Poll: I am so freaking ALTERNATIVE!

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

I find "indie" to be pretentious, overwrought, and full of people who are just "conforming to non-conformity".

You want to break from the mainstream? Try Schubert.

I can see this opinion being rather strong amongst The Escapist members; I am one of them. However, it's usually because the people decide they're going to be 'indie' that they become filled with their own self importance, rather than the culture making you like that.

It happens time and time again, there's a minority of people following a particular style and music taste that makes them different to everyone else, and therefore outcasts. People realise this and decide they like the idea of being outcasts and decide to 'subscribe' to it. Now being the outcasts, these people feel like they can look in on society and pick faults with it, feeling like they are more important than those following the norm at that time. More people realise this and decide that they like it so they 'subscribe' to being indie. Then the last few will realise it's cool to be wearing those clothes and listening to that music and join too. Now the people who joined early look down on everyone as people who just follow the crowd.

To answer your questions:
1) I wouldn't call it indie culture. The indie you're talking about is more of a social grouping, a stereotype of the younger generation than anything. I don't think I can answer your question, given this statement.
2) I think 'indie culture' is just another fad, it will die out soon, just as emo did. We'll be left with a few people who stick to it and see themselves better because they did.

EDIT: Thanks SimuLord, you reminded me to listen to classical music, I've been meaning to do that. Also, Schubert's pretty good.

 

[Manicotti]

Let's throw at least one more thing onto the heap of arguments as to why the original question is utter bullshit. There is no such thing as an indie culture. Cultures exist among groups of people trying to fit in with each other, and that kind of undermines your poorly-defined version of "indie" to begin with.

Everything that you think is somehow symbolic of indie culture is also nothing more than mass-produced, mass-marketed drivel that feeds off the money of a select group of people, no different than any other except in the fact that they don't like Windows but lack the self-awareness to realize the hypocrisy of "preferring" Mac (or any other two brands of your choice). With rare exceptions like Minecraft, the best reason anything could be considered indie is that it is deliberately crappy enough not to have a wider audience.

Also,

Have Fun! BE INDIE!

The fuck is that. Seriously, what the hell does it mean in the context of a forum, and why is it supposed to be a good thing? You do realize that this entire website is about as "mainstream" as it gets, right?

 

[Daipire]

In terms of video games, utterly mainstream.

Music: I listen to bands everyone knows of, but no one actually listens to (The Hives, QoTSA, Franz Ferdinand). So, kinda indie, I guess...

 

[Seneschal]

While my media-consuming habits might be on the indie side, I find the whole "shouting it to the four winds"-thing to be obnoxious. It doesn't seem respectful in front of other people, even a little juvenile. It's what adolescents do because they need to define themselves in strong contrast to the world, and they do it ostentatiously because they're too young to know good measure. Perfectly understandable.

But I don't see a 30-year-old person beeing exceptionally "indie".

 

[Steppin Razor]

I liked Hitler before he was mainstream.
[small]Amidoingitrite?[/small]

Ahem, moving on..... >.>
As has already been said, indie is just another sub-culture, much like goth and punk. Except that goths and punks are usually much less pretentious and annoying. And more likely to try and stab you or punch your head in. But at least they aren't annoying.

 

[Reveras]

I listen to whatever I find enjoyable and refuse to designate myself to a random classification of groups. Yesterday I was listening to DevilDriver, today I'm all into Pendulum - Streamline. If something feels right and I like it, I'll most likely be listening to it.

Game wise pretty much the same.

 

[Jackle_666]

Typically the story of my life is, I'm too indie for the mainstream kids, too mainstream for the alt kids.

Example, I love FPS's but I hate Halo and get bored quick with COD. So I play Killzone, Bad Company and TF2 with strangers who don't speak English while all of my mates play the other stuff.

Oh well

 

[kitsunefather]

I'm a hominid with a predisposition for mild histrionics (thanks to years of interactive escapist fantasy) and a diet comprised of mostly meat with an addition of starches and the occasional vegetation.

 

[ohellynot]

oooh, it's been a while since I've brought this out:

Spoiler

Screw you and your individualism. You are not a unique snowflake. You are one of seven billion people scrabbling across earth. Why do you care? Is it somehow impossible for you to be happy unless you think you're so unlike everyone else?

You know the most idividual guy in that picture? Tubby. And no-one likes Tubby.

[small]Oooh, I haven't raged like that in a while[/small]

Maybe I just think gas masks are badass or something, but my attitude towards anyone who claims to be "individual" is pretty much that paragraph.

And before I hear "indie is not individual", You mentioned alternative. I see it as nothing more than a desperate attempt to stand out from the crowd.

Ill assume there are ore british police3 given thetr brandishing wooden sticks
OT: I just listen/watch/red etc. what I, like some of it might be indy most of it is probably mainstream though.

 

[CosmicCommander]

Indie is essentially a way of saying you're a tosspot without destroying your precious self-esteem.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

I couldn't tell you what was mainstream and what was indie except in videogames, and even then I just play what I like.

If you don't know/care what the 'scene' is, you can't ever be affected by it and will just indulge in what takes your fancy.

I'll never buy a full album just because the artist is popular, I'll buy specific songs which I find pleasing. That's the long and short it it.

 

[Murray Whitwell]

Tying oneself to a label of non-conformity is laughably ironic.

 

[SpAc3man]

I'm so alternative that I will listen to mainstream music if its good enough. Just to be alternative compared to alternative wannabes.

But seriously people who shun the mainstream are just conforming to culture rules. Sure some stuff is better because of its separation from mainstream but not everything. Be yourself, don't be a sheep.

 

[Spy_Guy]

Tying oneself to a label of non-conformity is laughably ironic.

Why did you have to say that?! That was my line...

...but since someone else used it, it is now too mainstream for me!

But it is so true, trying to get a non-conformist identity will only make you more conform with that group... surely someone must notice that this ironing is delicious!

 

[Kevonovitch]

i am me "indie" and "alternative" and just MORE redundancies to "not socially solicited norm"
if we get any more, they'll become the new norm of "WE DON'T KNOW SO RANDOM MASH SHIT GOES HERE!"

 

[Soxafloppin]

1. Have you, or do you, frequently come into direct contact with indie culture?

Yes, but not frequently.

2. What are your views on indie culture?

As long as people don't get on there high horse about how different they are and how everything mainstream is shit, i really don't care.

 

[-Samurai-]

I'm not indie and I'm not mainstream. I'm whatever I like at that time. I don't like something for its label. I like it for its content.

 

[The Stonker]

The thing is that being "indie" is just as mainstream as being well a "gangster".
Because it's just a label which other people put on each other.
Kinda like "emo", they think they're being very different by dressing like Green day and listening to whiny music and then they identify them selves in that group.. and so on.
So I refuse to label my self since I'm already a freak of nature.

People have put stamps on me, for a fact here are a couple.
"Fag","arty","nerd","geek" and so forth.
I am who I am and I don't need anyone to tell me what I am or what I'm not.
Btw. I'm not gay, I just support the gay community to the fullest.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

There is a lot more crap independent music/games/movies/art/clothing/etc than crap mainstream.

mainstream music is better than independent music, what planet are you on?

 

[Sovvolf]

There is a lot more crap independent music/games/movies/art/clothing/etc than crap mainstream.

mainstream music is better than independent music, what planet are you on?

Sort of hoping your being ironic here, if not... Then I'm guessing you've missed the point of what a lot of have said in this thread. Nothing is better simply because of the label on the end of it. Its all a matter of taste, some mainstream music is, to me, a whole lot better than some independent music that I've listened to and vice versa.

The quality of media or clothing is all subjective to ones opinion.