WTF is steampunk?

[pantsparty]

I keep seeing this word. Is it a variation of hipster?

In other news: I am old and out of touch, apparently.

[litebright]

I think of it as sort of Victorian grunge/alterna-reality.

I suppose it could be kind of hipster, but I feel like there's a different feel to it.

[mamasaurus]

It is a bit hipstery. I liked it before it was cool, anyhow.

Basically, it combines Victorian technology (hence the steam) and aesthetics with contemporary subculture values (such as cyberpunk). If you see a computer that looks steam powered or an ipad that appears to run with watch gears, you are looking at steampunk.

Etsy and Pinterest are full of shitty examples. It can be very stunning and clever when done well. When it is not, it looks like some chump was trying to spend the remainder of a gift card from the hardware store.

[pantsparty]

Kids these days! ::shakes cane::

[pantsparty]

Jan 26, 2013 18:59:07 GMT -5 mamasaurus said:

Basically, it combines Victorian technology (hence the steam) and aesthetics with contemporary subculture values (such as cyberpunk). 

[mamasaurus]

Here are some books if you want to read some steampunk fiction.

www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6720180.html

There are also video games and bands considered steampunk, and you could apply the term to a few films as well.

Here is a picture of it done well. It's totally DIY. The steampunk headset:



Also, a steampunk laptop:



Some mechanical feathers:



ETA: that laptop is kind of famous. The maker's name is Datamancer.

[alzi]

lol pants! mamasaurus, even that description did absolutely nothing to help me understand what it means.

[LeggsBenedict]

I had to curate an exhibition once with a group and one of the group's members FLIPPED OUT BECAUSE OMG LETS DO STEAM PUNK ART but he didn't know what steampunk was. Somehow he convinced half of his group to go with it and he ruined their whole presentation because he put up pictures of smoke and 9/11 and called it steam. And also pictures of the ramones.

And that's the story of how my first group curated exhibition proposal won by default.

[lucky513]

I like it

[nannersp]

I don't know much about it, other than it reminds me of that Will Smith movie, Wild Wild West, with the western meets futuristic look. Or something.

[mamasaurus]

Jan 26, 2013 19:31:48 GMT -5 LeggsBenedict said:

I had to curate an exhibition once with a group and one of the group's members FLIPPED OUT BECAUSE OMG LETS DO STEAM PUNK ART but he didn't know what steampunk was. Somehow he convinced half of his group to go with it and he ruined their whole presentation because he put up pictures of smoke and 9/11 and called it steam. And also pictures of the ramones.

And that's the story of how my first group curated exhibition proposal won by default.

I didn't know you are a curator! You just keep getting more awesome (and I keep getting more jealous).

[margotmacomber]

People make these themselves?  With the headset, are the cogs functional?  Like, do they turn? This is making me feel stupid.

[LeggsBenedict]

Jan 26, 2013 19:46:59 GMT -5 mamasaurus said:

Jan 26, 2013 19:31:48 GMT -5 LeggsBenedict said:

I had to curate an exhibition once with a group and one of the group's members FLIPPED OUT BECAUSE OMG LETS DO STEAM PUNK ART but he didn't know what steampunk was. Somehow he convinced half of his group to go with it and he ruined their whole presentation because he put up pictures of smoke and 9/11 and called it steam. And also pictures of the ramones.

And that's the story of how my first group curated exhibition proposal won by default.

I didn't know you are a curator! You just keep getting more awesome (and I keep getting more jealous).

I'm not.    My degree is in museum studies from a very art centered program, and eventually I want to get into exhibition design.

[Nicole]

Google image my friend... Google image

[kaybee85]

One of the girls in MH's department in grad school always wears steampunk goggles on her head. This is my only experience with steampunk culture lol

[mamasaurus]

Jan 26, 2013 19:52:57 GMT -5 LeggsBenedict said:

Jan 26, 2013 19:46:59 GMT -5 mamasaurus said:

I didn't know you are a curator! You just keep getting more awesome (and I keep getting more jealous).

I'm not.    My degree is in museum studies from a very art centered program, and eventually I want to get into exhibition design.

Well, still. My degree is in art history from a very museology-centered program.

[janiejones]

wasn't there an episode of gilmore girls where Rory and the guy that's on the good wife went to an underground steampunk party- and jumped off some scaffolding???

[Deleted]

www.urbanthreads.com/search.aspx?qs=Steam%20punk&df=Machine

[themysteriouswife]

This all I know about this topic. I turned my head in confusion.

www.hipsandcurves.com/plus-size-lingerie/d-33-steampunk-collection.aspx

[wrathofkuus]

It's futuristic, but what the future looks like when imagined by people in 1890s England. Think hollow earth from Sanctuary.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2013 23:30:59 GMT -5 @crackhabit said:

<---- loves all things steampunk.

We should be friends.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2013 23:53:30 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

.....I may or may not have seriously considered doing a steampunk theme for my wedding.

Wanna be my sister-wife?

[milosh]

A girl on my fb had a steampunk wedding. It was a cool idea, but in the pictures everyone looks like they are wearing 1900's underclothes with small top hats.

[ladygrey]

There are lots of steampunk weddings on Offbeat Bride: offbeatbride.com/tag/steampunk

[sawyerthedestroyer]

Back to the Future part 3: Doc Brown's time traveling steam engine.

[mamasaurus]

I am so glad you came over to ML, nuggetbrain. You keep getting better and better.

[MrsAxilla]

Jan 27, 2013 0:25:30 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

My coworker told me that the alternate world in Fringe is steampunk. H says it's not. So.. idk.

I know this is English, but I don't understand this sentence.  
What is Fringe?

#old

[MrsAxilla]

Jan 27, 2013 0:34:02 GMT -5 nuggetbrain said:

Jan 27, 2013 0:30:13 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

I know this is English, but I don't understand this sentence.  
What is Fringe?

#old

It's that show on Fox by the guy who created a shitstorm by writing a haircut into Felicity, and it stars Pacey Witter, the chick who did the voiceover in Heavenly Sword and that fake-king who ate tomatoes really gross from Lord of the Rings.

I never watched Felicity.
I don't know who Pacey Witter is.
I don't know what Heavenly Sword is.
I didn't see Lord of the Rings.

#oldANDlame

Thanks for playing.  You won these lovely egg cups.  

[Kore]

I don't get it

Is this why I see a dude wearing a top hat & riding a unicycle around town?

[sonrisa]

Jan 26, 2013 18:50:28 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

I keep seeing this word. Is it a variation of hipster?

In other news: I am old and out of touch, apparently.

Perhaps you are too young for it?  I feel like steam punk hit it's stride about a decade ago.