HORS D’OEUVRE Contributors: Who’s who! From the Desk of the Editor: Ch-ch-changes Things We Love: Editor obsessions Behind the Scenes: A look at the Hipsters Anonymous shoot
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BEAUTY & WELLNESS Brighten Up: Summer hues to beat winter blues The Skinny on Health: These are how many calories YOU need to burn! {Beauty} Trick to Try: The perfect wedding season hair
ARTS & LEISURE Good Eats: Frozen treats to beat the heat Puppy Diaries: Training terror...a day in the life of Teddy Rex the Westie! A Few Words: A poem about forever...in a cemetery
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FASHION & FEATURES
You and Me: Jonathan Adler teams up with Uniqlo Share Your Where: Traveling to...the theatre! The “Gutsy” Trends to Try: You CAN pull them off Luminaries: The producer of the Hipsters Anonymous series chats her past hipster lifestyle Hipsters Anonymous: Kaiser Johnson and Dana Buchanan of Hipsters Anonymous reveal just what it’s like to play culture’s most enigmatic character: the hipster
Always end with something sweet
CAROLINE A. WONG Editor-in-Chief
BRANDON GAMBLE Creative Director
FASHION AND FEATURES Fashion and Beauty Editor BREANA POWELL Features Editor AMANDA CHI Features Writer LINDY TOLBERT
ARTS AND LEISURE Arts and Leisure Editor EMILY VAN GUILDER Arts and Leisure Writer MARIA EUBANKS
BEAUTY AND WELLNESS Beauty Editor COLETTE CHOI Wellness Editor LISA EBERLY
ART Photography Director ALEXANDER HERMAN Assistant Photographer HAIL NOWAK West Coast Editor ROSIE RYAN UK Editor JENNA ANDERSON
Contributors 06 /07 2014
Lisa Eberly is our friend from fitness site The Skinny on Health. She’s your workout BFF and, in this issue, helps you calculate exactly how many calories you should be intaking based on who YOU are!
As our Features Editor, Amanda Chi has traveled high and low. For this issue, she goes to the theatre to share her new discoveries!
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Breana Powell is our resident Fashion and Beauty Editor, bringing you the trends from the runway from head to toe!
Erica Mau is a Los Angelesbased writer and editor with a new love in her life: her puppy, Teddy Rex! Each issue she’ll be bringing us news on the shenanigans he’s been up to and how it’s been changing her way of life.
Lindy Tolbert may not be an admitted hipster, but as a Los Angeles-based journalist, she definitely has had her fair share of interactions with the breed! This issue she interviews Mary Ashley Burton, the creative mind behind cover feature Hipsters Anonymous.
As a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and photographer, Alexander Herman has an eye for all things great. This issue, he shot the cover feature, Luminaries story, and the “You & Me” designer collaboration feature in artsy environments in LA.
Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
blackmilkclothing.com
from the desk of the
EDITOR Ch-Ch-Changes And you thought changes only happened in the spring. Hah! We’re a summer kind of bunch over at Tastevin (at least in the LA office! ... sorry, New York) and, as you’ve probably noticed, we just changed from monthly issues to a two-month model! We were saving this big surprise for after the launch of our Anniversary Issue last month (with Cher Lloyd on the cover...that girl is SO talented!).
Will this change content? Not too much. We’re really doing this for you, Tasties! This change helps us to be more selective about the content that we curate for you, our busy readers. So as the summer heat comes upon us and we all start shedding our heavy garb, Tastevin will also be shedding our past format for this brand new one that is all for you! This issue is packed with great ideas for ways to look cool, ways to stay cool, and ways to get help when you’re just TOO cool (here’s looking at the Hipsters Anonymous features...we chat with the producer AND with two of the actors!). Essentially, this June/July issue is just plain COOL! Love you, Tasties!
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Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
Things We Love Alexander Herman, Photography Director Tunes “Songs I dig right now? Cazzette’s ‘Sleepless.’ Young Rising Sun’s ‘High.’ Mausi’s ‘My Friend Has A Swimming Pool.’ I enjoy a mix of dance, indie, and electro.”
