Highlights From Look At This F*CKING PANEL: A Sociological Investigation Of The Hipster

Oct 14, 2010 11:22 AM

Mark Hunter, Gavin McInnes, Alexi Wasser, Tao Lin, Andrea Bartz, Brenna Ehrlich, Mary Corey
Mark Hunter, Gavin McInnes, Alexi Wasser, Tao Lin, Andrea Bartz, Brenna Ehrlich, Mary Corey

A panel including a shirtless, shoeless Gavin McInnes, Alexi Wasser, and Mark Hunter a.k.a The Cobrasnake came together for a discussion on hipsters. It was "kind of a shitstorm" according to the moderator, and an epic one at that. These are our highlights. You're welcome.

The six words you definitely didn't hear at 'Look At This F*CKING PANEL: A Sociological Investigation of the Hipster' at UCLA's Ackerman Grand Ballroom on Tuesday evening: Am I in the right place?

You would have to be blind, deaf and thoroughly out of touch to mistake this gathering for anything but what it was: a meeting of the hipster minds, all present and eager to discuss what it means to be a hipster in modern day society, where that definition leaves the loathsome poser, and the idiosyncrasies of hipster culture.

The ballroom was packed, and over-sized, plastic eyewear, tapered pants and stripes were plentiful. The energy in the room was upbeat and anticipatory as moderator Christian Lorentzen of The New York Observer introduced our six hipster panelists.

Mark Hunter, Gavin McInnesOur first and most vocal panelist was Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice Magazine. He arrived shirtless, shoeless and tattooed, and believes hipster-bashing is a problem due largely to the fact that 40 year old men are now frequenting the same night clubs as today's youth. His overall thesis for the evening was that the hipster's entire existence is based upon fornicating, which can then be broken down into two subcategories: music and fashion.

Memorable quote: "Kanye West is drenched in homosexuality."

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Mary Corey of the UCLA History Department remained focused on how the modern day hipster makes sense on a historical level. Her belief that the hipster has a rich and vital history struck a nerve with McInnes, who remained in disagreement with her for the rest of the discussion.

Memorable quote: "Walt Whitman was a hipster."

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The Duo: Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich of Stuff Hipsters Hate. The duo believe hipsters are primarily defined by apathy and the things they hate. They don't believe themselves to be hipsters, rather they are primarily journalists who write about hipsters.

Memorable quote: "Don't let the apathy destroy you."

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Alexi Wasser of imboycrazy.com provided much needed comic relief when the tensions between McInnes and the rest of the panel grew too cumbersome. She also took some time out to hit on a few of the male students, and one female, which was nice.

Memorable quote: "Make out with as many people as you can... try not to get AIDs or herpes."

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Mark Hunter, Gavin McInnesMark Hunter of The Cobrasnake wore an American flag button up shirt, and was super supportive of the burgeoning hipster. When asked what brought him to UCLA to discuss hipster culture, he responded that he wanted to inspire people to be creative and to resist conforming.

Memorable quote: "It's cool to be creative."

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Tao Lin of Richard Yates didn't contribute much to the discussion, save for his trademark slurring and proclamation that he agreed to participate in order to come to LA and promote his "stuff."

Memorable quote: "I want to make money."

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Christopher Glazek of The New Yorker and n+1 Magazine Assistant Editor, focused mainly on the cultural movement as a whole, and at one point referenced a seminar he participated in that focused on the worry and anxiety that hipster culture was actually a white power movement. This concern turned out to be unfounded.

Memorable quote: "There was worry and anxiety that [hipster culture] was a white power movement."

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Overall, the panel was incredibly vague, and although there was little agreement on the hipster's background, history, or even a solid definition, the entire panel agreed the topic is one of importance, worth caring about and deserving of discussion, hence their presence. There was a general consensus that the modern-day hipster is a great kid; that he/she is doing great, looking great, and should keep up the good work, because as with any massive youth movement, it can only go up from here.

[Mark Hunter and Gavin McInnes photo via, Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich photo by Katherin Groth via, Alexi Wasser photo via]

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