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.

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.

Rage Against the Hipster Music Blog Machine

Hipster music trend

Regular

Yesterday afternoon unexpectedly inflicted one of those infamous moments in a lifetime that shakes you down to your core. It’s strange the way losing someone you’ve never met can have such great impact. Steve Jobs was no exception – watching a major American icon succumb to the grips of cancer at the young age of 56 is exceptionally chilling, heartbreaking and humbling.

There is no question that Steve Jobs was an incredibly gifted human being. He changed the way we live, challenged our ideals and created opportunities for millions of people. It is because of him that we can complain about that little blue ball not moving fast enough and the fact that our iPods don’t withstand submersion in water. And more importantly, it is because of him that we can be fully connected to anything and everything, any time, anywhere. Which is why when we say, without equivocation, that the name Steve Jobs is synonymous with success, nobody bats an eye.

But, it’s important to remember that Steve Jobs was also a failure.

In 1983, Steve Jobs not only brought John Scully, then at Pepsi-Cola, to Apple to serve as CEO, he also unveiled the Macintosh, the first commercially successful small computer with a graphical user interface. By 1984, a pervasive power struggle between Scully and Jobs resulted in much discontent (exacerbated by the less than stellar sales figures), and in 1985, Steve Jobs was relieved of his duties at Apple.

And even though, when he was later asked about what it was like to be fired, he responded by saying “The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life,” we’re still pretty sure it wasn’t the high point of his life or his career.

To us, that is the most remarkable thing about Steve Jobs. He wasn’t perfect, and he let people down. He wasn’t always the great figurehead we see him as now. But he was smart and creative and determined, and he figured it out. As he changed the world, he also changed himself, and he did so in more ways than even his wildly imaginative mind could conceive. Few people are so brave.

He taught us that the path to success is rarely linear and hardly obvious. At times, it may seem like it doesn’t even exist at all, and even then, it’s not always attainable without some pretty major failures. And as a company that is still finding its path and sometimes lacks the sure-footedness of a tenured organization, we revel in our missteps, and we do our best to learn and to change accordingly.

It’s not always easy to dust yourself off, but we know it’s possible because now, Steve Jobs, a discarded employee and temperamental manager, is a hero. You rarely hear about his departure from Apple or his unconventional leadership methods – 26 years later, that’s just one short blurb on a lengthy Wikipedia page. Instead of being defined by his mistakes, he was defined by his accomplishments – and that in and of itself is no small feat.

So while we agree with all of the great things being said about this legendary mover and shaker, we’re not ready to put Vaseline on the lenses just yet. We think Steve Jobs should be remembered as the imperfect person he really was because it is THAT person who truly inspires us.

To overcoming odds and not caving to the pitfalls of life and human nature, we raise our glasses.

Rest in peace, Steve. You – the whole you – will be missed.

Remembering the successes and failures of Steve Jobs

Remembering The Real Steve Jobs