This gimmick is known as “HOMELESS WOMAN or IT GIRL?????”

Photo via the ArabParrot

Do u think the woman in the picture is a HOMELESS WOMAN or an IT GIRL?

Please justify your answer in the comment to receive your free I AM CARLES shirt.

For example:
‘She is homeless bc she is really trying to take a nappy on the sidewalk [via her bed made of newspaper].’

or

‘She is an IT GIRL because of her yoga bag and fashion-forward sense of style. Lovin the ironic rain boots. Gonna buy those at Urbby when I get my next paycheck.’

or

‘She is a homeless ‘it girl’ since the IT GIRL bubble burst in mid-2k8.’

What do yall think she is?
Feeling confused by societal roles and could really use your guidance.

Previous Homelessness Coverage
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2009/09/hope-and-homelessness-never-give-up-on-personal-branding.html

Play similar editions of this gimmick
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/tag/altbro-or-altbag

I saw this picture portraying a homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, he had a pee pee accident as his dark yellow urine streamed down towards the star of a celebrity. I felt tons of emotions as my brain processed this digital image. Shame. Guilt. LOLability. Snarkfactor. Sadness. AmericanBeauty. Happiness. Loneliness. Fucksocietivity. Bloggy. Alive. Dead on the inside. Alone. Without a home. Metaphorical. This is the power of photography. A simple man who peed his pants in his sleep [via no home] can say so much about humanity, society, and the struggle 2 create a better life for urself.

The sad/beautiful image of the homeless man made me think of a recent post on the globally acclaimed streetfashion blog ‘the Sartorialist’ in which the photoblogger posted a picture of a coloured homeless man, then wrote an ‘inspiring blurb’.

Photo and blurb by the Sartorialist:

I don’t usually shoot homeless people. I don’t find it romantic or appealing like a lot of street photographers, and if you asked homeless people they are probably not to happy about their situation either. That’s why I was surprised to be so drawn to taking a picture of this gentleman.

I was being interviewed for an article in British Vogue; and while we walked down Bowery back in April I barely stopped walking when I took the shot. Fiona Golfar, the writer, asked why I took the photo. At that moment I couldn’t really explain – but I just had a feeling about the power and grace of how he was sitting there. It wasn’t until later that night when I was working on the image that I realized why I had noticed this man.

Usually people in this man’s position have given up hope. Maybe this gentleman has too, I don’t know, but he hasn’t given up his sense of self or his sense of expressing something about himself to the world. In my quick shot I had noticed his pale blue boots, what I hadn’t noticed at first were the matching blue socks, blue trimmed gloves, and blue framed glasses. This shot isn’t about fashion – but about someone who, while down on his luck, hasn’t lost his need to communicate and express himself through style.

Looking at him dressed like this makes me feel that in some way he hasn’t given in or given up.

Damn. The bloggerbro’s inspirational blurb is actually kinda true… It’s like even though you might be the poorest, most worthless, homeless guy in the world, it doesn’t mean that u can’t have a little bit of pride 2 make sure that your clothes match. Never give up. Every day, u have the opportunity to brand yourself–you have the opportunity to let the world know that you are a person, and within this person is a brand which the whole world can consume.

Homelessness is not a disease–homelessness is the product of a group of people who have no pride. A group of people who don’t play by society’s rules. A group of people living in some demented reality, no longer in touch with the availability of legitimate intrinsic rewards through the power of ‘creating.your.own.image.’ We must inspire the homeless so that they can inspire us to do more than to take artsy pix of them. It is easy for photographers to take pictures of homeless people because they usually look ‘insane’, ‘urban’, and as if society has shat upon them.

A lot of people say that homeless people should ‘get a fucking job’–now I firmly believe that they would get a job if they dressed nicely, and treated people with respect. It seems like they could some how get a job at an investment bank, or perhaps a McDonalds, similar to the plotline of the popular Will Smith joint ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’

After reading that inspired blurb, it sort of makes me want to tell this guy to ‘get his shit together’, and ‘have a little bit of pride.’ U can’t go around pissing on urself and wearing lame ass clothes if you really want to turn ur life around.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t control your bladder, or if you are mentally challenged, or if you are having ‘terrible flashback dreams.’ Every day, you need to take pride in yourself. You need to realize that your personal brand is being interpreted by every1 who sees you. Do you want to depress your viewers? Or do you want to inspire them? Be a valuable person–not just to yourself, but also to society as a whole.

This is a blog post about hope.

