The only way is Dalston: Being a dickhead’s cool

There’s a good chance you’ve come across the “Being a dickhead’s cool” video on YouTube. First Shoreditch, then Hoxton, and now Dalston; East London is the place to be if you’re trendy, but don’t want people to know…

You know the type – overpriced vintage clothing that screams “I’m creative!” and a too-cool-for-school attitude to accompany. A lot of effort goes into being effortlessly cool.

With the success of The Only Way is Essex, Geordie Shore and Made in Chelsea it seems there’s a gap in the market between classes. They set themselves apart from both chavs and sloane rangers, but are usually one or the other masquerading as their counterpart – and is seems MTV have realised this scene is ripe for broadcasting.

Vice were contacted with this casting call below and decided to visit the auditions, speaking to a few of the contenders for roles on the show. With responses such as “I’m radical! I’m all about politics, and I try to express this through my art, and my music.” a “homeless” girl with housemates and members of a band called “Haiku” in the running, this series promises to take on TOWIE in the ratings battle.

“Hi,

I’m getting in touch with you as I’m casting for an international MTV documentary series about young creative people living, working and hanging out in East London, fulfilling their creative dreams. We will be bringing together a group of diversely talented individuals to create a collective and a brand – ultimately a factory of creativity to harness talent.

This is about celebrating youth culture, through self-expression – and the hub is East London. It’s about subverting people’s expectations of the scene here – and showing how raw talent is emerging. During the show, mentors and experiences will help nurture innovative flair and give you the chance to showcase your unique ideas. The eventual winner will be supported by MTV and their skills and visions will be shown to the world.

We want unique characters with something to say who are up for challenging and developing themselves! Fancy being part of this experience?

We’ll be meeting people Monday evening in Shoreditch for casting. Let me know if you, or anyone you know, would be interested in coming along. Age 18-25(ish).

Get in touch”

Haven’t you heard? Being a dickhead’s cool.

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• http://www.facebook.com/B.I.Khoury Ibrahim Benzel Kuzzy

  Do you reckon the Vice article is legitimate?

• http://www.scoutlondon.com Scout London

  Most trendies are harmless; but it seems to be acceptable to brand them all dickheads. In all likelihood MTV will recruit to reinforce this.

• huncamunca

  Dalston has always been a” trendy ”place.
  I remember it more than twenty years ago, always ”up and coming” but never, ever making it. There is nothing new to report here.
  Beyond the transient population of youngsters there is a vibrant neighbourhood of fantastic people from all walks of life, a sort of community I have only found again since moving out into the deepest depths of the countryside.

• Kipperfillets

  Dear MTV and the young people of Dalston/Hoxton, please don’t do it. 

• http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000141987360 Tom Foolery

  the whole country is full to the brim of posers, its not just these kids.

• http://twitter.com/meowlings angela chase

  the boys in that photo [miguel ashley and mitch] are actually australians photographed in sydney fashion week a few years ago. bad internet image searching!

• http://twitter.com/vanterheyden Alex van Terheyden

  Please avoid making this show – it will only ruin Shoreditch further

• KebabChipsAndCoke

  Brilliant summary of what is happening to Dalston and Hackney in general. I grew up in the area and what made it so cool were the multi-cultural population, Ridley Road market, The Waste (the street market selling everything and anything on Kingsland Road) the Rio and Konak cinemas, the Turkish restaurants and many small cheap clothes shops. It really was a working class area. Now taken over by middle class dickheaads who wear bumfluff facial hair and skinny jeans and all seem to be working in the media, i.e. they read the internet on their iPhones. ‘Cool bars’ and coffee shops are everywhere so they could sit there and twat how cool they are to all the other dickheads on their twatter network. All the while driving up the house prices and ghettoising the very people they are mimicking. It is also no coincidence that the vast number of people at these bars and coffee shops are posh white kids in a borough where people of ethinic origins dominate. Has it occured to these dickheads that the locals don’t frequent any of these dickhead bars? The irony is that what made Dalston and the other areas trendy has been ruined by the arrival of the dickheads and dickheadettes.