HIPSTER RUNOFF

Photos via VICE

I am from a First World Country
But sometimes I wonder
if my alternative existence is 'contrived'
because I ultimately live in comfort/luxury
compared to other ppl in the rest of the world

Don't get me wrong
I'm not living in a multi-million dollar compound
Like Osama Bin Laden and his 'whore dungeon' of wives...
but I have a pretty good life

Often times, my alternative lifestyle
means 'understanding' that I am sacrificing mainstream First World luxuries
Baths, consumer fashion trends, paying for mainstream experiences like sporting events
Living in pre-gentrified areas in order 2 establish my roots in 'something real.'

Sometimes I wish I could be a true alt
a Third World Alt///////
Finding a way to be alternative
despite there being no obvious mainstream 2 rebel against
Except 4 a dictator/corrupt regime that rules my country

I sort of want 2 move
2 a foreign country
In Central/South America
Maybe even Africa, but it might be too 'easy' to be alt there
just because of my First World white man skin

but maybe Third World Alts aren't authentic at all
Maybe they are just adopting trends 3-8 years too late
and putting their weird 'ethnic' spin on it

Sometimes in America
I will see MexiAlts roaming around my local mall
in packs of 2-5
they will have pokemon haircuts
Weird sideburns
Look asexual
Wearing clothes from Hot Topic / Black Fly / Spencer's
supporting some weird band where some1 screams a lot
And I will say...
"WTF R U?"

R u a juggalo?
R u emo?
R u punk?
R u a wannabe-Japanese person?

Maybe they just live on 'the poor side of town'
And they are just attempting to be alt
except in a ghetto way...

But what if u didn't live on 'the poor side of town' in the First World?
What if u lived on the Poor Side of the World? [via the 3rd]


would my alternative identity be 'more authentic' in the Third World?
Or is every1 from the Third World 'kinda alt'?

If a Third World Alt moved to the first world, would they still be alt?
Or would they just be 'a crazy poor person'?

If a First World Alt moved 2 the Third World, would they still be alt?
Or just a 'rich looking phony'?

Maybe I like being a First World Alt
Maybe I like being VIP at sponsored events
Maybe I like that our First World has been able to turn events like SXSW into 'cash cows'
Creating jobs, opportunities, and a bright future for Alt

While First World alts are worried
That Alt is becoming mainstream
Maybe we should embrace our First World opportunities
2 monetize 'alt', and sustain 'alt.'
4evr & evr

****
R u happy to be a First World Alt, or would u rather be a Third World Alt?
What is the future of the MexiAlt?
Does 'alt' exist all ovr the world?
Do u h8 how 'hipster bashing' can be so Ethnocentric [via the White World], and we don't take the time to think abt some alts around the world are living differently?

I saw this picture of the Jonas Brothers in Venezuela with a Group of Latin AmericAlts (who are closely related to Mexicalts). The picture sorta 'made my head explode' since there were so many consumer alt trends being implemented/utilized in this picture.

Swoopy Bangs.
Plaid. Stripes. V-necks.
Sunglasses.
Scarves.
Jeans of every colour/texture/style.
Lil jackets.
Remnants of the electro era mixed with an overall vibe of the purgatoryAlt.
Angry Mulatto Men in the Background.

I remember when I made a pie chart that attempting to break down the Altino Tribe of Humans.

I am not sure if 3rd World Alts/Mexicalts/Altinos/Latin Americalts are 'growing up' and catching on to new trends, or if they are sort of stuck with a tween-like perception of the alternative aesthetic. Wonder if the Altino in 10 years will look like the altbro circa 2k7.

Sometimes I sorta take for granted the mainstreamification of alternative trends. Like I never even take the time 2 genuinely appreciate it any more. The way I used to dress 1-20 years ago is being implemented by tweens and forever-young-post-tweens.

I made this graph in 2k8. How do yall think it has changed in the past year?

Just so weird how the 3rd worlders are such laggards when it comes to trend adoption. Do u know if they have Macbooks in those countries?
Worried about 2k10. What if I become a 'laggard' and some new form of human/blog/RSS feed is able to consume trends faster than me?
What if the chillwave genre was the last great moment where alts 'chewed up and spat out' a trend in record time? #the_glofi_movement
What if chillwave was just a 'consumer trend' and not an actual 'movement'?

worried abt 2012...

