, but there are differences. The bold colours, slightly-baggier-than-hipster pants, and hoodies give it away.

This guy, for example, looks like he could be a traditional coffee-shop hipster because of his beanie and cardigan, but the clothes are much too loose fitting to be particularly fashion-forward. He's an animaniac:




The only folks I see in the original post that might be real hipsters are these guys:

[traininthedistance]

Lecturing me on the finer gradations of "hipster vs. scene kid" and "fashion forward" is a pretty spectacular example of missing the point, Hagrid.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I, uh, really don't see that any explanation beyond this is necessary here:

It's because Pokemon fans are grown up now.

Oh noes!  Early-to-mid twentysomethings who look like early-to-mid twentysomethings that grew up with the original Pokemon are indulging in entirely understandable nostalgia!  What ever shall we dooooooo?

I'm definitely not complaining. In fact had I known about it at the time I would've went, I'm a little sad I missed it even if it was almost two years ago, and I definitely enjoyed the Tumblr compilation. It also got me interested in checking out future exhibits at this place.

But think of the type of person who'd go to an anime or Pokémon convention. They normally wouldn't look like the people in those pics, even if in the same age bracket.

My understanding is that the universe of people who played Pokemon, and remember it fondly, is way way way wider than the universe of people who would go to an anime con.  This isn't some niche thing, this is the equivalent of Mario and Zelda for people just a couple years younger than us.

And, of course, there are a) plenty of people who are hipsters as well as geeks, and even more importantly b) plenty of geeks who don't look like the stereotype.

I don't know if this is just something limited only to my work, but one thing there that has happened a lot is people that were perhaps too old for Pokémon when it came out (like me) now have friends just a couple years younger who basically feel like the same age now and who got into Pokémon via them. That definitely applies to me. So yeah that's a good point.

I should also note that this is a pretty small art gallery, and isn't widely known even thoughout Minneapolis and the fact that even I never heard of this exhibit despite living only three blocks away means it was probably narrowly advertised perhaps amongst a couple specific coffeeshops or at the art and design college in the neighborhood...oh wait I think I just explained it right there.

A related, broader point: liking retro video games- genuinely, I might add, not just "ironically"- is a pretty mainstream thing to do, especially among the more hipster-esque segments of the population.  I would like to enter this august establishment into the record as Exhibit A, Your Honor.  (And would also like to note that they have branches in Jersey City and Philadelphia, as well as imitators elsewhere, so it's not an isolated thing.)

We have such a place too, but it recently switched from a general nightclub to an events only booking place: http://www.thevenuempls.com (before the switch it was known as "Insert Coins".)

It was kind of funny once talking with my parents about what I did last week after going to a friend's 21st birthday there, because I described it as "like Bump-N-Tilt but for adults". Bump-N-Tilt was a recreation center in Bismarck while I was growing up that was hot for kids' parties in elementary and middle school, it was basically bumper cars (hence the name), served pizza and had a bunch of retro video game machines (that you could play for free once you paid admission.) And once again, this place was mostly for the 10-14 age bracket not even teenagers, basically an older version of Chuck-E-Cheese. Imagining such a place serving alcohol aimed at adults would've been unthinkable back then.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Lecturing me on the finer points of "hipster vs. scene kid" and "fashion forward" is a pretty spectacular example of missing the point, Hagrid.

If your point was that I'm also a basement-dweller by virtue of being here, I don't deny it. But I like to think being here and discussing issues is a bit more relevant than dressing up as Goku.

And my post was not for you specifically... more of a "service to the forum." I know hipsters... they don't go to events where people also dress up as Ash Ketchum.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hagrid, you don't live in Minneapolis. Trust me, those people are the pretty standard types of hipsters here.

The girl in the green skirt is obviously someone who frequents the many vintage stores we have and the guy in the beanie if I had to guess is probably an MCAD student. When I voted in 2012 I waited in line for 90 minutes so I got a perfect look at the demographics of my neighborhood observing the line, and about half the whites look like that (obviously the voting line had much more minorities than that event does.)

