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5 Photos That Deflate The NY Times' "Hipsters are Ruining Montauk" Narrative
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 6, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 6, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
Share
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Over the weekend The NY Times turned their heads from Wythe Avenue to focus on the end of The End: Montauk. In an article titled Montauk’s Hipster Fatigue, The Hipster is now blamed for Montauk's transformation from blue collar to deep v-neck. While earlier this year the Gray Lady blamed the hamlet's soulless demise on a creeping case of Hamptonsization, some anti-fedora signs have them believing public enemy #1 is now The Hipster. Writer Jim Rutenberg says: "it’s really about those who wear the hat... the fedora featured in the signs represents your basic hipster. And to some extent, it’s just part of what is shaping up as a countrywide anti-hipster movement." (Code Orange, hipsters!)
These aren't any ordinary hipsters, mind you, these are Ninja Hipsters—Rutenberg says "the whole [hipster] look provides cover for a more privileged crowd that is intent upon importing to your neighborhood higher real estate, food and drink prices."
If the NY Times is going to anecdotally declare that the hipster is ruining Montauk over one photograph of an anti-fedora sign, then surely we can prove or disprove this with our own "research." Under the theory that Instagram is a portal into the Hipster Eye, we turned there for recent photos of Montauk... and lo and behold, we found more images of regular, non-hipster types ruining the area. Or maybe these are a new new breed of Ninja Hipsters, who dress like Joe Douchebag for their sleepy hamlet takeovers. Clearly, we can't close the file on this case yet...
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hipsters
Montauk
the ny times is on it
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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