What’s in a name?

Quirky Belgium

You don't see this every day…

Les Noirauds, or Darkies, have been collecting money for children in need since 1876. Photo by John Weaver

Politically correct? No, but that’s not their thing. For more than 130 years, Les Noirauds, or Darkies, have been collecting money for disadvantaged children and children with special needs.

These are the men of the Royal Charity of the Princess Paola Cradles and they can be seen around Brussels during Lent dressed up as “African operetta kings” (whatever that is). They hit the bars, restaurants, and streets collecting donations in their little black mannequins. Last year they made over 112,000 euros which went to helping kids all over Belgium get access to food, medical care, clothing, hearing aids, wheel chairs, and anything else they need. 

And they seem like really nice guys. Gotta work on that name though… 

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Hipsteronomy 101

Speaking of names, the following are some helpful definitions of the name “hipster,” courtesy of the Urban Dictionary:

Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter.

Someone who listens to bands you've never heard of, wears ironic tee-shirts, and believes they are better than you.

Has hairstyle that can only be described as "complicated."

A hipster is someone who is smart enough to talk about philosophy, music, politics, art, etc. with you all day long, but not smart enough to see how big of a tool s/he is.

Referring to young people of around 18-30 years of age, who drink cheap beer (most often Pabst Blue Ribbon, on occasion Budweiser), smoke Parliaments, Lucky Strikes or hard to obtain foreign cigarettes (such as Gauloises) and take recreational drugs, coke being the most popular.

\hip-stur\n. One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool. (Note: it is no longer recommended that one use the term "cool"; a Hipster would instead say "deck.")

Though early women evolved to prefer muscular, athletic, confident, secure men, hipsters are convinced that men who try to achieve these characteristics and their female admirers are doing so because they lack the intellectual capacity to realize that pale, sickly men with a smug attitude make the best partners.

An unwashed and ungroomed person who hates corporations and everything mainstream, yet still buys Apple products.

A 20 something white, upper-middle class suburban transplant to any gentrifying neighborhood in any major city.

A "hipster" detests being called a "hipster."

And this is my favorite from someone that goes by the not-at-all-hipster name "thehipst3r":

Hipsters, like deep down, when you look past the clothes, the fashion sense, whatever, deep down they’re just critics. They’re critics of everything: critics of fashion, critics of art, and critics of movies. And it’s pretentious. And when it comes to music, they think that they are a big part of that culture and they feel like they are the voice for everybody else. And a lot of times they’re full of shit.