Your Dad Was Living The Hipster Life Before You Knew What It Was
“Your dad went green before it was cool, and he has the t-shirt to prove it.”
Your dad didn’t just “get into” hipster stuff later, he was there first, running on flannel, vinyl, and questionable life choices before you even knew what a wheatpaste was.
In this photo book of iconic hipster dad moments, Getty lays it on thick with annotations that are sometimes NSFW, and the captions feel way too specific. It’s the non-traditional wedding your parents pulled off before yours could even get started, the job your dad sucked at before you did, and the street artist era that started with dirt balls, not gallery openings.
And once you realize he was DJing with obscure tracks while you were still learning what a “look book” is, boasting about your own “original” taste starts to get awkward fast.
The book gathers an iconic selection of hipster dad photographs, enriched with Getty's incisive and sometimes NSFW annotations. Here's a look at some top picks.
Brad Getty“Your parents had a non-traditional wedding before you did, and their marriage might not be legal to prove it.”
Brad Getty“Your dad sucked at his job before you did.”
Brad Getty
“Your dad was a street artist long before you put up your first shitty wheatpasting.”
Brad Getty
“Your dad went green before it was cool, and he has the t-shirt to prove it.”
Brad Getty
“Original at everything since '76.”
Brad Getty
That’s when you notice the t-shirt evidence, your dad went green way before anyone was posting sustainability hashtags like it was a personality.</p>
Then the book drops the hangover truth, he wasn’t just living the vibe, he was also realizing the mistake he made last night was making you.</p>
This feud over grandma’s pancake recipe, between you and your cousin’s breakfast cafe, hits hard.
Yet, as Getty humorously points out, today's hipsters might not be as pioneering as they think. From the flannel shirts to the appreciation for vinyl records and everything in between, our dads were embodying these traits before it was considered 'cool.'
They were the original advocates of the DIY ethic, proponents of sustainability before it became a hashtag, and curators of an eclectic taste in music that would form the playlists of many a hipster café.
“Your original hipster dad and his crew of dirt balls.”
Brad Getty
“Your dad had hangovers, and the worst part was realizing that the mistake he made last night was making you.”
Brad Getty
“Throwback Thursday to when your dad was a DJ before you were, and he played music so obscure that you’ve never even heard of it.”
Brad Getty
“Hipsters, your shit-whip will never compare to your dad’s badass ride.”
Brad Getty
“Fall/winter 2014 look book.”
Brad Getty
“Your dad was a struggling indie artist before you were.”
Brad Getty
Next comes the DJ flex, your dad spun music so obscure that your hipster playlist suddenly feels like it’s cosplaying.</p>
Finally, the “original at everything since ’76” line lands, because your dad’s DIY, indie-art grind was basically the blueprint for your entire aesthetic.</p>
So, next time you're tempted to boast about your obscure record collection or your knack for finding the most avant-garde coffee flavors, remember that dad was there first, setting the trends without even trying. Eat your hearts out, hipsters; the first movers in your culture were indeed your dads, effortlessly cool and undeniably original, long before it became a trend.
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Your dad didn’t copy hipster culture, he invented it and left you to argue about the credit.
Before you steal the spotlight at brunch, see why I refused to share my family pancake recipe with a friend.