Breana Powell, Fashion and Beauty Editor Ear Cuffs “I’ve been on the prowl for ear cuffs for months! When I couldn’t find any at popular retailers, I scoped the mall and tried a smaller accessories shop. I almost squealed when I found two superb ear cuffs for $10 each.”
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Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: DANTE POWELL; CAROLINE A. WONG; BREANA POWELL
The Tastevin editors share their monthly obsessions.
Lisa Eberly, Wellness Editor Dirty Chi at Starbucks “I’m HOOKED. The ‘Dirty Chai’ just became my Starbucks staple. It’s an iced chai latte (non-fat milk, of course) with a shot of espresso in it! The spicy delicious-ness of chai with the extra kick in the A$$ of espresso! You can also make your own at home pretty easily.”
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Behind the Scenes For this issue’s cover shoot, Photography Director Alexander Herman brought actors Kaiser Johnson and Dana Buchanan along with producer-writer Mary Ashley Burton (a self-proclaimed “former hipster”!) to the art district near downtown Los Angeles. Covered with graffiti art, the neighborhood oozed creativity and complemented the hipster vibe of the shoot.
Photos by Caroline A. Wong
By Breana Powell
Brighten Up
The task is simple, ladies: This summer, indulge in the splendor of color!
NAILS: Brighten up those nail beds with pretty pastels and bold tropical hues. From drugstore favorites to high-end splurges, vibrant nail polish is an essential part of any summer transformation. After you’ve coated your nails, layer on the rings and bracelets!
LIPS: When it comes to lips, you may be wary of going too bold. Ignore those fears! Summer is the best time to experiment with hues that you wouldn’t normally spread on your kisser. On a budget? Look online and see which beauty gurus and bloggers have found drugstore dupes of more expensive lipsticks.
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by Lisa Eberly
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our calorie intake can be confusing. Essentially, it should equal your BMR + a factor of your exercise.
BMR is your basal metabolic rate. Your basal what a who now rate? Your basal metabolic rate refers to the number of calories your body burns just by living. Breathing, sitting, standing, sleeping, eating, just living your life. It is the amount of energy you burn through daily. So, if you eat the same number of calories you’re burning through, you will maintain your weight. If you eat more calories than you’re burning, you will gain weight. If you eat less, lose weight. It’s really actually very simple. Once you exceed the calories you burn by 3,500 calories, you gain one pound of fat. If you burn 3,500 calories more than you’re eating, you lose one pound of fat. So, if you’re burning 1,700 calories a day and eating 2,200 calories per day (without working out), you will gain one pound in one week.
A lot of people think that everyone’s BMR is 2,000 calories/day. That’s where the notion of a 2,000 calorie diet comes from. That’s wrong. Everyone has a different BMR based on gender, age, height, weight, muscle, genetics, and the list goes on.
Here’s how to (roughly) calculate yours using something called the Harris-Benedict Equation: Women = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years) Men = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
This equation uses height in centimeters and weight in kilograms. To convert for weight, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. To convert for height, multiply your height in inches by 2.54 to get your height in centimeters. Example: A 5’7’’, 140 pound, 22-year-old girl: Height: 67 inches x 2.54 = 170.18 cm Weight: 140 lbs ÷ 2.2 = 63.64 kg
655 + (9.6 x 63.64) + (1.7 x 170.18) – (4.7 x 22) = 1,452 calories/day Therefore, she should not eat more than 1,452 calories per day to lose weight. This should get you on track for your nutrition goals!. xo,
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{Beauty} By Colette Choi
Trick to Try
It’s wedding season. We all know this, whether we like it or not. The invites are taped up on the fridge, the last-minute plus-ones have been found, and you have your ensembles kind of planned out. By all means, avoid wearing white (even if the bride is your middle school frenemy). If you really want to undermine the bride, do so with your awesome hair. Here’s something to try for the perfect blowout! 1. PREP! Just as you’d use primer to set your face, use some volume-enhancer to boost your hair. I like L’Oreal’s EverStyle Volume Boosting Mousse ($7 at ulta.com) since it’s alcohol-free.
