Mipsterz, stylized as #MIPSTERZ (short for Muslim Hipsters [1] ), are an international group of primarily hipster Muslims (loosely defined, and not limited to Millennials) who have evolving views on religion, identity, community, politics, and culture. [2] [3] [4] [5] Prior to 2012, the term "#MIPSTERZ" did not exist, though the application of "Muslim Hipsters" had been used. [6] Abbas Rattani is credited as the creator of the formal #MIPSTERZ movement, culture, community, and identity [7] [8] [9] [10] Other known #MIPSTERZ include tech entrepreneur Layla Shaikley, author & artist Sara Alfageeh, [11] [12] Riz Ahmed, Ibtihaj Muhmmad, Hasan Minhaj, Linda Sarsour, Reza Aslan, Amina Wadud, Omid Safi, Rabia of Basra, and Jalal al-din Rumi.
Mipsterz have been self-described on their Google Groups community page as:
"The 'Mipsterz' first began as a satirical, thought-generating jab at corporate culture and evolved into a limitless collective that empowers individuals to find coolness in themselves and share their God-given gifts with all. You see, hipster rule number 1: never self-identify as a hipster—namely, because these labels are a social constructed means of typecasting limitless beings. But let’s be honest, (and this is where the tongue-in-cheek ethos of Mipsterz enters), you are a hipster." [13]
The group has published various videos, including a controversial music video for Jay-Z's "Somewhere in America," [14] [15] [16] [17] as well as original programming [18] such as Hot Sauce x White Sauce, [19] the concert series SUNDAYS/cool, [20] [21] an online magazine: The Field Between, [22] and the fashion-activism project BOY/BYE. [23] [24] [25]
As of 2017, the group currently functions as a non-profit arts and culture collective with a focus on presenting and producing original content by Muslim creatives in the domains of film, music, and illustration. [1] A marketplace was opened in early 2018 which features their work. [26]
Muslims are people who follow or practice Islam, an Abrahamic monotheistic religion. The word "Muslim" derives from Arabic and means "submitter ". Muslims consider the Quran, their holy book, to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophet and messenger Muhammad. The majority of Muslims also follow the teachings and practices of Muhammad (sunnah) as recorded in traditional accounts (hadith).
A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical, abstract, or relating to topics of science fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many so-called nerds are described as being shy, quirky, pedantic, and unattractive.
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1981 to 1996. Most millennials are the children of baby boomers and early Gen Xers; millennials are often the parents of Generation Alpha.
Reza Aslan is an Iranian-American scholar of sociology of religion, writer, and television host. A convert to evangelical Christianity from Shia Islam as a youth, Aslan eventually reverted to Islam but continued to write about Christianity. He has written four books on religion: No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and God: A Human History.
Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk, skateboarding and Japanese street fashion. Eventually haute couture became an influence. It commonly centers on "casual, comfortable pieces such as jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps, and sneakers", and exclusivity through intentional product scarcity. Enthusiasts follow particular brands and try to obtain limited edition releases.
Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City. It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, Complex, by fashion designer Marc (Ecko) Milecofsky. Complex Networks reports on popular and emerging trends in style, sneakers, food, music, sports and pop culture. Complex Networks reached over 90 million unique users per month in 2013 across its owned and operated and partner sites, socials and YouTube channels. The print magazine ceased publication with the December 2016/January 2017 issue. Complex currently has 4.55 million subscribers and 1.3 billion total views on YouTube. As of 2019, the company's yearly revenue was estimated to be US$200 million, 15% of which came from commerce.
The 21st-century hipster is a subculture that is defined by claims to authenticity and uniqueness yet, ironically, is notably lacking in authenticity and conforms to a collective style. The subculture embodies a particular ethic of consumption that seeks to commodify the idea of rebellion or counterculture. Fashion is one of the major markers of hipster identity. Members of the subculture typically do not self-identify as hipsters, and the word hipster is often used as a pejorative for someone who is pretentious or overly concerned with appearing trendy or fashionable in a non-mainstream way.
