2008 Woodie Awards
Laeland Book Looks: A Field Guide to the Urban Hipster
Mara Carpenter
Issue date: 11/20/03 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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There are many field guides available on animals or plants, but there are few which touch upon the subject of people. The book A Field Guide to the Urban Hipster is a witty and unusual reference to human subculture.
Author Josh Aiello breaks various subcultures into stereotypical groups such as "starving artists" or "ex-frats" for humorous purposes. Artist Matthew Shultz illustrates each group with cartoon caricatures.
The book organizes the stereotypical groups into related families, which have common characteristics. For example, the Hedonistium family contains the subcultures Eurotrash and Ravers, which boast a similar need to party. Plumage and mating habits are outlined in many of these entries.
Some species, which a typical college student may encounter include Literati or Ex-frats.
Literati are from the Auteurial family, which has an intense impulse to create. They are "low key and tweedy," wearing "sports jacket[s] (elbow patches optional), jeans or corduroy pants." The male of the species often has changing facial hair--beards, goatees, or mustaches. This "species [of writers] professes a profound interest in the concept of publication." However, they often avoid actually doing so unless they publish in "little read and highly esoteric, even homemade anthologies (e.g., ... The 229 East Tenth Street Apt. 6B Review, Rinky Dink... Impressive Isn't It?...From Steve's Zip Drive)."
Ex-frats come from the Graecus family, which has a "bovinelike conformity and lack of 'edge'." The call of the ex-frat is characterized as a "series of staccato notes following [a] pattern of beer-beer-beer-tits-tits-beer-beer-beer." Ex-frats are characterized as wearing a "Brooks Brothers dress shirt...fitted blue jeans or Khaki pants, J. Crew flip-flops or open toe sandals--beachwear." They "may carry Loafer and Wallet Disease, which behavioral scientists have classified as a Pressurized Ale Dispenser Withdrawal Affliction (PADWA)."
Aiello recommends dressing similar to the species when observing them, traveling lightly, remaining still, and listening. "By studying these tenets until they become second nature," says Aiello, "even observers of questionable social skill should be able to conduct themselves...in the pursuit of these spectacular creatures."
A Field Guide to the Urban Hipster is a comical book in which the reader can discover him or herself in the quirky characteristics of the stereotypical subcultures.
The aforementioned field guide is a humorous comment on people. The stereotypes and descriptions therein are NOT to be taken literally.
Author Josh Aiello breaks various subcultures into stereotypical groups such as "starving artists" or "ex-frats" for humorous purposes. Artist Matthew Shultz illustrates each group with cartoon caricatures.
The book organizes the stereotypical groups into related families, which have common characteristics. For example, the Hedonistium family contains the subcultures Eurotrash and Ravers, which boast a similar need to party. Plumage and mating habits are outlined in many of these entries.
Some species, which a typical college student may encounter include Literati or Ex-frats.
Literati are from the Auteurial family, which has an intense impulse to create. They are "low key and tweedy," wearing "sports jacket[s] (elbow patches optional), jeans or corduroy pants." The male of the species often has changing facial hair--beards, goatees, or mustaches. This "species [of writers] professes a profound interest in the concept of publication." However, they often avoid actually doing so unless they publish in "little read and highly esoteric, even homemade anthologies (e.g., ... The 229 East Tenth Street Apt. 6B Review, Rinky Dink... Impressive Isn't It?...From Steve's Zip Drive)."
Ex-frats come from the Graecus family, which has a "bovinelike conformity and lack of 'edge'." The call of the ex-frat is characterized as a "series of staccato notes following [a] pattern of beer-beer-beer-tits-tits-beer-beer-beer." Ex-frats are characterized as wearing a "Brooks Brothers dress shirt...fitted blue jeans or Khaki pants, J. Crew flip-flops or open toe sandals--beachwear." They "may carry Loafer and Wallet Disease, which behavioral scientists have classified as a Pressurized Ale Dispenser Withdrawal Affliction (PADWA)."
Aiello recommends dressing similar to the species when observing them, traveling lightly, remaining still, and listening. "By studying these tenets until they become second nature," says Aiello, "even observers of questionable social skill should be able to conduct themselves...in the pursuit of these spectacular creatures."
A Field Guide to the Urban Hipster is a comical book in which the reader can discover him or herself in the quirky characteristics of the stereotypical subcultures.
The aforementioned field guide is a humorous comment on people. The stereotypes and descriptions therein are NOT to be taken literally.