Legitimately Enjoying Things Ironically

At some point after the term “hipster” became a popular put-down among nerds, the phrase “I enjoyed this…ironically” became a running gag designed to emphasize everything that is perceived to be wrong with hipsters, highlighting that, at least for the stereotypical image of the hipster, that the enjoyment of kitsch is all an act. Because of this, I now sometimes see nerds who are afraid to enjoy things ironically for fear of being associated with that crowd.

To you, I want to say, it is okay to enjoy things “ironically.” The idea that something is “so bad it’s good” is a valid one, and being entertained on that level does not necessarily have anything to do with being “hipster.” There is a caveat though.

The key to enjoying something in an ironic fashion and not having it make you seem like less pleasant of an individual is that enjoyment of the product at hand, t-shirts, beer, anime, should be top priority or close to it. If the “ironic” products are consumed in service of enhancing or giving flourish to your image in the eyes of others, that’s when it starts to cross over into “hipster” territory. It is pretty unappealing when someone looks like they’re doing something just to make themselves seem better than others.

Certainly, some things will inevitably be part of personal presentation, such as clothes. Wearing clothes that make you look good is not a “hipster” thing. If you’re not sure about the distinction, here’s a simple test: If no one was around to see you, would you still be enjoying things ironically?

3 thoughts on “Legitimately Enjoying Things Ironically

  1. What’s wrong with being a hipster anyway? Why all the nerd hate towards them?

    >>The key to enjoying something in an ironic fashion and not having it make you seem like less pleasant of an individual

    This is funny because some of the most unpleasant individuals I’ve come across have been nerds.

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    • Speaking as a member of neither group, my major problem with hipsters is that they often pretend to be much more knowledgeable about something than they actually are. This is less of a problem with music, but much more of one when you’re, for example, riding a fixed-gear bike around town with no helmet. Nobody who knows anything about cycling would do either of those things – fixies are racing bikes that stop and start poorly, and cycling on the street without a helmet is suicide.

      In my experience there’s so much overlap between the two groups it’s not actually meaningful to distinguish between them. Scratch the average hipster and you very often find a nerd who thinks he’s got a foolproof way to deflect criticism of whatever he’s into.

      Irony: if I were worried one way or another about enjoying things ironically I couldn’t be into anime at all. We need more people who are capable of enjoying things ironically to be a hobby worth participating in.

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