"I liked it Before it was Cool."

“I liked it before it was cool.” This statement is one of the many things most associated with hipsters. Cool is now the state to be discarded. In a way, it makes sense. Rebellion is what the United States was founded on. It seems to be the natural progression of things. Hip was pushed aside for the idea of cool, as cool is now in the process of being pushed aside for hipsters. Both cool and hip are defined by buying into what consumerism has thrown at the public through music, fashion, and other media. Hipsters fight against the power of large companies by choosing to listen to indie bands, shop at thrift stores, and choosing vintage items that otherwise would have been left to collect dust or rot in a garbage dump. Hipster chooses to define itself from hip by choosing to pick up what hip has thrown away and by choosing what never belonged to hip in the first place. Once something belongs to hip, it no longer belongs to hipsters. The ideas of “cool” and “hip” became something to rebel as soon as it was accepted. The older generation for the most part accepts that being “cool” is what is going to help their children, or members of the younger generation, fit in. After all, cool is what they wanted when they were younger. They believe that the younger generation wants to be cool, which may or may not be true. Cool was a rebellion. Rebellions die when they know longer have reason to fight and new ones take their place. Hipsters were born from the death of cool's rebellion. Eventually, hipsters are becoming the accepted norm, their reason for rebellion will die, and a new rebellion will take it's place. Hopefully they don't take their claimed love for intelligence with them.

Leland believes that hip is a form of rebellion. I would agree with that statement. Hips standards often completely disregard the standards of our culture. Hip claims to unite where society has failed as he mentions that black and white are obviously mixed together. Jazz and gospel music are obvious examples but it goes back farther than that. Our own religions have become mixed together and influenced one another. Hips rejects the divides we have placed between one another, but offers nothing to fix these divides. Ultimately, the music, clothes, and pop culture consumed by the masses cannot force individuals to change their lives or the practices in their lives. It can just make it feel as though great strides have been made because we believe that allowing ourselves to openly talk about them is the same as taking action. While this rebellion is a step in the right direction. We need to embrace both the hip and the hipsters if we want to make changes in society.