Yes, I'm aware there are "no stupid questions..." but... A quick search didn't bring much clarity.
For context: my wife and I are in our 30s, and as weather got colder in October, we started attending a "coffee and chat" meeting for people learning sign language. My wife is slowly going deaf, and we both would like to communicate normally when she loses hearing completely.
The asl chats were started by some people in an LGBT Pride group, and as such most of the people there are LGBT, and between 18-24. Since the weather is getting warmer, we have been inviting them to go places with us, mostly like IHOP or a local cafe. It is a little tricky to coordinate, since several lack vehicles and transit is basically nonexistent here, and some have mobility issues, but we make sure everyone who wants to come has a way to get here even if it requires several trips in our car.
Last week since it was especially nice out, we decided to have a cookout. We brought vegetarian options since a couple are vegetarian (while I'm sure I am quite competent at making vegetarian meals, I always get super dumb when trying to think of vegetarian dishes I know) and all in all it was pretty chill, with about 8 of them showing up. some had to leave soon after eating, but most stayed to hang out in the park and hammock with our extra ones we have collected over the years.
As we are making sure everyone is situated, has drinks and snacks, and making conversation with different people, a few are having their own conversation and then one looks in our direction, and goes "you two are giving off big crunchy aunt and uncle vibes, very granola" and I just looked a little confused and said "thanks? I think?"
Their tone was friendly, I'd say. Two people said things in agreement, one laughed, nobody seemed upset about anything.
We started setting up around noon, people showed up around 1, and we ended up staying until sunset after 8. Everyone said they had fun and it was super relaxing.
So to the question: in this context, I feel it's meant positively but I am not sure what "crunchy aunt and uncle vibes, very granola" means...
Apologies if this is considered something I should just look up since it really is a "simple question" but it feels like one of those things that has different meanings in different contexts.
They called you a bit of a hippie, almost certainly in an endearing way
To me there's a bit of a distinction toward being an upper middle class hippie. The kind that wears expensive clothes, drives a luxury EV, shops at Whole Foods, etc. If anyone reading this has been to Bend, OR, that place is the crunchy mecca.
As lower middle class hippie, who is on the poor end of even that and was born and live in an area that's known for hippie types, I strongly dislike most of those upper middle class "hippies". For most of them it's fully a surface level thing and they are a big part of many negative views people have about modern hippies. And it's always so fucking funny when a group of them go to where actual leftist hippie types hang, bars or whatever and think they don't stick out like a sore thumb. They walk in looking like shitty parodies and act exactly the same as the snobby people who are strongly disliked there. I've even seen some who does the whole keeping the price tag on thing like that's something that wouldn't be laughed at.
I have no job currently, my clothes are mostly 5+ years old with most of my stuff being around 10 years old from my last retail job when I got them discounted and on clearance, my car rolled off the line before I was conceived and has the damage that says it lives in deer country, and my food comes from wherever is cheapest.
And they all know these things since we talk about such things at meets along with basically every other topic. pretty much everyone is in the same boat, and with only one exception we all live with roommates and parents.
If you're thinking of a 2010 hipster with a man-bun and Abercrombie clothes driving their Leaf from the iPhone store to the fancy food market where everything is 5x the price because someone put the word "organic" in front of "tomato".... I mean, imagine me however you wish, but we are definitely more the type to live in a log cabin we built ourselves away from any kind of technology. I like what gadgets I do have, but I'd trade them for "not living in capitalism hell" any day.
Sorry, I didnt mean to sound like I was disparaging you. I think this shows why they probably meant it in a more endearing way as it sounds like you're definitely not those type of people.
Lmao Tone is hard to read, I wasn't upset so if I came across that way my apologies, I was just adding more info in response to points you had raised.
I would assume if they meant it as some kind of a dig, they wouldn't accept the invitations to hammock with us. Their tone was friendly, it's just not a term I've heard and given the different comments so far, it seems to be a mixed bag as to whether other people would consider it an insult or a compliment.
Really though given the context, I'm going to take it as a compliment even if it was meant as an insult.
I think if it were an insult, they meant it as a good natured ribbing. Like they wouldn't joke about it if they actually thought you embodied those qualities.
For some reason I take it to mean more of an airhead type hippie who's irrationally averse to "chemicals" in everything and talks about the vibrations of the universe.
I definitely agree there'd be a considerable overlap in the Venn diagram
I think we're channeling Eric Cartman and just projecting out what we hate about hippies.
Those types are what me and my wife like to call "neo-hippies," or "bobos," to borrow from French.
We called those ones “weekend hippies”