Are Hipsters Racist?
This article makes a pretty strong argument for Wed Anderson being slightly racist in his films.
Which, when it comes down to it, I agree with. While he never directly attacks non-whites, they do always seem to play this weird relaxing role - as if their exotic nature made them a great way to get away from it all. It's orientalism, as the article says.
My question might be how far hipster culture is actually a bit racist. If you've ever lived with or around hipsters - I have, oh God - they tend to "ironically" make the same racist jokes your grandparents do, but wink under the assumption that you know how "ridiculous" the joke is, so it's not actually racist. Get it? Oh, man. Being young is tough.
Not to mention the hipster mentality that anything popular is bad sort of smacks of isolationist classism. Why? Because, like, you read Stephen King? Ugh. My God. Where did you buy that - a supermarket? Why don't you read some Garrison Keillor? What? You weren't introduced to him at a higher education facility because you couldn't afford it? Pssh. You know who doesn't finish college? Republicans. I'm glad you haven't heard the song playing on my Zune - that's right, Zune; I'm not losing my identity to the invasion of the corporate body snatchers and becoming an iPodperson - because if you had, it would obviously be no good.
...
Then again, I'm not a big Wes Anderson fan. To me, his movies are basically alright family & friend self-discovery stories that get bogged down in look-at-me showmanship. Almost every moment of his films are artistically crafted to say, "Here's a clever thing coming... wait... there it is... wasn't that clever? Man, I am clever."
Which, when it comes down to it, I agree with. While he never directly attacks non-whites, they do always seem to play this weird relaxing role - as if their exotic nature made them a great way to get away from it all. It's orientalism, as the article says.
My question might be how far hipster culture is actually a bit racist. If you've ever lived with or around hipsters - I have, oh God - they tend to "ironically" make the same racist jokes your grandparents do, but wink under the assumption that you know how "ridiculous" the joke is, so it's not actually racist. Get it? Oh, man. Being young is tough.
Not to mention the hipster mentality that anything popular is bad sort of smacks of isolationist classism. Why? Because, like, you read Stephen King? Ugh. My God. Where did you buy that - a supermarket? Why don't you read some Garrison Keillor? What? You weren't introduced to him at a higher education facility because you couldn't afford it? Pssh. You know who doesn't finish college? Republicans. I'm glad you haven't heard the song playing on my Zune - that's right, Zune; I'm not losing my identity to the invasion of the corporate body snatchers and becoming an iPodperson - because if you had, it would obviously be no good.
...
Then again, I'm not a big Wes Anderson fan. To me, his movies are basically alright family & friend self-discovery stories that get bogged down in look-at-me showmanship. Almost every moment of his films are artistically crafted to say, "Here's a clever thing coming... wait... there it is... wasn't that clever? Man, I am clever."
posted by Mike Drucker at
3:16 PM
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