3. Use a curling iron like Conair’s Double CeramicTM 1 1/4-inch one ($27 at conair. com) to curl 1-inch sections of hair. The bigger barrel will give you large and bouncy waves rather than the tight ringlets you’d get with a smaller iron. TIP: Curl hair in different directions near your face to accentuate your features. 4. Secure curls with pins and let cool. 5. Brush out hair gently with your fingers and add a flexible-hold hairspray like Garnier Fructis Style Anti-Humidity Hairspray ($5 at drugstore.com). You’ll be all set to stun at your next summer soiree! Thrown on your stunna shades and take advantage of the open bar.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: IMAGERY MAJESTIC/FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET; CONAIR.COM; GARNIERUSA.COM; ULTA.COM
2. Blow dry your hair, starting upside down to add even more lift, then brushing to the side with a medium round-barrel brush.
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good eats
by Maria Eubanks
Simple frozen treats to beat the heat
Long days, bare feet, caramelized skin, your favorite sunnies, and a cool treat dripping down your arm thanks to the blazing sun; sure signs of Summers arrival. Contrary to winter where, when you need to warm up, you can add layers or grab a hot chocolate, cooling down proves to be a much more difficult task.
As kids, we could resort to jumping in the nearest pool or chasing our friends around while having a water fight on those unbearably hot days. Now, as adults, when air conditioning is not readily available because you are out and about or funds do not allow you to have the AC on full blast all day, we must seek alternative methods to beat the heat. One quick and simple method is sweet frozen treats: popsicles! On hot summer days while many are flocking to ice cream shops or the nearest convenience store to fill cups with their favorite slurpee, you can keep cool from the convenience of your own home or on the go by using these three popsicle recipes.
These fruity frozen treats will keep you cool, calm, and collected and your taste buds will be tingling for more flavors of summer. How will you choose to keep cool?
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Banana Orange Pineapple Popsicles These tropical cream dream popsicles will have you wishing you could go on an island getaway and feature with the perfect ingredients for a fresh, fruity, and cool breakfast. Ingredients
2 bananas 3 cups of chopped pineapple 3 oranges peeled 1 ½ cups of vanilla almond milk (or any milk your prefer for the creamy consistency) popsicle molds Directions
1. Add the bananas, pineapple, oranges, and milk to the blender 2. Blend on medium or low until contents reach smooth consistency 3. Pour blended contents into popsicle molds 4. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours
Watermelon Lemonade Popsicles
Watermelon, the fruit Beyonce has made infamous with her hit song “Drunk in Love,”combined with the tartness of lemon juice makes for a refreshing afternoon snack. Ingredients
½ cup of lemon juice 4 cups of chopped watermelon ¼ cup of sugar (adjust to your liking) ¼ cup of light corn syrup Popsicle molds 22 Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
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Directions
1. Add the cups of watermelon to the blender and blend until it is a purĂŠed consistency 2. In a pan, add the lemon juice, sugar and corn syrup; bring to a boil; and stir until the sugar has dissolved 3. Pour purĂŠed watermelon into a bowl and whisk in the sugar and lemon juice mixture 4. Place in the refrigerator until the mixture has chilled 5. Pour contents into popsicle molds 6. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours
Strawberry Margarita Popsicles
Spice up your night with this chilly treat, by adding a splash of tequila to your favorite margarita mix. Ingredients
4 oz of your favorite margarita mix 2 cups of ice A splash of your favorite tequila (adding too much will not allow the popsicles to freeze and solidify) Popsicles Directions
1. Add the margarita mix, ice, and tequila to the blender 2. Blend until ice is crushed and has a smooth consistency 3. Pour blended contents into popsicle molds 4. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours
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FITNESS + FASHI
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ION + FUNCTION
BodyRockSport.com
