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.
Amon,
ReplyDeleteThe time I saw RS meditating it was very much for the purpose of creating an image he hoped would be attractive to the skinny women in their 20s around him (a yoga studio). This relates to a point Ali Jo emphasized sharply in a recent post - our constant desire to add pretty-colored gems to our identity costume.
Much of what we do should be viewed as attempts at self-aggrandizing in one way or another.
Meditation helps us see this, which is why it seems so hilariously sad that we use meditation as self-aggrandizement too.