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Fair enough... I would still call them scene kids and say that you are short on real hipsters, but getting into it apparently hasn't made me many friends. Or all of us are letting a few trees define the forest and this is really just what young people as a collective look like.

[traininthedistance]

Lecturing me on the finer points of "hipster vs. scene kid" and "fashion forward" is a pretty spectacular example of missing the point, Hagrid.

If your point was that I'm also a basement-dweller by virtue of being here, I don't deny it. But I like to think being here and discussing issues is a bit more relevant than dressing up as Goku.

And my post was not for you specifically... more of a "service to the forum." I know hipsters... they don't go to events where people also dress up as Ash Ketchum.

That's... still not my point.

I know both hipsters and people who go to those sorts of events, and, well...
1) there actually is kinda some overlap
2) but the stereotypical con-goer, at least in the public imagination, doesn't really look like the people in those pictures
3) but your stereotypical hipster is a lot closer to that, or at least to the more colorful examples as many of the people in those pics seem pretty normal and un-distinctive to me
4) but of course the universe of people who are con-goers, as well as the universe of hipsters (of course, how do you define "hipster" anyway?), are far wider than the stereotypes and it's obviously quite wrong to just try and identify them based on appearance alone
5) the biggest point: this whole "real hipsters are all uber-fashionistas and if your pants aren't skinny enough you get kicked out of the club" thing, as well as "people who go to cons are basement dwellers who don't have any REAL FRIENDS" is not merely false, but lazy and ugly stereotyping that I really didn't expect from you.  

I hope you begin to get the picture.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Lecturing me on the finer points of "hipster vs. scene kid" and "fashion forward" is a pretty spectacular example of missing the point, Hagrid.

If your point was that I'm also a basement-dweller by virtue of being here, I don't deny it. But I like to think being here and discussing issues is a bit more relevant than dressing up as Goku.

And my post was not for you specifically... more of a "service to the forum." I know hipsters... they don't go to events where people also dress up as Ash Ketchum.

That's... still not my point.

I know both hipsters and people who go to those sorts of events, and, well...
1) there actually is kinda some overlap
2) but the stereotypical con-goer, at least in the public imagination, doesn't really look like the people in those pictures
3) but your stereotypical hipster is a lot closer to that, or at least to the more colorful examples as many of the people in those pics seem pretty normal and un-distinctive to me
4) but of course the universe of people who are con-goers, as well as the universe of hipsters (of course, how do you define "hipster" anyway?), are far wider than the stereotypes and it's obviously quite wrong to just try and identify them based on appearance alone
5) the biggest point: this whole "real hipsters are all uber-fashionistas and if your pants aren't skinny enough you get kicked out of the club" thing, as well as "people who go to cons are basement dwellers who don't have any REAL FRIENDS" is not merely false, but lazy and ugly stereotyping that I really didn't expect from you.  

I hope you begin to get the picture.

So basically it's he-said-she-said and me being "so wrong" is just as self-assured as my own statement. We're both professing to have the authority to define "hipster," so I don't get why you're so angry. My comment about basement-dwelling was kind of uncalled for, but I sort of jumped the gun with it because off of here, "cons" and anime are a running joke with me and my sister; I take on the "old curmudgeon" role.

It's interesting, though, because you say being a hipster is about more than how one looks. To me, "hipsterism" is basically a fashion style; anyone  can go to the coffee shop or play a guitar, but that's not what makes someone like my dad a hipster. If we're just judging people by how they look (as we are from the original pictures), I think it's fair to talk about whether or not these particular people are hipsters. You say I'm defining who can and cannot be part of the "club," but my narrow definition is just as assuming as you and BRTD's insistence that all these people are hipsters. All of us are generalizing, so I'm not gonna sit here and take criticism for engaging in the thread. I don't think these are hipsters and I don't think Pokémon is a "hipster" thing... to me, it's not at all surprising that these are the types of people going to a Pokémon exhibition. Dunno why we're getting so sensitive.