Comments on: Wait, are we talking about the 1990's?

Wait, are we talking about the 1990's?

Godwin Interjection — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:04:26 -0800

The dream of the ~~90's~~ 1890's is alive in Portland (SLYT)

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:10:28 -0800

They got me with the setup when I watched this the other night. I thought my DVR had recorded a rerun. That made me laugh pretty hard. Unfortunately, the actual song didn't pay off that much for me. Still, one of my favorite shows.

By: kenko

kenko — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:14:25 -0800

The guy saying "microbrew or die" is clearly operating a still.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:23:20 -0800

IRFH, my wife thought the exact same thing. "Oh, a rerun?" she pouted before suddenly there were BEARDS BEARDS BEARDS.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:24:31 -0800

I thought the future would have more laser guns and slick shoiny jumpsuits and now everyone is dunning socks and pickling things and shearing sheep for fun.

By: maryr

maryr — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:24:36 -0800

The song is kind of awful (if ever the Decemberists were called for...), but the idea is brilliant.

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:36:08 -0800

Temple of the Dog reference!

By: wallabear

wallabear — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:39:26 -0800

I had a seriously 1890's mustache (unwaxed, thanks) in the 1990's, in Portland. Those old-timers didn't have to deal with it beating your eyes out as you crossed the Fremont Bridge on a sunny summer day.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:42:08 -0800

The uploader has not made this video available in your country. Sorry about that. Huh. I guess the fact that I pay for IFC on cable isn't good enough for them. Guess maybe I'll stop doing that.

By: redsparkler

redsparkler — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:42:34 -0800

I'm amused by the awareness of how concretely non-difficult it must have been to cast people and props for this sketch.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:48:20 -0800

Metafilter: suddenly there were BEARDS BEARDS BEARDS.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:51:36 -0800

I'm amused by the awareness of how concretely non-difficult it must have been to cast people and props for this sketch. Seriously, you could have just collected them in a net trap baited with charcuterie and complex cocktails.

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:55:35 -0800

Charcuterie is perfect, given the amount of time it would take to decide which artisan knots to use to make the net.

By: mccarty.tim

mccarty.tim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:03:54 -0800

Damn it, it totally called me out. Charcuterie, knitting, gardening, canning. I kind of am in to the whole artisan thing.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:04:08 -0800

*rides to Portland on My Little Pony while listening to dupstep remixes of Lady Gaga*

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:04:14 -0800

Wow, I agree the song was weak, but the joke was brilliant, because it really cuts to the heart of one of two flavors of hipsterdom that I despise, best summed up by my own little 'bon mot' about how hipsters on fixies are like the Christian Scientists of transportation. That's not to say I disagree with some of the "return to roots" trends, especially regarding food; shows like Connections, or those alternative history series like 1632 et al, remind me how important it is to keep some level of self-sufficiency and knowledge of what it takes to survive alive in yourself and your community. But the fetishism of it, and the realization I'd also had myself about how the scene was more turn-of-the-last-century, with fashion and facial hair and wrought iron stylings and local village solutions, makes this whole McKinley-esque flavor hipsterdom comedy gold.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:05:32 -0800

(also, I think that we should apply artisan to just about every occupation known to man: artisan custodian, artisan law enforcement, artisan psychaitry, what the fuck ever)

By: mccarty.tim

mccarty.tim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:12:10 -0800

Also, how did you know I've always wanted to move to Portland?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:13:49 -0800

To be fair Tim, you are getting ready for driving that wagon train to Oregon.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:17:57 -0800

hipsters on fixies are like the Christian Scientists of transportation I don't know what this means?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:18:49 -0800

hipsters on fixies This really needs to be worked into a parody of "My favorite Things."

By: Matt Oneiros

Matt Oneiros — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:18:55 -0800

I hated this show in the first season, but this is officially awesome. (And not just because I have the facial hair of a man from the 1890s.)

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:26:23 -0800

What is the difference between fetishizing something and liking it a lot. I'm not being snarky, I just don't understand what that word means in this context.

By: AzraelBrown

AzraelBrown — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:26:52 -0800

johnmc: ...artisan psychaitry.... I believe the proper term is "bartender".

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:27:06 -0800

also "My Fixie Things" something something something "Shirts of raw cotton that tie up with string!"

