Please see the post titled The Contemporary Conformist to ‘get’ this post.
It seems like maybe the purpose of Carles.Buzz is to break free from the Contemporary Conformist mindset when approaching every aspect of life. Deprogramming yourself from the relationality of cool/cultured/relationally appealing visual aesthetics & cultural mediums that will continue to influence ‘dummies’ for the rest of time.
Contemporary Conformity is niche mainstream.
The Contemporary Conformist doesn’t really ‘reject’ anything. They aren’t anti- anything, because their main goal is to ‘blend in’ to an exposed brick/wood background.
The internet, life, cuisine, cooking, food, coffee, craft cocktails, craft beer, non-mall menswear stores / female boutiques, and outdoor events where 20-60somethings are ‘holding an alcoholic beverage with a smile’ but not in the same way ‘a poor’ does it during an NFL game.
The Contemporary Conformist begs the question:
REPURPOSED FROM WHAT?
A visual aesthetic was born from what ties to the past?
What version of the past?
Were u even there? Do u ‘get’ it?
Do u even need to connect to the past?
Is there a purpose that needs repurposing?
R u ‘that’ connected 2 a past that needs 2 be remembered?
Why r u trying to extend ur ‘memory’ beyond the nostalgic images of youth [via watching TV/’the 80s/90s’]?
Modern is a difficult aesthetic to achieve. It requires tons of money [via custom welding to build space ships].
The Contemporary Conformist attempts to transcend the ‘cheap’ building materials that ‘plague’ new development, crafting an ‘authentic’ aesthetic with assembled/’repurposed’ knick-knacks.
It is a modern take on the business of TGIFridays. Looking at Contemporary Conformist Design is just as repulsive as going to a diner with ‘tons of junk on the walls.’
The Contemporary Conformist attempts to mute the cheapness of modern with ‘nuance’, ‘quirk’,’quaint’, and ‘natural urban rural industrialism.’
Why do we want new things 2 look tied to the past?
Why are we ashamed of manufacturing/cultural/visual waste?
The Contemporary Conformist believes that they are being ‘functional’ with all design decisions. However, ‘functional’ is just a version of ‘less comfy’ that photographs better.
Thank you for the comments & ‘contributions 2 the discussion’ in the original post.
There may be a ‘design name’ for this aesthetic called “American Heritage.” I did some Googling and didn’t find much. Seems like a name that an interior designer would use in a ‘pitch meeting’ where they didn’t want to make a client feel like an idiot.
Man buns when styled with ‘menswear’ are an important sign of a Contemporary Conformist. Reminds me of getting a very smirky waiter who ‘believes’ they are an extension of the restaurant at which they work.
I would DEFINITELY try the bison sliders! [via ‘more than just a turkey burger’]
Modern American Cuisine is the official food of the Contemporary Conformist.
It is ‘just iterative’ enough from mainstream chain food to represent a ‘safe space’ [via ‘fusion’ vibes].
Mainstream Chain foods may or may not be Modern American Cuisine [via SXSWestern egg rolls]
Contemporary Conformist is 4 ppl who didn’t go to college to find a visual aesthetic where they ‘belong’ by hanging out at a network of restaurants/coffee shops/bars/segments of town. They can grift their way in and out of circles where the only thing that matters is ‘getting off’ to an aesthetic that they believe ‘can’t be understood’ by other segments of society.
Long Tables & Community-style dining is Contemporary Conformist. The industrial interior of a brewery that also serves food with long picnic style tables indoors vibes. Long tables. Gather round. Let’s share. Let’s conversate.
Some1 commented with a link to ‘the new Starbucks Bean Roasting Super Center.’ I
WHERE DOES CONTEMPORARY CONFORMITY LIVE?
Alternate Developing Theory
New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco are places with economies/legit culture & ‘real rich ppl’ that naturally segment ppl out. There is no artificial drive for culture / no ‘demand’ for ‘places that look a certain way’ because a natural economy dictates supply/demand. There are enough ‘real poor ppl’ that can’t be hidden, so development can’t really ‘hide’ or ‘highlight’ undesirable cultural groups.
Portland, Austin, and Nashville are second tier American cities, with ‘strong identities’ that maybe have thoughtfluenced the development of Contemporary Conformity. Not just design aesthetics, but the national perception of the natural contemporary. [via Portlandia SXSW ‘new Brooklyn’ claims of the 2000s]
Third Tier Cities like Kansas City, Indianapolis, Denver, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Salt Lake City are places where Contemporary Conformism are ‘running wild.’ Places where late 20somethings can ‘afford mortgages’ but still have personal identities that ‘demand’ a curated urbanesque a naturale experience.
