HW 29 "Merchants of Cool"

Is it evil for corporations to manipulate the minds of young people? I say its a necessity in order to survive in the world we live in. The world is run by money, so in order to maintain a rank within the social hierarchy, wealth is required. There is no other way to profit largely than to brainwash the younger generations. Having control over the youth means you have control over the future.

Though the concept of "brainwashing" seems to be a bit cruel, it really isn't. Teens of every generation are exploited somehow by constructing a social figure that can be identified as "cool". I don't believe giving teens a role model or an icon to look up to is evil at all. Also most of them don't grow up to become the artists on MTV anyways. I find it quite similar to old plays or any other sources of entertainment that was used in the past. 

I also don't see any negative outcomes that are directly influenced by the entertainment industries today. I would be more concerned about past generations like the 60s, 70s, and 80s. When drug use was "hip". They were capable of overcoming the pressure from the "cool" junkies, our generation would be capable of overcoming pressure from the media. Unless they are stating that mainstream entertainment corrupts the mind of teens, even more than drugs.

HW 28

Krystle, Nandita, et al. "How to be cool at school" http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Cool-at-School.

This article acts as a guideline for students enrolling into middle/high-school, and how to survive as a "cool" kid. Similar to most WikiHow articles, the information is listed and numbered, followed by Tips and Warnings for the reader. It also gives the reader information on "How To" when you are a newcomer. It gives the option to be yourself, but at the same time the author provides tips for girls to wear jewelry in order to be cool. 

I find this article to be full of flaws. One flaw I would like to point out is the contradiction that is seen in the list of "How to"s. The first couple focuses on being yourself and respecting others, and how awful it is to label people based on social hierarchies. Later on it begins to focus on appearances, " you're a girl, always wear a bit of jewelry" and "Have a nice hairstyle". They state that a key factor in being cool is having confidence in your real self, then why do they demand specific alterations in their physical appearance? 

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

This video is an interview with the infamous Russell Simmons on what it means to be "cool" "Happy". He states that living in the present is the only way to appreciate life to its fullest. We demand new things that makes us miss the wonders of the present and its significance. Russell's definition of cool is the individual that is calm and keeps focusing on his/her main goal with minimal distraction.

I personally found this video to be quite insipirational. The concept of meditating in order to get a grasp of the present reality instead of the past or future gives me a new insight. After viewing this interview, I passed judgement that Russell Simmons is cool. He seems to know his stuff, and understands his way of life which makes him an admirable figure.

Tom, Timbraun, Sean, et al. "How to be popular" http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Popular

Similar to the "How to be Cool in School" article, it gives us a shorter yet more detailed list of aspects that can make someone popular. This one even gives the reader a video that connects to the list of steps. Overall, the steps provide the reader with tips such as being friendly and other general characteristics that must be incorporated into the individual's life in order to become popular. 

Like the "How to be Cool in School" article, some steps contradict each other. One step in the process that I would like to point out is "Don't Try too hard". I believe that going online in order to be manipulated by an website article so you can become popular is already trying too hard. There is no way to be yourself when you are already trying to become a type of person you probably are not. 

HW 27

Interviews

The first guy we walked up to seemed to be a tourist, but a very laid back one, ones that don't necessarily follow the traditional annoying and obnoxious stereotypes of tourists in NYC.

Question 1: What do you think is cooler, Mac vs. PC?

"PC is cooler because it is not as new and it is still around."

Question 2:"That's a hard question...I don't know. It's hip individual, someone who doesn't try to go down the same path and doesn't think they are cool. Someone who struggles but still comes out with a smile is cool."

I agreed with him when he first stated the question to be difficult to answer. Yet he thought for a bit and pulled it off. I found his first answer "Someone who dosen't try to go down the same path" to be expected from most people, but I personally liked his answer "Someone who struggles but still comes out with a smile".

The second guy we interviewed was also in Madison Sq. Park...as well as the others we interviewed throughout the day. This guy seemed to be a typical male office worker. With a Blackberry in hand, he seemed to be enjoying the weather outside. We found out that he was quite and amusing individual.

Question 1: "Mac vs. PC which is cooler?"

He answered "Macs, they are more fun". Like most people we interviewed, most of them werent ready for the questions, not knowing much about what we are trying to acheive from this activity. He seemed a bit confused durring the whole interview session.

Question 2: Do you consider yourself cool?

"I consider myself cool because I am a good person but I can't pinpoint cool on one thing so I don't really know." I think he did a very good job brushing off the topic in order to end the awkward interview. It didn't seem like he cared much about what we were trying to get out of him. He answered in a very simple manner, but he seemed like a funny guy.

The third person we interviewed was a young lady enjoying her lunch. She seemed like a very nice person, and was smiling and laughing the whole time, and answered our questions thoughtfully.

Question 1: "Mac vs. PC which is cooler?"

"Macs are for more artistic people". Even though it didn't really answer the question, we got to know that she probably admires artists.

Question 2: "What does cool mean to you?"

She answered: You wanna know what I think is cool!? Whatever seems fresh...I think places to eat, style...style is a big deal in New York City." Seemed like she was shocked that we wanted her opinion on such a topic. She really did a good job summing up a good number of aspects that construct a cool individual. Especially in a urban enviorment like NYC, fashion isn't the only thing that represents a person.

Question 3: "Do you think your cool?"

She answered: "I think for wherever I am in life I try to embrace what I have." She seems like she dosent really judge people too strictly. Her comment made me predict that she enjoys living life easy, and not stressing over things. I thought she was pretty cool...