By: mandymanwasregistered

mandymanwasregistered — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:29:30 -0800

....and selvedge jeans These are a few of my favorite things!

By: timsneezed

timsneezed — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:31:51 -0800

Sorry to rain on the parade but I feel like the show has run out of ideas. The first season was brilliant but I read that its skits were fine-tuned over the course of several years, while this season is more rushed.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:31 -0800

"When the beards itch When the knitting fails When the pickles go bad..."

By: carter

carter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:55 -0800

I think they are on to something here.

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:34:20 -0800

The dandy hobo speaks the truth.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:35:30 -0800

It's funny cause everyone is unemploymed and thrifty! /laughingontheinside

By: melissam

melissam — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:35:47 -0800

The men remind me of this infamous NYtimes Men's Tea Party piece.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:41:18 -0800

What is the difference between fetishizing something and liking it a lot. I'm not being snarky, I just don't understand what that word means in this context. One is something done by people that are your inferiors.

By: The White Hat

The White Hat — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:47:38 -0800

Handlebar mustaches, Bushwick-raised chickens Bright copper kettles and crocheted wool mittens Shirts of raw cotton that tie up with string! These are a few of my favorite things Cream churned to butter inside my apartment Cocktail night with the English department Native American dance party themes These are a few of my favorite things Hipsters on fixies collect unemployment Watches with nixies for vintage enjoyment Beer from Milwaukee that's fit for a king These are a few of my favorite things When I'm laid off When the rent's due When I call my dad I simply remember my favorite things I liked before they were fads.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:49:20 -0800

I smell a Metafilter chorus project.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:50:48 -0800

you're welcome.

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:11 -0800

hincandenza: hipsters on fixies are like the Christian Scientists of transportation
shakespeherian: I don't know what this means?

Really? Okay, well compare Christian Scientists distrust of medical innovation with hipsters on fixies apparent distrust of mechanical advantage.

By: maryr

maryr — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:01:23 -0800

They're the Amish of gears.

By: eddydamascene

eddydamascene — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:12:07 -0800

The song is kind of awful Be glad it wasn't chap-hop.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:13:53 -0800

Really? Okay, well compare Christian Scientists distrust of medical innovation with hipsters on fixies apparent distrust of mechanical advantage. That's probably not how it works.

By: BlackLeotardFront

BlackLeotardFront — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:27:06 -0800

I loved the sketch, and a girl I know did the costumes (I gave her props for it - get it), but yeah, this and the first one are just really flat musically.

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:32:21 -0800

The guy saying "microbrew or die" is clearly operating a still. Metafilter, I love you.

By: darksasami

darksasami — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:50:38 -0800

My roommate not only wears a waxed mustache, but dresses in shirts with puffed sleeves, and vests. Sometimes he wears a top hat. He owns a pirate-themed herb shop.

By: cushie

cushie — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:55:23 -0800

Jonmc, Artisan Podiatry exists in Brooklyn.

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:12:33 -0800

At this point I assume shakespeherian is either a hipster on a fixie, or a Christian Scientist. Because that line killed among the Seattleites with whom I brunch. Technically, that's just molybdenum and his wife, but these are not people who laugh easily.

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:44:19 -0800

Seriously, you could have just collected them in a net trap baited with charcuterie and complex cocktails. Very funny. Now help me get out of this net.

By: minifigs

minifigs — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:26:34 -0800

i liked the song

By: codswallop

codswallop — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:42:50 -0800

i liked the song Before it was cool?

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:15:32 -0800

I'm a hipster Christian Scientist and I'm on my fixie right now.

By: to sir with millipedes

to sir with millipedes — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:46:39 -0800

hipsters on fixies are like the Christian Scientists of transportation This is really not getting it. And I say this as a dude who has never ridden ride a fixie. In fact, I don't ride anything anymore (getting crushed under a car will do that to you, I suppose.) Road bikes, especially nice road bikes, are light, fast, and have a lot of moving parts that could potentially break. They're also incredibly expensive. Before fixies became an accessory, they were reasonably priced, and they are also light and fast (usually). The difference is that the upkeep is substantially reduced by the fact that it's just two axles and a chain. No break lines, no multiple cogs. You don't really even have to grease your chain. So long as you don't leave it out in the rain, it always works.

