The so-called "subculture" refers to the niche culture that exists in society and is outside the mainstream culture of society. It is also called "subculture" or "non-mainstream culture".
For example, individual appearance-Hanfu, Cosplay, JK uniforms, and makeup.
For example, niche performances - rap, talk shows, niche musical instruments.
For example, street skills - hip-hop, graffiti, tattoos, roller skating, skateboarding, parkour, and flash mobs.
All of the above are basically played by young people, but if you think that "subculture" is only the domain or territory of young people, you are totally wrong.
Take street skills as an example. The hip-hop dance that young people like belongs to "subculture", and the square dance that can be seen everywhere among the elderly cannot be said to belong to mainstream culture.
Also, the following "subculture" circles will probably not be dominated by young people - such as Feng Shui circles and metaphysics circles; such as car modification circles, Internet politics circles, War accidents and historical residences...
So, in fact, "subculture" is around us. Not only does it often pass us by, but it also wraps us up in it accidentally, and even we ourselves will Be a participant and experiencer.
Let me tell you, cool guys, trendy girls, handsome guys and pretty girls who like hip-hop, don’t look down on the square dances of uncles and aunties, because everyone is actually hanging out in the streets and they all belong to the "subculture" kind of.
On the other hand, for those adults who go to square dance every day, don’t think that the young people practicing skateboarding next to you are stupid if they throw a big horse to the left or sit on a butt to the right. Don’t forget that these children actually play the same sports as Gu Ailing, who won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics!
Also, many serious "righteous people" always look down on animation and e-sports, thinking that they are not doing their jobs properly, and think that these things will ruin young people.
In Lao Fei’s view, you don’t have to hold this view.
First, if older people still remember the classic cartoons "Havoc in Heaven", "Nezha Haohai", and "Tales from the Book of Heaven", then let me tell you, they were from that era Super cool anime.
Secondly, Japanese animation is very developed. Among them, there is a very awesome old man named Hayao Miyazaki. He is not only an animation master, but also an animation screenwriter and director. His representative works include "Spirited Away", "Castle in the Sky", "Princess Mononoke", "Listen Ear", "My Neighbor Totoro" and so on. His idol is the director and painter of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, the producer of "Havoc in Heaven".
Thirdly, whether it is rap, e-sports, hip-hop, or skateboarding, they all now have their own world competitions - if we Chinese win the championship, it will be an extremely valuable achievement. .
Finally, there was no animation or e-sports during the Qing Dynasty. There were no such so-called "not doing business properly" stuff, right? But at that time, the children of the Eight Banners played with eagles, birds, crickets and even smoked cigarettes. They were all part of the "mainstream culture" of the ruling class of the Qing Dynasty. As a result, the Qing Dynasty was completely decadent and made people numb and almost paralyzed. The Chinese people’s thousands of years of “feelings of family and country” have been completely destroyed!
Therefore, "subculture" is not a venomous snake or beast, and playing in "subculture" does not mean that you are not doing your job properly.
Having said that - even if you like a certain "subculture" field you play in, "subculture" is not mainstream culture. Even if some categories of "health" and art can reach the level of elegance, its genes are still "niche" in nature.
On the other hand, even if you don't like it, "subculture" is a part of society and culture, and it can be seen everywhere around us.
In other words, "subculture" itself is a neutral term - people who like to have fun should not think about exalting it, and people who are stubborn should not think about kicking it. Step low.
As a coder who is serious about popularizing knowledge, I really spent some time and carefully sorted out the 7 characteristics of "subculture" - so that you can "know it and understand it". Know why.”
1. Niche nature
"Subculture" only exists among a few people, while most people in society cannot accept it, or are not interested in it, or have even never heard of it.
2. Locality
Most "subcultures" occur and are popular among a small group of people.
3. Uniqueness
In the circle of "subculture", the people may be in the same geographical location, may have the same beliefs and values, and may have the same hobbies.
4. Extensiveness
In the context of the mainstream culture of any society, there are rich "subcultures".
5. Volatility
A certain "subculture" may emerge, become obsolete, and disappear overnight; it may undergo changes to varying degrees; and "subcultures" are all It is constantly coming into being and disappearing.