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Puppy Diaries by Erica Mau 28 Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
T
here are some things that careful research and planning can prepare you for in life – midterms, DIY sewing projects, buying your first car, etc. Then there’s my puppy, Teddy Rex. You know, as in T. Rex for short, or Teddy Ruxpin for long. It was an adorable name choice at first, until my boyfriend and I learned about the effects of visualization on dogs from the crazy Bow Wow Trainer, which we’ll get into later. Logically, I knew what to expect when buying a puppy. The research was done, testimonials heard, Dog Whisperer watched. But even though I knew what was coming, I was not equipped. Not one damn bit. It made me anxious and cry a few times. What was I so woefully unprepared for? For starters, how much it hurt when Teddy jumped up to play, knocking my lip into my teeth and creating a bloody mess. The pungency of his poo (and how quickly “poo” became the most-common word in my vocabulary). The immediate and intense fear I felt when his ball rolled through the railing gap and off the balcony, and he sprinted after in chase. The strange human-tohuman interactions I’ve endured due to my newfound dog-owner lifestyle. Seriously, though. Like, the extremely awkward request to get drinks from the boy in my building whose dog has the same potty schedule as mine. Or the old lady who stormed off in a huff with her poodle after being told, “So sorry, but, Teddy is too young to play with other dogs.” And that time my boyfriend and I, with our warped sense of humor, told a woman her dog was way cuter than ours and she yelled at us to never again say that in front of our “baby” (but really, my dog was obviously cuter than hers). But the insanity that takes the cake was the Bow Wow Trainer (previously referenced), whose services we called upon to help with standard puppy misbehavior, like biting and pulling on the leash. I’m not going to call her out by name or anything, but honestly, I couldn’t even if I wanted to, because she refers to herself solely as the Bow Wow Trainer. Having to pick up smelly poo is one thing, but having to submit myself to calling someone “Bow Wow Trainer” is something else entirely. It gets worse.
“Dogs are visual creatures,” she starts, “in another dimension. The key to success is to visualize what you want your dog to do through meditation, then you dog will do it.” In other words, if we visualize T. Rex as a dinosaur-like creature, he will act monstrously and ferociously. Whereas if we visualize Teddy as a teddy bear, he will act cuddly and friendly. I don’t want to say I didn’t believe her, but I didn’t believe her. Sure, dogs respond to a certain type of energy, and meditation is another way to channel that energy, but there was no way I was going to sit next to Teddy Rex every evening before bed and meditate about him going to sleep without
barking first for ten minutes. “No way, Bow Wow. No way,” I thought. Then the session took an annoying turn. “Is that diet soda you’re drinking? I detest aspartame,” she said. “And have I told you that I’m on [some committee] against GMOs?” Whoa, whoa, Bow Wow, who are you, a dog trainer, or a life coach? “[Golly gee],” I thought, “I sure wish Teddy would just bite her and make her go away.” Well, Bow Wow Trainer, I will give you this one…visualization works! And when I say that Teddy bit her, I mean really bit her. He bit her hard. Oops. 29
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Long story short, we’re still, patiently, working on the biting issue. The poo smell still makes me nauseous and my heart still skips a beat when Teddy runs to the balcony, even though I know he can’t fit through the railing gap or fall off. I’ll probably see the awkward elevator boy tomorrow morning, and the Bow Wow Trainer will likely call next week to ask if Teddy’s training progressed and if we’ve thrown away all our diet soda (no). There are no easy solutions here; I’m still not equipped. Which leads to the grand reveal, the point of the story, the life-changing revelation. I am unprepared to be unprepared. Because I’m Type A, or afraid of the unknown, or used to being in control, or all of the above. Because, in the words of my dearest Bow Wow Trainer, how do you follow through with what you can’t visualize? What Teddy has truly taught me is that it’s ok for us to learn from our mistakes together. We’re just a pup and his mom, figuring it all out. And, eventually, we will.
