Hipsters and the Commodity of Cool

Marcus Dowling at Mishka wrote a great piece on hipsterism's move from subculture to mainstream commodification.

Thoughts on Ballin’ Ass Hipsters and the Commodity of Cool


It’s been going strong for a decade now and with all things we’ll soon need to bury it and start a new with whatever will replace it. But not before we crown a few victors as they move on to their next life as celebrities which is around where we’re at now in it’s lifespan. We’ve seen a slow embrace by popular culture of hipsterdom, from M.I.A. winning Grammies to Electro becoming the reigning sound of ClearChannel radio.

In their pursuit of the brass ring most of the artists successfully crossing over have very openly used aggressive marketing concepts, licensing, advanced promotional theories and financial partnerships (large and small) on their road to success. Does any of this sully the caliber of their creative output? Should it or shouldn’t it? If it does, why so? If the end result (the music) is still of original and excellent, does how it gets out there even matter? Interesting questions.