6. Influence
Because mainstream culture occupies a dominant position, "subculture" will also change when faced with the impact of mainstream culture; this change may be positive Improvement may also be passive resistance.
7. Convertibility
Mainstream culture and "subculture" can be converted into each other. Maybe the "subculture" of an era will replace the mainstream culture; conversely, the mainstream culture of an era will It can also become weak and become a "subculture".
Before launching into the many sub-categories below "Subculture", let me make a bet with you - I won't say you have played some of them, I bet you are unlikely to have heard them all. Said.
1. Hanfu
Hanfu is the traditional national costume of the Han nation that has been inherited for more than 4,000 years. It is the crown clothing system in the Four Books and Five Classics. , Twenty-Four Historical Records and other classics and historical collections as the basis, it is a necessary component of inherited etiquette culture.
The Hanfu system demonstrates the hierarchical culture, kinship culture, political culture of Chinese civilization, the emphasis on direct descendants over concubines, the emphasis on elders over the young, as well as the Confucian thoughts of benevolence and righteousness.
The Hanfu movement has emerged in the past 10 years, with the theme of restoring Han nationality costumes. There are different factions in the circle, including the Restoration Party, the Reform Party, the Production and Study Party, the Fairy Party, etc.
2. Lolita clothing
In 1976, Japan’s first Lolita brand was born; by the 1990s, Lolita clothing gradually became an independent fashion style.
Therefore, Lolita clothing originated in Japan in the 1970s and 1980s. Its clothing is based on the street clothing style of Harajuku, Japan, and incorporates European court elements from the Victoria, Rococo and Gothic periods. A new category of clothing combined with Japanese aesthetics.
The circle is divided into sweet, gothic, Chinese and other styles.
Evolving to this day, Lolita clothing is not only a style of clothing, but also represents a way of life - cute, exquisite, and ceremonial.
3. JK uniforms
JK is a Japanese buzzword, which means female high school students, so JK uniforms are the uniforms for female high school students.
JK uniforms are generally of two types: Western uniforms and sailor uniforms.
Experienced players can even divide JK uniforms into Japanese Kanto-style, Kansai-style, Nagoya-style, Sapporo-style and other types according to the different school uniform characteristics.
4. Cosplay
Cosplay is the abbreviation of "dress-up game", which refers to the use of clothing, accessories, props and makeup to play characters in animation, games, paintings and film and television works. ; And people who play "dress-up" are called cosplayers.
Based on this definition, you can imagine how broad the playable things in this field are - because the characters played by the cosplayers always have areas of interest to you, so many people will have Cosplay in their mobile phones. Beautiful pictures.
5. Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing means that men or women gain a special sense of satisfaction by wearing the clothes of the opposite sex and imitating the conversation and behavior of the opposite sex.
There are many bloggers or podcasters in this group who have successfully attracted web traffic.
6. Beauty Circle
How should I put it? “Beauty Circle” is mainstream culture in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea, but with the emergence of a large number of beauty bloggers, it has become more popular in China. It is also gradually coming to an end.
Cosmetics refers to the use of cosmetics and tools, taking regular steps and techniques to render and draw people's faces, facial features and other parts, adjust shapes and colors, and cover up defects, so as to achieve exquisite beauty purpose.
By the way: Don’t think that this circle is just for women. You must know that in recent years, there have been more and more male beauty bloggers, and men’s beauty consumption has continued to rise.
7. Animation nerds
The group base of anime nerds is not small - they like and study animation culture, are always willing to experience the latest releases, and like to collect That kind of thing.
The mantras of anime geeks are: the mantras of anime characters, two dimensions, visiting comic exhibitions, watching live shows, and buying figurines.
8. American comic circle
A "subculture" group created around the large number of works produced by comic companies such as Marvel, DC, Warriors, and Dark Horse in the United States. Along with Justice League, Revenge, After the popularity of movies such as The League of Legends in the mainstream market, the American comic circle gradually expanded and began to produce organized gatherings and online KOLs.
However, as the truth of the so-called "Lighthouse Country" is increasingly exposed, the audience of Marvel movies in China is no longer as popular as before, and this circle will inevitably be affected to a certain extent.