By: Skwirl

Skwirl — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:59:17 -0800

I can't think of any time I've heard of a freewheel breaking on a bike and going without brakes on a fixie just says you value your bike's uptime more than you value upkeep on your knees. That leaves us with the argument that fixies just feel more natural and zenlike for some people, which is fine, but let's not pretend that they are somehow mechanically superior or even all that different than a single-speed bike. Heck, the zoobombers leave single-speed kids' bikes out in the rain with limited upkeep and commit murder on the coaster brakes and they're still super hardy.

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:23:55 -0800

I had thought that fixies very quickly had become about looking good/interesting. Because I have no desire to ride something without gear and with those stubby handle bars, but I love looking at the one I see around Boston.

By: msali

msali — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:24:10 -0800

Anybody got a link for those of us who cannot view it because we don't live in the right country?

By: Threeway Handshake

Threeway Handshake — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:34:16 -0800

The other thing about fixes is that if you're riding around in say, midtown Manhattan, the level of control you get makes them dramatically more safe. If you're never going to go very fast, and you have to bob and weave and stop constantly, fixes really are best. Even in Brooklyn, the fact that you have to ride your bike right next to randomly opening parrallel-parked car doors makes coasting with hand brakes terrifying.

By: maryr

maryr — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:54:18 -0800

You know fixies have become more about style than substance when you see people biking in San Francisco with them. Not a city to do without gears...

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:29:24 -0800

It's hosted right here on IFC's own website, there they post other Portlandia skits as well.

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:02:02 -0800

maryr: You know fixies have become more about style than substance when you see people biking in San Francisco with them. Not a city to do without gears...

Exactly, same thing here in Seattle. I get that fixies have value in certain areas- such as flat, hectic Manhattan- but riding them up and down Seattle hills? No, that's just hating on mechanical advantage because it looks "cool" and seems more authentic. Harumph.

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:02:33 -0800

... and don't even get me started on these hipsters now tooling around town on their penny-farthings. Fuckin' poseurs...

By: ultraviolet catastrophe

ultraviolet catastrophe — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:23:42 -0800

hincandenza, why do you care so much about other people's choice of bicycle? It's like you take it as a personal affront.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:25:39 -0800

It's hosted right here on IFC's own website, there they post other Portlandia skits as well. That doesn't seem to be working in Canada, either. Well, fuck you Portlandia- you're not on IFC Canada at decent times, you're not on youtube, you were on Netflix Canada for, like, two seconds before you were taken down again, and I can't even watch you on your own site. I'm going to steal your fucking content, and I don't care who knows it.

By: Seamus

Seamus — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:52 -0800

I never cared about hipster use of fixies until the third time I almost nailed one of them while they were frantically trying to stop their bike in the middle of an intersection on a hill after having run a stop sign. Now I just see them as a threat.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:40:27 -0800

There's a guy in my (hipster) neighborhood with a bike to which he's mounted a huge like 6-foot diameter partial wheel that allows him to do bike somersaults and he'll do it for beers on busy weekend nights. Sometimes people have different priorities than you do when it comes to purchasing bicycles, so stop griping.

By: maryr

maryr — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:41:33 -0800

If we can't gripe about hipsters in a Portlandia thread, where can we?

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:21 -0800

After some consideration, I'm going to recommend Cleveland.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:58:31 -0800

people keep trying to tell me Cleveland rocks but I' have doubts

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:06:26 -0800

ultraviolet catastrophe: hincandenza, why do you care so much about other people's choice of bicycle? It's like you take it as a personal affront.

If you must know... hipsters on fixies killed my father. I'll always be haunted by the sound of their maniacal, yet jaded, laughter as they rode away on their bikes- knees pumping far harder than really should be necessary- while they twirled their handlebar mustaches with a malicious glee.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:11:26 -0800

Everything finally makes sense.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:12:26 -0800

everything finally makes sense

By: Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:16:03 -0800

If I wanted to show people one clip that I think represents Portlandia, it might be this one. Incredibly funny premise, so-so implementation, goes on for too long.

By: timsneezed

timsneezed — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:37:23 -0800

can someone explain to me the rationale behind using fixies?

By: tallus

tallus — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:40:41 -0800

can someone explain to me the rationale behind using fixies? There helluva fun to ride.

By: tallus

tallus — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:44:06 -0800

They're even, gah.