interview with Bebe Zeva

On December 18th, I emailed Bebe Zeva (microfamous fashion icon, Hipster Runoff model, and Twitter comedienne) 13 questions. She responded the next day with the following:

(photo by tolga katas via technorazzi)

How many hours a day do you spend on the internet? You have mentioned that you go to a 'virtual high school'—What kind of classes do you take? Do you think that virtual high school is equivalent to a public high school in terms of your education?

I probably spend 8 hours a day on the internet, half social networking, half doing homework. My mom doesn't let me go out with friends very often so I compensate with websites like facebook and formspring. It gives me the sensation of being socialized with, even though I'm ultimately just holed up in my bedroom on the twelfth floor of a high-rise condo. I take AP Literature & Composition, AP US Government, AP Statistics and Student Tutor. I'm failing all my classes with the exception of Student Tutor. You're probably thinking "it's Virtual High School, there are no students to tutor." And you're right. And that's why I have an A. Virtual High School requires that students turn in 4 to 5 times as much homework as the average student to make up for time not spent in a physical classroom receiving a lecture. The workload is too overwhelming for me to manage in a timely fashion. I probably wouldn't recommend this academic arrangement to anyone who doesn't have a refillable prescription of adderall in their kitchen cabinet. 

How much of a role does the internet play in your social life? Could you live without it? Would you want to? 

I met my best friend, Travis McFarland, on the internet and prefer the 'virtual company' of my online companions to the people I've known since middle and high school. I think the friendships I fostered at my old high school were forced. They only happened because I shared classes with those people, not because I connected with them intimately. The internet leads me to individuals I actually like because I can filter out characters who don't share common interests with me. If I don't like someone, I don't have to respond to their email. But in real life, you have to acknowledge every person that approaches you face-to-face. It's common sense. It's etiquette. 

Do you think growing up in the cultural/literal desert and not having exposure to subculture attracted you to social networking, blogging, microblogging?

I was attracted to the internet not due to a lack of culture, but due to an overwhelming desire for acceptance. No one really understood me at my old schools; the people that admittedly didn't comprehend my purpose and passion didn't like me or give me a chance, and the people that did like me and give me a chance falsely believed they understood me. NO ONE had an accurate grasp on my persona. Only the people I've met online seem to display an understanding of my livelihood. I always felt left out and sought acceptance from the exclusive hipster community to give more meaning to my life, to validate my efforts in some small way. I had no idea that googling the word 'hipster' would result in all of this... a blog, an internet presence, a personality...

When did you start downloading mp3s? Do you remember any of the first songs you downloaded? 

I started downloading mp3s my freshman year of high school. These were the very first that I remember:

-The Start of Something by Voxtrot

-Tried to be Good by Pants Yell!

-Dustin Hoffman Thinks About Eating the Soap by Of Montreal

-Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect by the Decemberists

-Yeah Yeah by Matt and Kim

How many days worth of music do you have in your iTunes library?

Less than two weeks worth. 

Did you watch a lot of TV as a kid? What did you like to watch? Do you think that growing up with ~4-6 hours a day of Nickelodeon, etc. shaped our generation's ideas of right/wrong, cool/lame?

I was barely allowed to watch TV as a child and recognized the activity as a prized privilege. My favorite shows were Hey Arnold, All That, Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Boy Meets World, and Lizzie Mcguire. I'm not sure about how Nickelodeon shaped society's views of coolness. From what I remember, it was awesome, but everyone else I know that watched it sucks. 

Is alt mainstream?

Yes, alt is mainstream. Alternative culture is in the process of reformatting, but right now it's in that stage of being vaguely associated with individualism and mainstream corporate sell-out realism.

So if alt is mainstream, what is now alt?

Looking unrebellious is alt. The mainstreamers are trying too hard to seem 'party hardy' and free-spirited. It's much more alternative to wear ironed button-downs with bow ties than an American Apparel v-neck (irredeemably crunkcore).

Why do you think Tao Lin made a documentary about you?

I think Tao Lin decided to make a documentary about me because I have a 'respectably sized fan base' that could bring in a lot of revenue. I think people are curious about me, and I may or may not be in my golden age right now so it's a perfect time to liquidate on my mysterious existence.

What do you think the phrase 'gchat realism' means? Who is your favorite gchat realist? 

Gchat realism means the interpretation of reality through unromantic means, like this generation's primary form of communication (the internet and social networks). Gmail chat seems like something web-savvy hipsters use exclusively, so the term 'gchat realism' evidently refers to the hipster lit scene and the extended muumuu house community (currently the most relevant hipster community on the east coast, excluding all socialites affiliated with Peaches Geldof and company). My favorite gchat realist is Megan Boyle. 

What subject(s) do you intend to major in college?

I intend to major in fashion and sociology. I want to minor in marketing so that I can work with advertising campaigns for companies like Urban Outfitters since I understand their core audience so well.

What are your top 5 albums of 2010?

I'm pretty sure all these albums came out in 2010

5. King of the Beach - Wavves

4. King Night - Salem

3. Be So True EP - MillionYoung

2. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

1. Innerspeaker - Tame Impala

What is your favorite color?

HOT, NEON PINK is the best color of all time.