9. Game nerds
Genuine game nerds—if you must emphasize “genuine”—are represented by the three major consoles of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, as well as the Steam audience. For groups that play stand-alone or online games, the average gaming time per person starts at 1,000 hours.
Of course, gamers also include niche game circles such as audio game players, P Club players, I wanna players, Galgame players, Roguelike players, Mugen players, etc.
Strictly speaking, players such as King of Glory and Chicken Game are not gamers.
10. Internet article circle
Internet article circle is an online article author and reader with many Internet article websites as the center of activity. You must know that this circle basically cannot use "niche" "To frame it - according to a survey by the Academy of Social Sciences, the number of online readers in China has exceeded 450 million!
Therefore, with the production of a large number of online works and film and television adaptations, and the gradual entry of the post-90s generation into society, this group has gradually become mainstream, and in the future it will be a subcultural group that is no longer Asian.
Of course, due to the impact of the epidemic and the turmoil in the entertainment industry in the past three years, the speed of conversion of online articles into film and television has been greatly affected.
11. Fandom
The so-called fandom refers to other works derived from one work by readers.
The fandom has spawned a very popular game at the moment - Script Killing.
People in this circle usually have relatively high loyalty - you should know that this group once angrily played a laning match with Xiao Zhan fans and won the support of the vast majority of passers-by.
12. V Home
This V refers to "VOCALOID", which is a speech synthesis software and an electronic music production software developed by the Japanese musical instrument manufacturer Yamaha—— By entering the pitch and lyrics into the software, you can synthesize a song that was originally a human voice.
VOCALOID first became popular in Japan. Its success led to the popularization of Vocaloid software, and its representative work is Dan Cong Ge.
In the game "Hatsune Miku-Diva Project", "Hatsune Miku" is the protagonist of the opening animation.
13. Ghost Circle
First of all, don’t confuse this term with the little movie that some people like to watch.
With the promotion and popularization of short video playback software such as Douyin and Kuaishou, the influence of this cultural circle has begun to gradually expand.
14. Board game circle
Board games originated in Germany. They involve war, trade, culture, art, urban construction, history and other aspects. Most of them use paper materials. Plus exquisite model assistance.
It is a face-to-face game that places great emphasis on communication. Therefore, board games are now an excellent way to communicate in various occasions such as family leisure, friend gatherings, and even business leisure.
Well-known works in the industry include Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, etc.; works that have been released include Three Kingdoms, Werewolf, Hearthstone, etc.
15. Fans of niche cultural works
The coverage of this circle is very broad, but it is also very niche.
This niche cultural work includes cult films, tokusatsu films, experimental music, rock, heavy metal, electronic music, folk songs, musicals, operas, stage plays, Takarazuka, enka, waka, and rakugo. , manga, haiku, dark fairy tales, light novels, character reasoning and other lovers.
In fact, many of the above cultural categories are mainstream cultures abroad, but they are still niche cultures in China. With the promotion of entertainment programs, content such as comics, rock music, and experimental music have begun to slowly enter the mainstream culture. mainstream vision.
16. Niche jewelry circle
The scope of this circle is actually not small.
Including the handicraft circle: that is, the production and modification of accessories, small objects, and handicrafts.
Notepad: a notepad that has been fully and carefully decorated and typeset.
As well as enthusiasts of paint, heraldry, rubber stamps, framing, foreign calligraphy, glue, wool felt, etc.
17. Niche food circles
Including red wine circles, whiskey circles, craft beer circles, home-brewed liquor circles, niche coffee circles, Laotie circles, meal replacement circles, and military rations Circle and other niche food enthusiasts.
Well, it’s not just food that determines people’s taste, but life.
18. Niche animal and plant circle
There are some people who are keen on breeding rare exotic pets, reptiles, carnivorous plants and other small types of animals and plants. Carefully study and practice how to build a small ecosystem for them in your own home.
19. Niche collection circle
This circle is not limited to age, because it includes but is not limited to cultural toys, star cups, sneakers, stationery, animal bones, fossils, etc. Niche collections such as meteorites, amber, transparent skeletons, steam insects, soldiers, retro objects, etc.
Most people in this circle have no obsession with whether their collections are valuable.
