The Art Snob Archive

Self-Determination - Mar 9 2007

When Ché Becomes Cliché…

Who’s the hipster’s favorite U.S. president? Why, Woodrow Wilson, of course! In 1919, our boy Wilson stood up for the right of national self-determination at the Paris Peace Conference, lending legitimacy to the work of oppressed people the world over in their fight for independence from colonial masters.

Why should a hipster care? Well, the ability to associate oneself with the struggle of minority groups is strangely reminiscent of the desire in hipster culture to attach themselves to obscure new bands or undiscovered new artists. Wilson gave courage to the downtrodden millions in demanding national sovereignty, and in doing so created a glut of potential groups that could be converted to trendy accessories in the West.

Case in point, the Palestinian keffiyeh. This checkered traditional Arab headdress is the symbol of Palestinian national disaffection, and as such has emerged as a fashionable scarf option among cultured urban youth in the West. It is quite obviously a politically conscious attempt by hipsters to display their allegiance to the anti-Zionist movement, and certainly has nothing to do with the fact that certain British rock-star libertines have been known to sport the keffiyeh under dark leather jackets.

In the same way, Spin magazine declared “gypsy” to be the scene of 2006, illuminating the attractiveness of the dispersed Roma populations to indie culture. Bands like Beirut, Gogol Bordello, and DeVotchKa have been embraced by hipsters as a means to better understand the plight of the Eastern European diaspora. Similarly, electro-grime-baile funk goddess M.I.A. has built an identity around her Sri Lankan Tamil roots, filling her music videos with tigers and rebellious looking figures wearing colourful bandanas. If she doesn’t attract any political sympathy for the Tamil cause in South Asia, at least she’ll get the kids thinking she’s ‘deck.’

Indeed, my dear readers, the uniform of oppression has replaced the one inch button in distinguishing the cool kids from the poseurs, and the search for new minorities to exploit has replaced the scramble to find that long lost Sergei Eisenstein film. Assuming his recurring role as the catalyst of coolness, the Arts Snob offers some suggestions on how to stand out in this new age of global hipsterdom:

The Dudayev Moustache – Thin, sharp, sexy…the facial hair of Chechen secessionist leader Dzokhar Dudayev bursts with anti-Russian sentiment. It is, perhaps, the most potent symbol of Chechen nationalism, and styling your moustache in a similar style will convince everyone that you follow the Nokhchallah code of honour of this oppressed Russian republic. For ultimate effect, wear a green military cap and look angry.

The Saami garb – this colourful costume of the reindeer-herding Laplanders will exemplify your sympathy with a people whose culture has been suppressed for centuries within the states of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Accordingly, I predict the curly-toed shoe sported by the Saami will soon replace the Converse Chuck Taylor as official hipster footwear.

The Red Robe of Tibet – uniform of the Dalai Lama, this Buddhist outfit will undoubtedly be adopted by the hipster to show solidarity with the Tibetan struggle for independence. Not only does it exemplify dissatisfaction with Chinese occupation, it’s also silky smooth and extremely comfortable

The Canadian Aboriginal Headdress - since the whole world has jumped on the Arcade Fire/Montreal-is-better-than-you bandwagon, hipsters have had to abandon their association with the Fleur-de-lis and Quebecois oppression. What better replacement than the trampled indigenous Canadian populations? Rock the feathered headdress when you got out with your friends and acquire infinite credibility as an opponent of reservations, residential schools, and cultural assimilation.

The Frantz Fanon tattoo: This Algerian philosopher penned The Wretched of the Earth, the manifesto for violent upheaval in the Third World. Plant his handsome, North African face on your skin and you will be instantly connected to every revolutionary insurgency from the FLN to the PLO.

No need for thanks, dear friends. I’m glad to be of help in your quest to capitalize on the oppressed for the greater good of hipster fashion. Godspeed.

posted by HLL @ Saturday, March 10, 2007