Rage Against the Hipster Music Blog Machine

Before we get into this semi-rant, we need to make some things clear. First of all, we are big music fans. We listen to all types, but we’re partial to the indie rock persuasion, and we love discovering new artists. Secondly, we are not anti-hipster. If you want to wear ironic clothing and do ironic things and know too much about esoteric cultural trends, go right ahead. If we said we’d never referenced Pitchfork, scoffed at something “so mainstream” or worn something “because it’s funny,” we’d be lying. We “get” it, you know? That’s why we use excessive quotation marks. So please, fellow sub-culture-enthusiasts, do not interpret this blog post as a diatribe against your existence.

We’re good? Good.

Over the summer, we became pretty big fans of Lana Del Rey. She has a cool sound, a great voice and this retro California thing happening. She’s made a couple videos and has released a handful of songs, all of which exemplify a Valley of the Dolls, vintage pin-up vibe. You can probably tell we’re not in the business of reviewing music, so we suggest checking her out if you haven’t already. 

She has a very distinct image and sound, and because of that, her rise to indie fame has caused quite a bit of controversy. If you just said “Huh?” then we’re on the same page. Experts on all things musical and cool, like the guys at Hipster Runoff, have declared Lana Del Rey’s entire artistic perspective inauthentic. Apparently, Lana Del Rey’s real name is Lizzie Grant, and while she used to make the same kinds of videos and music before she got famous, her look back then was a little plainer and she didn’t have a manager or a stylist. She also got lip injections. Lip injections*!

Luckily, the hipsters of the world are on to her and her team of marketing suits, and they refuse to accept her into their special little circle of trust. What we don’t understand is how LDR is any different from any other artist. Doesn’t EVERYONE who wants to sell something adopt some sort of marketing strategy? If it’s not a stylist, it’s a Twitter account or a t-shirt or a booth at a major music festival. At least LDR is admitting that it happens. To us, the transparency about her evolution makes her more authentic – not less.

LDR fan or not, you are sadly mistaken if you think you’re above the influence of marketing. Nobody wants to think that they’ve made their decisions based on some sort of corporate strategy, but the truth is that you probably did. People didn’t start wearing leggings again because they were flattering if you know what I mean. Designers designed something, they got models and celebrities to wear it, the trend trickled down and now your mom thinks it’s okay not to wear pants. It happens.

Sure, as marketers, we recognize the importance of making people FEEL like the choice is theirs. That’s why we preach experiential marketing and community engagement instead of print advertising. People want to be in control, and we want to give them that power. Telling someone that something is cool is not nearly as effective as that same person thinking they came to that realization independently.

So yeah, we’re saying that no matter how off-the-grid you are, you are someone’s target demographic, and right now someone is creating a campaign to reach your little anti-establishment self. “Indie” and “hipster” (like “prep,” “yuppie” and “conservative Christian”) are just words that describe a set of people who have similar tastes, interests and values, and they are extremely useful to the people who are trying to sell something. The bottom line, the more you let your purchases influence your identity (and vice versa), the more you really are a victim of the machine.

So, like Lana Del Ray – or don’t. But, as you make that very important determination, ask yourself how and why you reached it. And please, don’t use the word “authentic” to describe, well, anything. To quote the great Madonna (good thing she didn’t have any managers, right?), “We are living in a material world.” And you know what, it’s really not that bad.

*Admittedly, the lip injections are pretty terrible.