20. Steampunk
Steampunk refers to an imaginary world view close to the Victorian Industrial Age, set against the background of the steam machinery craze.
Its core elements include steam, flame, copper pipes, machinery, leather, used equipment, etc.
By the way, people in this circle have a relatively large age range, including mechanical art enthusiasts born in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s.
21. Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is also a world view - usually the colors are mainly black, purple, green, blue and red to describe the future and establish In the form of "combination of low-end life and high technology".
Cyberpunk literature has a strong flavor of dystopia and pessimism.
22. Post-apocalyptic
Because they focus on discussing the world after the end of the world, such as the concept of wasteland-what will happen after the world is destroyed by nuclear war?
The people in this circle cover the 80s, 90s, and 00s of enthusiasts who are full of fantasy about the future world.
23. Occultism
This field has a wide range, including magic books, witches, alchemy, hypnotism, witchcraft, international conspiracy theories, semiotics, religion, Ritualism, aliens, UFO exploration and many other sub-fields.
24. Local flavor
This circle is a "subculture" that has become popular with the popularity of online short videos. It comes from the folk and has an extremely strong local flavor. It is called It is "local culture".
In fact, the "earth" here does not mean vulgar. It may be unfashionable, but it may also have great aesthetic value - you know, "down-to-earth" itself can also be said to be A kind of "earth".
25, Language C
If you have never heard of this circle, you can understand it as "drama queen".
People in the C circle use online communities to gather to play certain roles in certain works, and use the identities of these characters to communicate and advance the plot.
26. Old man
Refers to people who have lost their jobs, families, and property due to various reasons and become old men who "run away with buckets" at any time. To study A day job circle.
I wonder if you see these people on the streets of the city and would you think that they actually have a defined circle?
27. The model circle
refers to some people who are not only interested in plastic models, but also keen on assembling, polishing, transforming and painting them - the models here are mainly Mainly military equipment models and Gundam models.
The model circle is mainly composed of men, ranging in age from 30 to 50 years old. Senior players must have considerable financial strength.
28. Baby Circle
Don’t get it wrong - "Baby Circle" is not a "circle where baby-showing parties gather together", but a group of dolls with ball joints. People who appreciate, make up, dress up and transform various types of dolls represented by dolls.
Well, this is a wealthy hobby, mainly for women aged 15-35, basically from urban middle-class and above families.
29. Modification circle
As the name suggests - this circle mainly focuses on the modification and modification of motor vehicles.
One is to modify cars and motorcycles to increase vehicle performance; the other is to modify the appearance to increase the beauty of the vehicle; the other is to modify RVs to increase vehicle comfort.
This group generally loves off-roading and traveling.
30, E-Sports Circle
A group of e-Sports enthusiasts formed around e-Sports players, events, anchors, commentators and other elements, with 15-32 year olds who love e-Sports games. Mainly young people.
Some people say that the e-sports circle is the largest production base of "saucy" on the Internet.
Other categories
I will not expand on the more common and easy-to-understand categories one by one.
For example, the idol circle (and the abnormally developed fan circle), the live broadcast circle (and some live broadcast hosts who go to vulgarity for traffic), the goods delivery circle (as well as some false advertising and refuse recognized person or star).
For example, military fans and key political circles.
For example, emoji circles.
For example, Qiongyouquan.
For example, street circles - hip-hop, graffiti, tattoos, roller skating, skateboarding, parkour, streetball...
For example, niche performances - rap, talk shows, stand-up Comedy, niche musical instruments...
For example, niche toys - Rubik's cube, flower cutter, pen spinner, fidget spinner circle, buck ball, robot, drone, traversing machine, model aircraft... < /p>
There are also technical nerds, craftsmen, hackers, wooly people...
There is also a hacker circle among technical nerds.
Although this article summarizes 30 non-mainstream "subculture" branches, it mentions far more than 30 types; and there are some unhealthy and even deformed categories, which are omitted from this article. .
In addition, in the face of the huge extension of "subculture", even if I continue to write, I still cannot summarize it all.
But understanding the above is not only interesting, but also makes us feel that there are all kinds of wonderful things in this world.
Again - "subculture" itself is a neutral term. The high-quality, wonderful, and diverse things in it not only enrich the world, but also enrich our lives.