"Hipification": A Sociological Investigation / Plus, Is It Art, Or Isn't It? (Once More, With Nudity!) / And the LJ-World Gets More Expensive!

We're all familiar with "gentrification," but how about "hipification," the process by which an influx of hipsters moves in and rejuventates a dying neighborhood. A recent NY-Times piece called "Skid row to hip in Toronto" offers insight into the phenomenon, exploring how a run-down Toronto neighborhood, full of drug dealers and prostitutes, is transitioning into a lovely hipster community: "Block by block, they are transforming this stretch of Dundas Street West from a grimy skid row into a bright enclave filled with quirky bookstores, vegan restaurants and organic cafes." (Chip: "I'd prefer the drug dealers and hookers.").

Obviously, downtown Larryville has a powerful hipster presence (look no further than the Replay, the Jackpot, and the TapRoom), but is the 'hipification' of downtown expanding? Perhaps. After all, the Northside's planned upscale riverside shopping district has reverted back to the Gaslight. And Mass. Street's Blue Heron furniture, loved by West Side yuppies, is currently going out of business (pictured below), leaving bewildered rich folks to buy their sofas from that crazy fucker on Iowa Street who makes his employees dress up in king and queen costumes and dance in the scorching sunshine (Richard: "I hope an excellent new hipster thrift store opens in the Blue Heron location. We need at least one more place specializing in kickball-wear.").















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Rangelife Records owner Zach Hangauer (whose "artist name" is Zaguar) gets his own art show this Saturday at Wonder Fair, a showcase for his large collages. His source material, according to Lawrence.com, is primarily: "Look, Life, Saturday Evening Post, Playboy and holiday magazines from the late '50s through the mid '80s."

Let's take a look at one of them:





















Richard: "In his juxtaposition of the Playboy model against a backdrop of obvious 'art,' Hangauer calls into question the artificiality of both. The woman's masturbatory pose seems to parody the aesthetic pleasure one supposedly gains from 'traditional' art, while perhaps making the viewer question our true sources of aesthetic pleasure, since, let's be honest here, the eye is drawn more to the woman than to the backdrop. This is local work at its most provocative. Art!"

Chip: "I'm going with art on this one too, because of the titties...and that other stuff you said."


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Following suit after the KC-Star's recent price raise, the daily LJ-World will now also cost you 75 cents. But one need look no further than today's editorials to see that it's worth the cost. Erin Patterson-Sexson has written a piece in the voice of her dog, Chumley, a "Bassador," praising the Lawrence Humane Society:

"Since I was adopted, my parents, my slobbery brother Hutch (a yellow Lab), and I drove all the way to Alaska to live...Just a few weeks ago my new baby brother (he's a human) was born and soon enough he will be big enough to play with me and scratch my ears."

Chip: "I won't lie. I teared up a little when I read this."