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Pere Lachaise Cemetery by Caroline A. Wong
The sky is grey like dove bellies. My womb is cold. Will you keep it company? A leaf falls, hits me on the nose. A tree sprinkle. Nature’s teardrops on my face, my lips. My feet took me walking to this cemetery to hold your hand. To have and to hold. It wasn’t my fault I followed the angel wings fluttering. Death’s wings fluttering. I was waiting for someone, for you. For forever. And now that I’ve found you, maybe I should go. You taste like a mistake. Nature’s crying still, be still. Nature’s crying.
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blackmilkclothing.com
Jonathan Adler, the bright and happy master of geometric prints, splashed his playfulness across Uniqlo’s apparel for an unexpected collaboration. Caroline A. Wong investigates. Photos by Alexander Herman
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O
f all the directions that Jonathan Adler could have gone, I didn’t expect him to go with Uniqlo. Sure, maybe a Target collaboration. Maybe even Kohl’s. But Uniqlo, with its solid colors and basics beyond basics, seemed a odd partner for the designer who sells breastcovered vases. Nevertheless, I did my duty and took the line for a test spin. After all, with price points at $30 and below, how could I NOT? I owe it to you, Tasties! The collaboration actually makes for a happy marriage. Uniqlo’s classic shapes let Adler’s bold aesthetic shine, and the prints are recognizably of the Adler family. The fabric is thin...not quite tissue thin, but I would have liked it
Tank top, Jonathan Adler for Uniqlo, $20. Knit shrug, ILY Couture, $50. Shorts, American Eagle, $40. Jammie motorcycle boot, Harley Davidson, $120. Fedora, Forever 21, Purse, London Fog, $150. tone2014 ID 37 $20. Tastevin Magazine JuneGold / July bracelet, Ettika, $70. Rings, editor’s own.
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thicker. Regardless, it’s a line worth shopping if you’re an Adler fan. It would be so easy to go the conservative route when styling with this collection: Bold print, jeans, blazer, heels. That’s not a bad combo; it’s actually perfect for work...but if you go bold with the print AND with your accessories, it could make for a great artsy look to do Adler justice. I went with a mustard yellow bag to complement the orangey color of the top. Topping off with a hat adds a bit of a wanderer vibe, like you just got off an airplane and the taxi cab dropped you off there. It’s playful, fresh, and much less buttoned up than you’d be in a blazer. With a boho sweater and edging moto boots to complete the look, you’d just need an artist’s portfolio to tote around while wandering any creative mecca!
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Share Your Where The Theatre
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By Amanda Chi
A
s an American typically unaccustomed to British humor, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a West End play. Especially one that’s only starring three actors! Experiencing my first P.G. Wodehouse adaption, I learned to fully appreciate the absurdity that is farce. Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense begins with the scatterbrained but wealthy Bertie Wooster who addresses the audience as he attempts to recount the misguided happenstances and inopportune proceedings of the previous weekend. To help reenact his story, Wooster enlists the help of his valet, the brilliant and professional Jeeves, along with his aunt’s decrepit butler Seppings. As it is meant to be a reenactment, the tireless Jeeves and Seppings don the guise of characters within the story, as it becomes a play within a play. Despite only employing three actors, audience members are soon found in the company of the demanding Aunt Dahlia, the bumbling Gussie Fink-Nottle, the leering Roderick Spade, and the ghastly Madeline
house’s works, I may not have connected with the material as much as other audience members seemed to. However, watching the staging and the way in which the story is explained by a switching of voices and clothes, the play is certainly worth watching. From an occasional chuckle to a raucous laughter, it’s no wonder that it’s one of the best comedies in London’s West End. I’d say my trip to the theatre was still worthwhile, but next time I may just head to the Ritz for afternoon tea..
Theft, blackmail, and broken engagements ensue.
Bassett, each played in an array of costumes and voices by Jeeves and Seppings. As theft, blackmail and broken engagements ensue, it is up to the dutiful Jeeves to come up with the solution to save Wooster. Being unfamiliar with P.G. Wode43
” y s t u ThE “g y r t o t s d n e tr GINGHAM
by breana powell
We all know that fashion goes ‘round and ‘round. So you probably aren’t surprised to know that gingham has swiftly made its way back onto the radars of fashion eaters everywhere. If you want to become the chicest picnic table, now is your opportunity to shine. Keep in mind that gingham goes well with bold colors because the pattern is usually done in two neutral hues.
