What Is Hip?

What is hip? For some, the eternal question. For others, a perpetual concern. For yet others, an obsession.

As much as some of us desperately need to know what, indeed, is hip, this week's offering isn't about clothing, hair style, restaurants, cars, food, wine and anything else of a material nature.

No, this week we will, as a public service to our vast readership (you both know who you are), we will provide the definitive answer to a question that has eluded, perplexed, and confounded the masses for entire eras. In a few moments we will answer a question that a certain Oakland soul band has been posing for almost 44 years. What is, indeed, hip?

And given the lofty stature of this blog, please know that what follows is not conjecture, hypotheses or guess-work. Instead, what follows is truth. So deal with it.

Question #1: What is hip? (Tell me, tell me if you think you know.)

Loving music is hip.

Helping friends become family is hip.

Getting married on a deck overlooking a yacht harbor is amazingly hip. (Way to go, Mark and Anne!)

Playing politics with the nation's economy, leaving it in near- shambles, and then going on vacation is definitely NOT hip. (We will remember.)

Allowing members of Congress to go on vacation rather than forcing them to correct the crisis they created is not hip. (We will remember, Mr. President.)

12% unemployment is not in any way hip. (Instead, it's disgusting.)

Anyone suggesting that seceding from the nation might be an option -- and then questioning the patriotism of the President -- is absolutely not hip.

Marrying for love is hip.

Preventing anyone to marry is not hip.

Imposing a religion's values on others is absolutely not hip.

Finding a way to hire someone is hip.

Helping someone do the job better is completely hip.

Allowing people at work to make a real difference is wonderfully hip.

Treating people with dignity and respect, both at work and elsewhere, is hipness personified. (credit Robert Mondavi for this important lesson)

Responding to e-mail within a day is hip.

Not responding to e-mail is so not hip.

Spreading joy is big-time hip.

Asking for help is very hip.

Honoring ideas -- even if they are contentious -- is hip.

Finding solutions, rather than bemoaning the current situation, is hip.

Being honest is at the core of hip.

Losing dozens of pounds of weight, without bringing any attention to oneself, is remarkably hip.

Contacting a long-lost friend is hip (and beautiful).

Touching the heart of someone is beautiful (and hip).

Volunteering is hip.

Giving is hip.

Helping someone get a job is as hip as hip gets.

Any company willing to sacrifice some profit so as to hire a few more people is so hip it hurts.

Hipness is having a greater concern for others than oneself. For this reason, the Tea Party is not anywhere close to hip, nor is the Republican party. The Democratic party is inept and, therefore, not hip.

Demonstrating a concern for the well-being of employees is cool and hip.

Leading is hip.

Thinking you're hip is completely not hip. On the other hand, caring more for others than for yourself is the definition of hip.

Question #2: Are you hip?

We'll leave this answer to you.

In the meantime, the events of the last few weeks have, without doubt, been beyond frustrating, infuriating, and, more accurately, completely maddening. Never have so many felt so helpless. Emotions are low, happiness is threatened, and joie de vivre has been a no-show. For that reason, we at The Job of Work believe some positive, uplifting, mood-altering activities are in order. (No, not those mood-altering activities.)

As a public service, then, we leave you with a video clip guaranteed to raise your spirits. We challenge you to watch it in its entirety and not smile, not sing along, not feel better. (And don't let the mistyped title detract from your enjoyment. It should read 'Ferris Bueler's Day Off'.)

Enjoy and see you next week.