In my opinion, there is nothing worse than people in this cowtown desperately trying to be cool or trendy or whatever word it is you might use to describe one of those dreaded hipsters to which I'm referring.
That routine just doesn't work in this place for a number of reasons but mostly because there are still far more people 'round these parts who wear those John Deere gimme hats with absolutely no sense of irony at all. Also, because almost every social activity in this town involves eating; being skinny and depressed might be a sign of terminal illness and not just proof of your devotion to The Killers.
Anyway, while flipping through the pages of the 1st anniversary edition of Present Magazine a photo essay caught my eye.
A bunch of KC hipsters got together for a fashion shoot at Le Fou Frog (I know) in order to show this city their cool 80 buck jeans that came pre shredded. You'll have to take a look at these losers for yourself in order to catch a glimpse of their self importance . . .
That routine just doesn't work in this place for a number of reasons but mostly because there are still far more people 'round these parts who wear those John Deere gimme hats with absolutely no sense of irony at all. Also, because almost every social activity in this town involves eating; being skinny and depressed might be a sign of terminal illness and not just proof of your devotion to The Killers.
Anyway, while flipping through the pages of the 1st anniversary edition of Present Magazine a photo essay caught my eye.
A bunch of KC hipsters got together for a fashion shoot at Le Fou Frog (I know) in order to show this city their cool 80 buck jeans that came pre shredded. You'll have to take a look at these losers for yourself in order to catch a glimpse of their self importance . . .
Not being a hipster, I can't tell whether Present is pandering to or mocking their subjects. In any of their articles. Can any of you cool kids tell me which it is?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. The problem is, the midget or small person you talk about actually works there. She is the hostess.
ReplyDeleteOpen mouth, insert foot.
Yeah, people never mock those they work with . . .
ReplyDelete... I mock people I work with all the time. I've eaten there before so I recognized her. After closer inspection of the picture, she is as lame as the rest of the hipster/JOCO a-hole wannabes.
ReplyDeleteLearn something new everyday. Didn't know what a hipster was until I read this ;-)!!
ReplyDeletei wondeer if that midget has done any porn...
ReplyDeleteHi Tony,
ReplyDeleteCame across this entry and thought it was an eye-opening interpretation of the fashion photo shoot (Present Magazine, Issue 12, September 2006).
The intent of the fashion spread may not be evident to everyone and that's reasonable to expect. Here's my take on it. I thought this fashion spread would be an alternative to what people normally see in magazines. The intent was to show the fashion styles of a group of people, the staff at Le Fou Frog in this case, based on their normal street attire with brief commentary about what they wore or what they found stylish.
We chose to avoid using professional models with hair stylists, makeup, and an expensive fashion wardrobe that doesn't represent the average Kansas Citian. That sort of artificial fashion presentation can be seen in local and national publications all the time.
The people featured in the photo spread work in the service industry and are professionals at what they do. They received no compensation for the photo shoot. Their body height and weight do not conform to fashion industry "standards" which was part of the point in not using waifs as models. They are presented as is, for the most part, like it or not. The photos weren't retouched except for lighting or cropping purposes. The people in those photos earn a buck like most average people in town do, don't hail from JoCo, and don't think of themselves as young, rich, white hipsters to my knowledge. I can't recall the last time I met a rich server working in a restaurant. The magazine's intent certainly wasn't to pass off anyone as such, but instead as every day people with an individual sense of style. The clothes they wear are the clothes they own, obtained from Target, a family member, thrift stores, or other fairly pedestrian sources in most cases.
So the fashions presented are personal, individual, and accessible based on the subject's taste. Taste being the key word. Everyone has his or her taste. And it's perfectly natural for tastes to differ between people.
The introductory page of the fashion spread makes it clear that these people are staff at Le Fou Frog. Regarding Stephanie Hall, pictured above in your blog, she is also an employee at the restaurant as one of your readers pointed out. She is certainly not a mascot (as your remarks insinuate) for her coworkers, the restaurant, or anyone else. She's a person that earns a living honestly so she can afford to spend money as she sees fit.
Overall, the magazine images stimulated some strong opinions and namecalling in your case. The tone of your remarks with regard to Stephanie were offensive to me, but mostly your commentary was generalized and full of speculation with reference to the people in the photo spread. That's easy to do when removed from the subject or situation and commenting at a distance. Mockery is nothing new so there's no hard feelings on my part. My point in writing is to address the mockery with another perspective for others that might read your post.
I'm thankful that we have the means to express and publish our opinions and ideas, whether it be through a blog or a magazine. Since discovering your blog, I have enjoyed reading your remarks whether or not it pokes a nerve close to home. (On a side note, this month's Q&A in Voices and Choices with Senate candidate Claire McCaskill is probably ripe for picking.) I've always appreciated the links and referrals from your blog and others around town. As you likely know, publishing anything available to the public means being open to glowing praise and biting criticism. Getting more than one side of the story matters which is why Present Magazine exists in the first place.
Thanks for your time and take care.
Pete Dulin
Editor
Present Magazine