CUT-OUTS
So technically this includes two trends, but mentioning crop tops as “on-trend” at this point is the equivalent of saying, “Jeans are in style, everyone!” Translation: It has become an unspoken truth. Let us focus on the cut-outs. Fashion scavenger hunt for you: Find tops that have unique cut-outs! The sun is out to play, so why not show a bit of skin? Who cares about weird tan lines? They’re artsy. (Think free summer tat.) But if you’re extremely opposed to this as a casual look, try this trend with your night-out getups.
OVERALLS
I’ve saved the best for last. I haven’t rocked a pair since second grade, but once I find the pair that speaks to me, this will change. I don’t understand why people are vehemently against overalls. I showed an Instagram picture of Selena Gomez completely rocking denim overalls to my male co-workers and they were not down for the trend at all. But inquiring about fashion trends (even ones from the grunge-tastic 90s) with a majority of the male species is more of a comedic sport than anything else. Keep your top underneath tight so you don’t look baggy!
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Designed in NYC see the collection at berryjewelry.com
HIPSTERS Help for the Hipster-Inflicted What is a hipster? The trend is ubiquitous in major cities (Hello, Portland!) and is constantly growing outward into smaller regions as well. The elusive “hipster” rejects mainstream popular culture in favor of more unusual and unique fare, ranging anywhere from listening solely to vinyl and 8-tracks to only drinking fair trade coffee and buying from mom-and-pop stores. However, this reactionary movement to mainstream culture has become mainstream in and of itself, and Mary Ashley Burton would know better than anyone.
Burton used to be a hipster. Once. But keeping up with the Joneses became too difficult, what with all the beanie wearing and the kombucha drinking, and she decided she needed a change. Thus was born the original web series Hipsters Anonymous, which follows five hipsters in a support-and-recovery group on their journey of “healing from hipsterism,” as Burton likes to say. She sat down with Tastevin to give us a look into the life of a former hipster and what it’s like to make an original web series. 48 Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
PHOTOS OF BURTON: ALEXANDER HERMAN; SET PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HIPSTERS ANONYMOUS
By Lindy Tolbert
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Magazine Tastevin
What was the inspiration for Hipsters Anonymous? Did you have your own support group as you emerged from the hipster cave? Mary Ashley Burton For a long time I’ve been amused by how much conformity there is in hipster culture, especially since that culture likes to present itself as thoroughly anticonformist. And the truth is that being a successful hipster is actually really, really hard. There so much judgment, so many trends and opinions to keep up with, so many things you need to pretend to like, and you never know if people are being ironic or sincere. So my original idea was to do short sketches of “Hipster Confessions”—hipsters in rare moments of authenticity revealing things they do or actually like that would get them rejected from their community if anyone else knew. From there, the writers got together and decided that the idea of a support group for recovering hipsters was a lot funnier and that it would be much more rewarding to create fully fleshed-out characters and go on a journey with them. TM How did you get people together to create the series? MAB A lot of hustling and promising [of favors]! The writers all decided on the [development of the] characters and the general arc of the season together. Then some individuals took episodes and wrote them. As head writer, I then [edited] and polished everything [for a consistent series voice]. When production came around, that’s when the hustling REALLY started! We were really lucky in that a lot of people helped us out just because they were excited about the project. Also, we were a SAG New Media signatory, so we were able to offer SAG vouchers to the actors, which helped a lot. TM What was your involvement in the project beyond head writer? MAB Head writer, creator, producer...then on set I filled in whatever positions were needed. I did everything. Taking care of the 50 Tastevin Magazine June / July 2014
