Hipster vs. Foodie: Which Is Worse?

By Besha Rodell Tue., Aug. 28 2012 at 11:00 AM

Anne Fishbein

ink

Remember when you were a kid and you liked to fight with your friends about who would win in a fight between Voldemort and Darth Vader? No? That never happened? OK, bear with me. A recent kerfuffle over on our music blog over the concept of "hipster" got me thinking -- in a fight for what is more distasteful, which word/concept would win? Hipster or foodie?

There's obviously some crossover potential, the chance for a Frankenstein-like monster, the hipster-foodie. But, taken separately, I wondered which label people would find more repugnant.

I, for one, often refer to myself (jokingly) as an aging hipster, but I would never refer to myself as a foodie, although both of those descriptions could be described as accurate, depending on your definition of "aging." I may be in the minority, though.

Most people I asked said that no actual hipster would ever call themselves a hipster (not ironic enough?), while there is a whole group of earnest foodies out there perfectly happy to be labeled as such. Also, people tend to think that while foodie is often used as a nonjudgmental definition, hipster is almost always used as a slur, albeit a fairly toothless one.

Despite these things, the people I asked overwhelmingly responded that foodie was worse. As my sister said, "I'd rather be called a hipster. Because recognition of oneself as a hipster automatically negates being a hipster." If you call her a foodie, though, she threatens "your swiftly arriving demise."

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Tags:

Besha Rodell, foodie, hipster

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Bigmouth

Looks like this one hit a little too close to home, lol.

However, I personally find the gluten-free types and ethical vegans even more annoying than hipsters and foodies.

Zoe Deschanel and Natalie Portman both seemed a lot less sexy after their turns on Top Chef.

neptunengt

who the hell cares?

micahrzehnder

1 Like

If you're reading Squid Ink, you're a foodie...Good job alienating your entire target audience.

jaas

Fire yourself

MrASC

1 Like

JGold just threw up in his own mouth. Seriously, guys. Writing about passé ideas like "hipsters" and "foodies," invalidates you as a cultural centerpiece. Listening to new, different music and eating creative, original food is what you're SUPPOSED to be interested in because, uh, that's what you cover. That "Worst Hipster Bands" list was utter shit, some of the most irrelevant pablum that has ever been committed to html, and a sad, shining example of the laziness that's come over this paper. It's a bummer that you're now dragging Squid Ink into this trivial debate, the last part of LA Weekly that hasn't been sullied by terrible writing and trite story subjects.

kelro

@MrASC totally agree. thanks for extrapolating on my point. as to Whateverish: whatever.

de gustibus non est disputandum, but crap is crap.

miller9

Foodie Hipster is the worst- Foodster

hadleytomicki

1 Like

If I was locked into a Hellish, No Exit-like scenario with a hipster and a foodie, I'd definitely kill the hipster first, even if the foodie would be better eating.

kelro

3 Like

I really miss JGold...

Whateverish

It's true, Besha has large shoes to fill...but she is doing what SHE does and doing it in her way. Jonathan is alive and well at the Times and if you want to read his stuff, it's there, waiting for you.