From Publishers Weekly
Fast on the heels of Robert Lanham's The Hipster Handbook (Anchor; February 2003), Aiello, who honed his chops writing "scathing editorials for the school newspaper," presents round two of the hipster instruction manual. Strikingly similar to Lanham's guide, this book breaks down hipsters by category. There's the Audiophylum family, which includes glam rockers and goths; the Auteurial family, comprised of laptop rock stars, literati and starving artists; the Graecus family, where you'll find corporate hipsters and men who lunch; etc. Examining each species scientifically (describing, for example, its "exterior," "plumage," "mating habits" and "habitat"), Aiello also notes his subjects' preferred hang-out spots, usually focusing on hipster hotbeds like New York (notably, more often Manhattan than edgier Brooklyn); Cambridge, Mass.; and Berkeley, Calif. Cartoon drawings highlight the characters' features, from the Eurotrash guy's chest hair to the mod chick's boots ("not actually made for walking"). Aiello's guide would be amusing if it weren't six months late to the scene.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
With once-populous rebel groups (hippies, punks, grunge rockers) reduced to cliques that converge at nightclubs for themed outings ("Wednesday is Anarchy Night," perhaps), along come the parodies to nail the club doors shut. On the heels of The Hipster Handbook (2003), this "field guide" takes a mock-scientific approach to identifying species, ranging from AlternaBoys to Urban Moms, in their native habitats. Plumage ("brightly dyed" for Ravers) and voice ("short barking notes" for Metal Heads) are noted, as are mating habits, herd mentality, and natural enemies (Struggling Actors fear Models for their ability to snare roles without talent). Each section ends with examples of actual habitat (bars, usually) in which each respective breed may be observed (use caution when approaching Thugz). Some researchers may object to the inclusion of Ex-Frats (from the Graecus family) in the Hipster genus, but Aiello's fieldwork is otherwise solid. Clever and funny, despite a passage in which Activists take more of a beating than a ribbing; may prompt occasional musing on the nature of conformity. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
