Hw- 28 Informal Research

Fenichel, Michael "What is cool?" (What's Hot? What's Not?)
http://www.fenichel.com/Cool.shtml

This article articulated their definition of "cool" and how teens deal with it daily. It talked about how self esteem, peer pressure, hormones and social experiences shape the way cool is showered upon us. What I thought was pretty interesting about what the author said about self esteem is, what really makes someone cool? Most of it comes across understanding what one is really good at it and sticking with it. In some other cases self esteem is making grades, points, or money.

I thought this article was dead on about what "cool" means in our adolescent lives because we are affected by so much in societies that portray a different thing every day or week or month. But this obsession with "you" is probably a main characteristic of just being cool because what is really you in a society that has criteria of being a "cool you."

Who, Alan "How to be Cool."
http://alanwho.com/ask/how-to-be-cool/

The author of this article gave more of a list then an explanation of being "cool" which is pretty interesting because how does he already know that people think he's cool. Anyway, in the article he gives out these tips/advice on how you could structure yourself around cool by doing it in his interpretation of cool. What I thought was interesting about this article was at the end when he explains that (once again the theme of being you arises) being you is your best teacher. So how come he's teaching people how to be them? What if the things he listed on how to be cool are the total opposites of what other peoples interpretations of cool are? Very tricky situation and that's why I believe that finding the answer to cool is infinite and there are no real correct answers to it. For example, his fifth suggestion of how to be cool is basically not wear brand name clothes, be your own brand. There are many people who will disagree with this because in our society, wearing brand name clothing that are pretty expensive, is pretty damn cool.


http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to_250/252_how_to.html


Like the second article, this one gave their own personal tips of how to be cool. In comparison to the second article, this one gave more of how to "bag" women and maintain your coolness level. I also felt it gave an impression of the stereotypical cool for example their tip on the type of women you should date or have. The header was "Have a nice girlfriend(preferably good looking)", and from their on it went on about how if you have a hot girlfriend you look really cool.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuK0ka9Ho8

In this video, Russel Simmons, explains what cool is with his own analogy of the cool guy. The type of cool guy he desrcibed was more of the "real-cool" guy because of the calm qaulities that he had. For instence, that type of guy goes for his goal without "frustration, anxienty and seperation from power."

Although I'm not sure why Simmons brought meditation into context, which he brings up a lot after the first minute of the video, but he believes that meditating brings you bliss, which is pretty cool.