Expectations vs. Reality

I really love that mainstream-indie film 500 Days of Summer. (Oh, hipsters, does that oxymoron bother you? I’m sorry. Sarcasm Bell.)
Yeah, you know it.

I think it’s quite the little gem, although, don’t even get me started on Zooey Deschanel…she’s so boring. Yeah, yeah, I get that these are fighting words, but I will stand by them…I digress.

There are so many great things about this movie from the witty screenplay to the awesome soundtrack to the unique art direction, but I must say that one of my favorite scenes in that entire movie and probably one of my favorite scenes in a movie ever is the “Expectations vs. Reality” scene. Genius. Absolutely genius. I think the whole concept should be its own movie.

If you haven’t seen 500 Days of Summer, let me give you some insight on this particular scene. You honestly don’t need to know the plot to understand it. At this point in the movie, the screen is split into two screens, and one screen is labeled expectations, while the other screen is labeled reality, and the scene is played out as such for the main character Tom: His expectations and the actual reality. The two different scenes start off so strikingly similar, and then the subtle differences start to come into action. How genius!?

The reason why I love this scene so much is because it is so relatable. Do we not imagine our expectations every day? Have in our mind exactly how our day is going to look?

I am going to study for this test and obviously get an A.

I am not going to say something stupid today and embarrass myself.

I am going to go on a hot date, and we’re going to drink hot tea and talk about good music, good films, Harry Potter, Jesus, college football, appreciate each other’s irony, and we’ll just be hot.

My day is going to go like this and this and this. Right?

My point being, we all do it. We all have these expectations. And these expectations we set up for ourselves hardly ever reflect what reality actually looks like. And we know why. Because life is unpredictable. We can’t control it no matter how hard we try. Oh, you don’t like that? Tough. So let me quote Remy from Ratatouille on this topic,  “The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability.” (You better believe I just cross-referenced Pixar.) So you better get over it. And no, I’m not going to tell you to stop building expectations. That’s just silly. We’re human. It’s what we do. I’m just going to tell you that life’s most likely not going to happen the way you set it up in your head. I personally love that because it keeps me guessing! I appreciate the unpredictability of life. Sadly that means I haven’t been on a hot date where we talk about all of the listed above, but where’s the fun in me planning that. Sigh, expectations…

Yes, sometimes reality sucks.
But that’s okay because that makes the moments where reality is actually better than your expectations even sweeter.

Hipsters vs. Indie Kids: The Fine Line and How to Tell the Difference

I have noticed that Hipsters and Indie Kids have been used synonymously, as if they are the same thing. I understand the mistake is easy to make because they dress similarly and sometimes listen to the same music, but due to my utmost respect for Independent (indie, if you will) kids, I feel it is my duty to explain the difference to the world.

Hipsters.

Oh Hipsters. Where to begin?

I feel sorry for them actually. They are deceived. They have deceived themselves into thinking they are Independent kids. Their main goal is to isolate themselves away from status quo. They want to get away from the kids smoking Malboro cigarettes and drinking Budlight at the “main stream.” They want to go to that small creek nobody has ever heard of and smoke their Natural Spirit cigarettes and drink PBR. They are obsessed with being different. Their favorite type of music is “indie.” (They act like indie is a genre of music. Deceived, much?) You know the underground music that you probably have never heard of? Yeah, that’s what they like, and they don’t actually like it. They just like it because nobody else has ever heard of it. None of that stuff they listen to at the “main stream.” No Lady Gaga, no Jack Johnson, especially not Mumford and Sons. Mumford and Sons used to be good, and then their music started playing on the radio. What sell-outs. I would tell you what they listen to at the creek, but it is pointless because you probably have never heard of it. They will tell you they belong to the indie scene. “Don’t mind me, I am an indie kid.” If a person ever says that to you, you should know right then and there that they indeed are a Hipster. Hipsters have an unjustified sense of propriety.

Independent Kids

These kids are just really cool. They like what they like and they are who they are. They don’t really care what other people think. They listen to the music they like, not the music that nobody else has ever heard of. Sometimes the music they like happens to be obscure, but that is not why they like it. They don’t feel the need to walk around and tell people that they have probably never heard of their favorite band. They understand that “indie” is not a genre of music. If you ask indie kids if they are hipsters, they will probably laugh, but not a mocking laugh, but just a knowing laugh. Then they will respond by saying, “Whatever you think, man. It doesn’t really mean much to me.”  I respect Indie kids so much because they like what they like and they believe what they believe no matter what people think of them. They understand, that in the long run, it doesn’t really matter. It is just important to be firm in your own personal tastes and convictions.

The main difference between Hipsters and Indie kids is that the Hipsters care about how people perceive them, and Indie kids don’t.

Those Independent kids, making everyone else look the fool. Sorry Hipsters, but the joke’s on you!