My parents kicked me out of the house. I lived in a drug dealer’s apartment for several weeks, until he expected me to pay him rent with sexual favors. I found a cozy nook underneath the Main Street bridge. Every night, I curl up on a piece of cardboard, and find myself doing something I haven’t done since I became an atheist at 6 years old–I pray. I pray to any one who will listen: God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Allah, Osama Bin Laden, Barry Obama. I pray hard.

One morning I came downstairs expecting to pour myself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast crunch and eat it on the couch while watching reruns of Project Runway and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Both of my parents were waiting at the table for me. They had my pipe on the table, as well as 1 gram of dank, a lil bump of coke, a stack of pornographic DVDs, and a poster board of LSD. They said “What is this?”

I replied, “I’m sorry. I’m going through an experimental phase.”
Mom: “Experiment my ass!”
Me: “It’s not like you never did any experimenting during ur youth.”
Dad: “We don’t want you to make the same mistakes that we did.”
Mom: “Your dad is right.”
Me: “I don’t even know why you’re confronting me about this when u have problems of your own.”
Mom: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Your dad and I are doing well.”
Me: “You know dad cheated on you with that waitress from Chili’s. I can hear through the walls at night.”
Dad: “That’s enough!”
(mom starts sobbing uncontrollably, leaves the room…silence for 5 minutes)
Me: Well… are you done? I’m going to eat some CTC (cinna toast crunch).
Dad: Listen to me you little shit. I brought you into this world with my semen, and I can take you the fuck out. If you want to live under this roof, you need to get your shit together, and respect me.
Me: Why did you cheat on mom?
Dad: I didn’t cheat on your mother….we’re not getting into this. I left a cup that I need you to fill up with pee. Please go do that soon.
Me: Why do you need to drug test me if you know I am already on drugs?
Dad: Once again, this is about respect.
Me: I don’t respect you.
Dad: Get the fuck out of my house.
Me: FINE.

I went to my room and put all of my favourite clothes into a bag. I had $60 to my name. I put my Macbook into my computer bag, and left the house through the backdoor. Eventually I found out that there are no wireless networks under bridges, and the ones that do show up require a password.

Every day I go to a local coffee shop to look for jobs, and stay relevant by reading alt websites. However, I am feeling like maybe ‘being alt’ doesn’t even matter. Maybe now that I am on my own, I won’t care about social subcultures any more. I just want to be able to feed myself every day. I’m never going back home again. Not to that fucked up family.

I think I’ll make it on my own. Maybe I can get a job at Am Appy, and save up enough money to buy an efficiency. I think I’ll make it. They say that the hard times are what really make u “you.” Sorta like what Steve Carrell told Paul Dano in “Little Miss Sunshine” [via Proust]. These are hard times, but I think I’ll get through them and my life will be more meaningful.

Homeless people are kind of like ‘as close 2 nature as it gets’, and they ‘get’ architecture because they are actually LIVING in the city. There’s more 2 living in a major metropolitan area than ‘walking 2 coffee shops/vegan eateries.’ U don’t KNOW ur city until u have 2 find a way to hunt, shit, and sleep in it. That’s why I <3 NYC. I was homeless there for the first 8 months that I started my blog (blggd from the public library). There's more 2 life than 'a roof over ur head and 4 walls around ur face.' As long as u have a MacBook, u can do anything u put ur mind 2.

Important Questions about Homelessness & How Society Perceives Homelessness
Do yall give money to homeless people?
Whenever u walk by a homeless man, do u walk faster and grip ur purse tighter?
Do u consider homeless people ’sub-human’ or ‘post-human’ or just ‘human after yall’?
Is homelessness really a problem, or should we just let homeless bros chill?
Do homeless people only buy drugs when u give them money?
Why do s000 many zany homeless men pretend 2 ‘be veterans’?
R homeless people ‘just lazy’ and ‘wouldn’t work if u offered them a job’?
Is a ‘drifter’ a more authentic homeless man?
If a homeless man attacked u, would u kill him since laws don’t protect people who don’t own property?
Whenever u see a sleeping homeless man, do u ‘get kinda scared that they are dead’?
Can we ’solve’ homelessness by sending homeless people 2 prison?
Will Barry Obama do anything 4 the homeless, or just focus on ‘the unemployed’?

But srsly yall… Ever since my parents got divorced I have h8ed what ‘home’ represents. It’s like something that is meant 2 fail, but ur whole life ur taught that the world is perfect. Think we need 2 get rid of traditional suburban structures, especially since hurricanes are getting stronger and tear through most homes built after 1940.

“Home is just a bull shit concept. I am depressed.”
-Zach Braff, Garden State (Homeless Guy Remix)