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food, helping out with camera equipment, powdering faces, lending my most hipsterific clothes... TM Were there any challenges to producing? MAB Scheduling was a huge one. To begin with, all of the producers have full-time day jobs, so we had to do all of the pre-production and production on our off hours. And since the cast and crew were doing us a huge favor by working without pay, it was really important for us to be mindful of their other obligations and work around their schedules. With a lot of people to coordinate, that was really tough. TM So after all the scheduling worked out, how long did it take to film an episode? MAB We filmed the series out of order, so I’m not really sure. Just guessing, maybe fifteen hours [per] episode when all was said and done. We shot the whole thing on my trusty Canon 60D! TM What’s your take on the most irritating hipster quality? MAB The most irritating thing to me is also the funniest, which is ridiculousness for ridiculousness’ sake. That particular quality made it an awful lot of fun to write and shoot this series, though! TM Do you ever feel superior to hipsters now that you’ve given up the trend? That could make you a hipster in itself, right? MAB I came to terms with my hipsterism long ago. I know exactly what it’s like to want to feel smarter or more intellectual because I know about this band or that obscure film and how delightful it can be to wear ugly clothes ironically. But at a certain point in my life, I just got tired of all the posturing and started to seek out authenticity. It’s easy to laugh at hipsters, but I remind myself that I’m not superior to them because I’m really just like them. TM What about hipsters is so alluring? MAB I really like the small businesses that sprout up in hipster enclaves. It’s cool to see people with a really high commitment
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to quality trying to resurrect products or methods that have otherwise been forgotten about. And I like to see people supporting that too. Of course, I’m also a sucker for indie music, foreign films, and anything with birds on it. TM So what have you been up to in your now non-hipster life? MAB I’d like to do at least another season [of Hipsters Anonymous], but we’ll see. Right now I’m focusing on some TV writing projects, since that’s ultimately where I’d like to end up. TM How does a former hipster end an interview? MAB I want to first of all thank our amazing cast. It was so amazing to see them take these characters and bring them to life. And, of course, all the crew, who showed up with great attitudes and worked tirelessly at thankless, non-glamorous jobs. And finally, our Kickstarter backers! By the time this article comes out, we will have just finished a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign to help with some of our post-production costs, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity I’ve seen, sometimes from complete strangers!
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by Rosie Ryan photos by Hipsters Anonymous
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PSTERS
here are many ways to describe a hipster. Some describe “hipsterism” as a state of mind—those that value independent, original thinking and appreciate under-the-radar entertainment. And then there’s also the hipster look which typically involves skinny jeans, thick-rimmed glasses (most often without any sort of prescription), a wellsculpted moustache, and anything you can buy at Urban Outfitters and American Apparel. They’re the type that are very vocal about liking things before they were cool. Those “things” usually involve bands, restaurants, fashion choices, home decor, and really anything that isn’t (or didn’t used to be) “mainstream.” A true hipster wouldn’t be caught dead listening to Top 40 music. We all know a hipster when we see (or hear) one, and boy, do we love to make fun of hipster culture. That’s exactly what Hipster’s Anonymous is on a mission to do. Created, written, and produced by Mary Ashley Burton, this webseries takes the most extreme caricatures of hipsters and follows them through their recovery from hipsterism—an AA for hipsters, if you will.
We caught up with two of the actors—Kaiser Johnson, who plays a hipster named X who was court-ordered into recovery, and Dana Buchanan, who plays a vocally vegan hipster named Willow—from the series to talk about their journey to on-screen hipster.
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On Buchanan: Button-down shirt, Topshop, $55. Pleated skirt, H&M, $25. Hat, vintage. Sunglasses, Anthroplogie, $45. Leaf pendant necklace, actor’s own. On Johnson: Sweater, Zara Man, $60. T-shirt, actor’s own. Jeans, Express Men’s, $80. Sunglasses, actor’s own. Watch, Casio, $50. Shoes, H&M, $25.
