Polls

Americans not hip to hipsters

| Tom Jensen


Header-poll-results
Raleigh,
N.C. –
Just 16% of
Americans have a favorable opinion of hipsters, a new PPP poll on the
much-discussed subculture shows. 42% have an unfavorable opinion of hipsters,
and 43% aren’t sure. Democrats (18% favorable, 34% unfav) are twice as likely
as Republicans (9% fav, 48% unfav) to have a favorable opinion. Voters age
18-29 have a favorable opinion of them (43% fav-29% unfav), but very few voters
over age 65 do (6% fav -37% unfav).

Just 10%
of voters say they consider themselves to be hipsters – and almost all of those
are younger voters. Half of all voters aged 18-29 consider themselves hipsters;
every other age group is 5% or less.

14% of
voters say they’d be more likely to vote for a hipster for political office –
mostly independent voters. 12% of Democrats and 27% of independent voters say
they’d be more likely to vote for a hipster, but just 2% of Republicans agreed.
98% of Republicans say they’d be less likely to vote for a hipster.

We asked voters whether they
thought hipsters made a positive cultural contribution to society or whether
they just “soullessly appropriate cultural tropes from the past for their own
ironic amusement.” 23% of voters said they made positive cultural contributions
while nearly half – 46% – went with soulless cultural appropriation. Independents
at 31% were most likely to say hipsters make a positive cultural contribution,
while Republicans were least likely (15%) with Democrats in the middle (23%).

27% of voters said they thought
hipsters should be subjected to a special tax for being so annoying, while 73%
did not think so.

About one in five voters (21%)
said they thought Pabst Blue Ribbon, commonly associated with hipsters, was a
good beer. Democrats (29%) were more likely than Republicans (23%) to think so,
while independents (11%) were least likely. 

PPP surveyed 571 voters nationwide on May 6th and 7th.
The margin of error is +/-4.1%. This poll was
not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP
surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of hipsters?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 16%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 43%

Q2 Do you consider yourself to be a hipster, or
not?
Consider yourself a hipster ……………………….. 10%
Do not ……………………………………………………. 77%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q3 Do you think Pabst Blue Ribbon, also known as
PBR, is a good beer, or not?
Think PBR is good …………………………………… 21%
Think it is not…………………………………………… 47%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 32%

Q4 Would you be more or less likely to vote for a
hipster for political office?
More likely………………………………………………. 14%
Less likely ………………………………………………. 86%

Q5 Do you think that hipsters make a positive
cultural contribution to society, or do you think
they just soullessly appropriate cultural tropes
from the past for their own ironic amusement?
Hipsters make a positive cultural contribution
to society…………………………………………………23%
They just soullessly appropriate cultural
tropes from the past for their own ironic
amusement……………………………………………..46%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 31%

Q6 Do you think hipsters should be subjected to a
special tax because they are so annoying, or
not?
They should ……………………………………………. 27%
They should not ………………………………………. 73%

Q7 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 54%
Man……………………………………………………….. 46%

Q8 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 39%
Republican……………………………………………… 35%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 26%

Q9 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 13%
White …………………………………………………….. 71%
African-American …………………………………….. 11%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%

Q10 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 16%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 24%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%

Q11 Do you live in the Northeast, the Midwest, the
South, or the West?
Northeast ……………………………………………….. 27%
Midwest …………………………………………………. 24%
South …………………………………………………….. 30%
West………………………………………………………. 19%

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