Also, ‘major’ cities like Houston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle,San Diego, and Phoenix have stable economies where Contemporary Conformity is utilized as a design trend for the affluent who just value novelty/contemporary, knowing that the establishment will be ‘re-done’ when the trend passes.
Only cities like Miami and New Orleans with direct ties to ‘the Old World’ have stable cultural roots where dumb trends will not invade.
I will write another post about this theory if any one has something to add/more theories. I am not really tied to these tiers, just trying to ‘brainstorm’ some theories on how Contemporary Conformism spread.
“Old USA manufacturing cities refurbished into yuppie cities, but they keep the brick tobacco buildings with their painted signs.” [via the comments]
There is a theme of ‘salvaging’ / ‘saving’ culture/’old buildings’/old aesthetics with Contemporary Conformism. I wonder if it is ‘more green’ to just tear everything down.
Other contemporary conformist actions.
-Roasting Coffee Beans
-Drinking Topo Chico / phasing out Pelegrino
-Cold Brew Coffee
-Pour Over Coffee
-Fleur-based liqueurs
-Remote Vacations
-entry-level umami (mild bleu cheese vibes)
-Drinking to excess/ingesting thousands of calories from ‘fancy cocktails’ but not doing drugs because Contemporary Conformists still see themselves as an extension of their child/adolescent/college selves
-While Square Plates and ‘elegantly plated’ food is Contemporary Conformist, it might be more contemporary conformist for a tapas style / sharing vibe in ‘not fancy’ serving containers.
-long tables / community dining
-dining experiences for 6 or more
-Most food truck culture is actually ‘mainstream’ now.
-Mainstreamers & cultural laggards still see contemporary conformists as ‘hipsters’ because they are not culturally aware enough to re-assign labels.
The contemporary conformist lifestyle is a curated DisneyLand-like experience for ‘the lesser cultured.’ Suburbanite mainstreamers feel ‘hip’ when entering a contemporary conformist space. They go home and attempt to ‘replicate recipes’ with new ‘flavors’ that they tried.
I have heard ‘social media’ is buzzing about this post, even though I don’t even use social media [via it is where Contemporary Conformists & netstreamers]
@joylkmus dude reads like the guy who tried to hijack the discussion in sociology seminar every week for 20 minutes.
— austin (@bainard) April 9, 2015
Sorry 4 being so ‘low end’ yall. Wish my thoughts could conform to a social media medium where I could feel like a ‘genius’ in 140 characters or less, sharing other pplz content. I h8 online media.
I wish I was just a Contemporary Conformist so I could ‘take pride’ in having read the latest netstream thinkpiece about ‘the new subculture.’
Contemporary Conformity might be ‘niche mainstream.’
All we r looking for is a place where we belong. A visual aesthetic where we are not threatened. A visual aesthetic + set of experiences that ‘hugs us’ when we enter the room/scene/pop-up branded experience at SXSW.
Would u rather go to
I Need More Help with the Female Contemporary Conformist Aesthetic
I feel like ‘most girls who aren’t mainstream skanks’ or weirdos are relatively Contemporary Conformist. When contructing a ‘self’ only using the medium of retail fashion, they can’t help but always be contemporarily conforming. (But this applies 2 bros too, I guess). What is it that women want? Do they want a ContempConformie guy to ‘impress’ their parents [via ‘mate who can provide’]?
Do they want ‘more than just a mainstreamer in a polo shirt’ but not a ‘low-life Tumblr culture loser’?
Are ‘cool girls’ who can ‘contribute’ to discussions at Contemporary Conformist establishments just a new iteration of ‘basic bitches’ who think they are different from ‘basic bitches’ that they shared in a listicle, but also embrace how sometimes they like being a lil bit basic, yall! ?
I do think that ‘kids who are dressed well’ are actually just kids who ‘look like adults’ because they are dressed in contemporary conformist fashions.
What other elements of Contemporary Conformist identity need to be explained?
What ContempConformmie practices do u h8 (about urself/others)?
What can you do to be more auth than a contempconformmie?
‘Isn’t this just consumerism?’ -guy on Twitter who ‘doesn’t get it’
Gone to any ContempConformie Hangouts/events recently?
Let’s work together to define the Contemporary Conformist.
I need ur help. I can’t do this alone.
Please link me/email me the web presence of a Contemporary Conformist restaurant/coffee shop / bar / establishment in your city. I would appreciate all of the thoughts you have on Contemporary Conformity as we move beyond this horrible aesthetic together. Some1 sent me this coffee shop that could be classified as Contemporary Conformist Porn.
Send me the Instagram profiles of ppl u know who are Contemporary Conformists, plz.
Thank you for your thoughts/ideas as we move beyond the Contemporary Conformist world that does not actually help us ‘elevate’ our existences [via 100% unfiltered auth vibes].