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Magazine Tastevin
How did you get involved with the project? Kaiser Johnson I met Mary Ashley at an event, and after chatting with her for a while, she told me about Hipsters Anonymous and asked if I’d come read for it. It sounded like a great project, so I told her I’d love to. We did a read-thru, and then I read a couple of other parts and they cast me as X. Dana Buchanan I met Mary Ashley through a mutual friend. We had hung out a handful of times. So I heard through our various circle of friends that they were creating a comedic webseries and looking for actors. I was at the first read-through. I ended up reading for a few of the minor characters that night. I had assumed, after that, that the parts were basically cast. Much to my surprise however, I was then asked to audition for the female leads. And out of all of the parts, I ended up getting cast in the one I least expected to get! This for me was a lesson learned that you should never just “assume” things. Show up, act professional, do your best always, and let the chips fall where they may. TM
Where did you get the inspiration for your quirky characters? KJ I think X is just who I would be if I were turned up to 11 and if I were a hipster. X is also a little of an amalgam of those guys we’ve all met at parties who are over-educated, super-philosophical gents who want to talk about their borrowed “original” eschatological theories and criticisms of literally everything. Of course, you have to somehow keep that compelling and charming, otherwise people will just want to punch him in the face. He’s a complex balancing act! DB I think of Willow as sort of an amalgamation of a few people I’ve known over the years, combined with a few of my own attributes. I definitely relate to [her] in some ways. I was vegan for a few years and I still eat a lot of vegan foods. I very much understand the drive and passion of animal activists. I still get emails from PETA and occasionally sign a petition. That said, I try not to get on my soap box most of the time. And I can toler59
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TM What kind of research did you do to inhabit a character going through “hipster rehab”? KJ Hipsterism is a widespread problem. I think we all have a hipster in our lives. Maybe a brother or a sister, an aunt or uncle, maybe just a friend. They need your help, but they’re a great research opportunity for me. DB I have a few friends that have experienced some kind of rehab for various issues. So I picked their brains a bit. That being said, the kind of “rehab” the hipsters go through is rather silly— in an awesome way, of course—so it was really just about being in the moment and believing in and living in the world we were inhabiting. TM DB
How do you feel about the hipster scene? I see two sides to it. On the one hand, there’s the much lampooned side of the hipster culture that sort of marginalizes people into caricatures. The hipsters that feel like they are somehow superior to other human beings, although there are people that act that way in all kinds of circles. You can smell it though, when people are trying too hard and acting like they somehow hold the key to “coolness.” That being said, most of the people that others might peg as hipsters are, in my opinion, just interesting, creative people. I’m surrounded by musicians, fellow actors, artists, chefs, craftsmen/women, designers...one of my neighbors crafts violins. My friend has her own line of beard oils! A friend of mine in the neighborhood [Kaybee lives in the Los Angeles “hipsterdesignated area” of Silverlake] wears sequined Elvis-style jumpsuits on his bike because he says it makes him more visible than your average biker-reflector shirt and it’s way more fun. I think with any of these people, one might [call] them hipster, but the truth of the matter is, I think they could care less what you call them. It’s not about fitting into some stereotype. It’s more about just embracing your creative, maybe
PSTERS
ate people eating the way they eat...more or less. [Laughs]
slightly bohemian side and being yourself--whatever that looks like. And, occasionally wearing very skinny jeans... KJ You know, we’re all a hipster about something. We like discovering something cool before anybody else. The more good and holy altruistic types among us then share that with others. Most of us just like to rub it in their faces. I’m that way with trivia and whiskey. I know more than you, and I make sure you know it. And I liked them both before you did.
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Something Sweet Growing up in households where parents cared for ailing grandparents, Corey, Sofia, and Jesse Ozar along with David and Tim Ulrich were all impacted by their close experiences with caregiving—and thus was created CarePond, an online community where caregivers can support one another. Corey says, “CarePond is really all about connecting. We want to connect any caregiver that feels alone, overwhelmed, or stressed with other caregivers in our community. Caregiving can be an isolating experience—it inevitably brings up feelings of helplessness. We provide a community where, no matter what your situation is, you can connect with someone who is experiencing something similar to what you are and has probably felt the same emotions you’re feeling.” Founded with the vision of using technology to link caregivers with vital resources and support, CarePond aims to be the first destination for any new caregiver, a centralized location from which to start their journey. What’s sweeter than supporting those who are supporting others? Check out CarePond.com!
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