Previous Mexicalt Coverage
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2008/12/the-crowning-achievement-of-mexicaltsaltinos.html
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2008/11/part-of-the-altino-nvr-dies.html
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2008/11/all-i-ever-wanted-was-a-mexicalt-with-a-progressive-pokemon-haircut.html

As yall know, 70% of the world's most innovative/zany trends from from the Land of AZNS (Asia). Trends travel across the land bridge to California and Eastern Europe, eventually making their way to Middle America/mainstreamerdom within 3 years. Just wanted 2 take a look at what AZNs have been wearing & predict which trends will reach the Mexicalt population in 5 years.

Trend 1: Protect Urself From Dirty Air

As yall know, there is a lot of noise and air pollution in our world. AZNs have a lifespan that is 200% longer than white & black ppl's natural life--they take better care of themselves than we do [via only eating fish + noodles + rice]. The AZNs are beginning to mix fashion with health safety by wearing these protective masks. They also banned fastfood in Japan after seeing the hit mockumentary Super Size Me: Fast Food Nation.

Trend 2: Bangs Which Impair ur vision [via bowl cut]/critters around ur neck

I think that bangs which impair ur vision might be big in 2k9. Bangs are theoretically functional. They 'keep hair out of ur eyes' and help to 'frame ur face.' I think taking a little bit of that functionality away might help bangs stay around forever. AZNs 'get' where engineering, design, and personal branding come 2gether as one. In addition, AZNs will no longer use gigapets/Tamagachis in 2k9. They will have 'real' pets that they can wear. These real pets will be controllable through iPod Nanos.

Trend 3: AZNs who look like this //Where the Wild Things Are

I am not sure if I will still be attracted to women if they morph into neon creatures from the hit children's book 'Where the Wild Things Are.' Not sure if I support these AZNs and their zany personal brands. h8 neon azn beast glam rockers.

[Photos by StyleSightings]

But srsly yall... after we rebuilt Japan post-nuclear bomb WWII, should we have given it a new name?
Something like 'California Pt 2' or 'Broville' or 'Gizmodo' or 'TechCrunchville' or 'The Land of Gigapets' or 'Trend City USA'?

[Photo by GadeMode]
Yall--I used to think that only wearing Yankees/Dodgers caps were alt/'hip hop authentic' or whatever. I don't know if this guy is wearing an Arizona Diamondbacks hat because he likes the team, or he saw it and realized it coordinated with his zany purplish outfit, or because it's a 'random obscure hat' in the foreign country that he lives in.

It's weird 2 think about our global 'thrift store' economy. On my side of the world, the jersey of a popular Professional Japanese Gymnastics team might be 'ironic/alt', but on the Eastern side of the world, it would be 'mainstream.' I guess that's why American Appy's brand is s0 global--there are no unique identifiers (except sometimes stripes/Afrikaan prints).

soo weird how the internet is uniting alts around the world into a global scene that we all need 2 b passionate about. We have a responsibility 2 do more research instead of just putting on clothes with logos that we don't truly understand. It would kinda be like wearing a sillie shirt with a 'nazi brand logo.'

but srsly, do yall believe in aligning alternative personal brands with 'iconic/ironic baseball caps', or do u think it's a little bit too 'urban streetwear fashion asshole'ish?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Cute AZNs start global trends":

p0st m0re bowties

After the success of the bro in a bowtie & the AZN girl in a bow tie, there is a clear demand for bow ties in alternative markets.

Do you like that dude's bow (tie) necklace?

Does any body know if Urban Outfitters is already selling this?
Would you ever consider wearing that necklace, or would it be kind of like the equivalent wearing Kanye sunglasses when it comes 2 form & function?

<3 <3 various forms of bows that are tied which are worn by alternative people <3 <3

[Bow Tie by Gade Mode]

'Every thing cool comes from Japan,' is a statement that I've heard relatively frequently whenever a trend or fad takes the world by storm. This would include phenomena like Tamagachis, neon colors, graphic tees, pogs, the Power Rangers, or baseball. This group of Korean teens remind me of Japanese people, so can you identify any trends in this pic that will invade the Western World by 2k20?

Most trends may or may not originate at the red spots of this map

[Photo by Mark Hunter]

BUT SERIOUSLY
where do u think the best global trends originate?