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At the end of February, MIT Technology Review emitted a pithy rundown of a 34-page research paper from maths-modelling boffins at Brandeis University in the US; the paper essentially posited that in a bid to make that all-important "countercultural statement", hipsters can end up looking alike. For groovy models of how random acts by hipsters "undergo a phase transition into a synchronized state" – along with some knotty network equations – see here [PDF].
Accompanying the article was an edited stock image of a generic millennial chap in plaid shirt and standard-issue beanie, or "trendy winter attire", as Getty put it.
The MIT journal's editor-in-chief, Gideon Lichfield, took to Twitter to tell a "cautionary tale" about what followed the article going live:
"We promptly got a furious email from a man who said he was the guy in the photo that ran with the story. He accused us of slandering him, presumably by implying he was a hipster, and of using the pic without his permission. (He wasn't too complimentary about the story, either.)"
[...] Lichfield pointed out that he didn't think calling someone a hipster was "unflattering or unduly controversial" but contacted Getty to be safe.
The stock photo giant checked the model release and lo! The guy in the image wasn't even the same dude who was complaining. "He'd misidentified himself," Lichfield said.
"All of which just proves the story we ran: hipsters look so much alike that they can't even tell themselves apart from each other."
Maybe he was confused after renting this movie?
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday March 08 2019, @11:15PM (6 children)
I'm not racist anymore. I haven't watched a single one since Dale Earnhardt died.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 09 2019, @03:05AM (5 children)
One weird way to submit a QED.
Not that I'm saying ALL Nasscar enthusiasts are racist, but stereotypically they all are.
(Score: 3, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday March 09 2019, @02:52PM (2 children)
No, they all are. Race-ist. And quit trying to make a perfectly good dumb joke boring by taking it seriously.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 10 2019, @07:01PM (1 child)
Deflect all you want, my comment was obviously a play on your stupid axiom and I was throwing it in your face to see how you like it. Buncha sensitive little kiddos that like to dish it out but can't take the heat themselves.
Ah well, not surprising in the slightest.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 10 2019, @10:00PM
Look, it's okay to admit you didn't get the joke. We understand that some people are just stupid, have no sense of humor, or - for the very unfortunate - both.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 09 2019, @06:30PM (1 child)
So my black friend who has lived his whole life in the city of Detroit, and had the dream of being a NASCAR driver when he was young is a racist?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 10 2019, @10:01PM
No, he just wants to be. It's good to have goals.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.