These days, our Facebook feeds and inboxes are full of worthy causes crying out for our empathy and financial support. But as the world seemingly crumbles, one Istanbullu believes that there is room for one more cause: the Cihangir-based Society for the Prevention of Hipster Acceptance, or SPHA. Intrigued, Yabangee sat down with founder Ibrahim Şakagibi on a recent Friday morning to discuss the new venture.
“This isn’t about rights!” exclaims Ibrahim, a pained expression now crossing his face, “Please try to understand. What’s happening is unfair, it’s creeping into our society and this neighbourhood is the front line. Society needs a firmer approach, less bright, less warm, more discerning.”
“With less bells on essentially?” This is missed, or ignored.
Ibrahim says that the initiative was founded to provide a unified platform against the progressive de-marginalization of hipsters. A once-marginalised community, successfully looking different from everyone else and frequenting their own cafés, Istanbul hipsterler are becoming invaded by increasingly ordinary-looking people with increasingly ordinary haircuts, Ibrahim tells me. I first heard about the movement in the loo of an unpopular-but-cool Taksim nightclub/atölye, listening in half earfuls, between foot thuds and involuntary chomps. Even then the whole thing struck me as completely absurd. Unionised hipsters in Cihangir? Please.
However, 45 minutes listening to Ibrahim has not been as fruitless as I’d originally expected (and, rather unkindly, as I’d hoped). Sat in the glorious April sunshine, beige winter anorak draped about his skinny shoulders and tattooed fingers rolling cigarette after frenzied cigarette, Ibrahim has spoken powerfully and convincingly on a subject he’s clearly passionate about. And it’s got me wondering: what if he’s right? If, as Ibrahim says, this is an endangered community, perhaps the greatest help we can provide is to marginalise it.
“This dangerous modern obsession with acceptance threatens to dilute away a whole urban demographic,” emphasises Ibrahim agitatedly, eyes presumably wide and electric behind shaded glasses. It’s easy to see his point, not least because this thread of acceptance has already reared its shaggy head in my local neighbourhood of Tophane. I explain to Ibrahim how newly opened cafes with sturdy wooden counters and tasteful floor tiling, selling çay for 5 TL a glass, have started to become frequented by Tophane locals.
“That’s exactly the point,” replies Ibrahim. “Exactly. A friend of mine recently got a tattoo done of a rat’s tail coming out his hair behind his ear and then when he was at the till in Carrefour the cashier didn’t even look twice.” I nod, glimpsing the pain. “Nowadays a rat’s tail tattoo is about as alternative as a Guns and Roses t-shirt” he murmurs sadly, more I think to himself than me.