Google Workspace is a collection of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed and marketed by Google. It was first launched in 2006 as Google Apps for Your Domain and rebranded as G Suite in 2016. Google Workspace consists of Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet and Chat for communication; Currents for employee engagement; Drive for storage; and the Google Docs suite for content creation. An Admin Panel is provided for managing users and services. Depending on edition Google Workspace may also include the digital interactive whiteboard Jamboard and an option to purchase such add-ons as the telephony service Voice. The education edition adds a learning platform Google Classroom and today has the name Workspace for Education.
Devon Allman is an American guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is the son of musician Gregg Allman and has appeared occasionally as a guest musician for Gregg Allman and The Allman Brothers Band. In addition, he is the now ex-stepson of musician Cher. Allman was the founder and bandleader of Honeytribe, also known as Devon Allman's Honeytribe, with whom he released two albums and toured across North America and Europe. Prior to Honeytribe, Allman contributed to several other musical recordings, notably Vargas Blues Band and the A Song for My Father compilation album. He was one of the original members of Royal Southern Brotherhood and contributed to their first two studio albums and toured with them. In 2013, Allman launched his solo career as the Devon Allman Band, and has since released three albums. His latest tour, branded as the Devon Allman Project, features special guest Duane Betts.
The undercut is a hairstyle that was fashionable from the 1910s to the 1940s, predominantly among men, and saw a steadily growing revival in the 1980s before becoming fully fashionable again in the 2010s. Typically, the hair on the top of the head is long and parted on either the side or center, while the back and sides are buzzed very short. It is closely related to the curtained hair of the mid-to-late 1990s, although those with undercuts during the 2010s tended to slick back the bangs away from the face.
Marques Keith Brownlee, also known professionally as MKBHD, is an American YouTuber and professional ultimate frisbee player, best known for his technology-focused videos as well as his podcast Waveform. As of December 2021, he has over 15 million subscribers and over 2.7 billion total video views. Vic Gundotra, a former Senior Vice President of Google, called Brownlee "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now". The name of his YouTube channel is a concatenation of MKB and HD.
Vocativ is an American media and technology company founded in 2013 by Mati Kochavi. Vocativ uses proprietary data-mining technology to explore the deep web in order to discover stories and generate original content. In 2017, the company announced it would focus exclusively on video content and stop publishing written stories.
Mic is an American internet and media company based in New York City that caters to millennials.
Crossy Road is an arcade video game released on 20 November 2014. It was developed and published by Australian video game developer Hipster Whale, with the name and concept of the game playing on the age old joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?" The game has been described as "endless Frogger".
Copts in Egypt refers to Coptic people born in or residing in Egypt.
A halal snack pack (HSP) is a fast food dish, popular in Australia, which consists of halal-certified doner kebab meat and fries. It also includes different kinds of sauces, usually chilli, garlic, and barbecue. whilst yoghurt, cheese, jalapeño peppers and tabbouleh are common additions. The snack pack is traditionally served in a styrofoam container, and has been described as a staple takeaway dish of kebab shops in Australia.
Xennials, also known as the Oregon Trail Generation, are the micro-generation of people on the cusp of the Generation X and Millennial demographic cohorts. Researchers and popular media use birth years from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Xennials are described as having had an analog childhood and a digital young adulthood.
Blavity is an American Internet media company and website based in Los Angeles, created by and for black millennials. Their mission is to "economically and creatively support Black millennials across the African scape, so they can pursue the work they love, and change the world in the process."
Layla M. is a 2016 Dutch drama film directed by Mijke de Jong. It stars Nora El Koussour as Layla, a young Dutch woman of Moroccan background who rebels against her family and schooling to become an Islamic fundamentalist. As in other films by de Jong, the focus is on a strong-willed young woman growing up. In Layla M., de Jong and her collaborator Jan Eilander wanted to examine the radicalisation of European youngsters. The writers were inspired by a real life account; they wrote the script during the Arab Spring and the trial of Geert Wilders.
Marcia Hermansen is an American scholar of Islam. Hermansen is professor and director of Islamic World Studies at Loyola University Chicago.