Hw#31

Francesca

Part:1

Q: What is the reason that you have many piercing on your ears?

A: I like them.

Q:What is signficance about them?

A:It was just the spur of the moment everbody had them. It was like "lets just go get it!".

After hearing her responses i found it that it was typical because lots a time people get piercings/tattoos because they like them or just living in the moment instead of looking in the future.

Part 2:

Looking at myself i think i present myself that people remeber me even without piercings or tattoos even though i got my ears pierced when i was a baby. When it comes to myself i just like to dress nice and just act myself though it sounds cliche and that is what gets me notice. Not by what i have on my body even though that is how people remeber others. Do not get me wrong i like to get the latest things and trends that are out so i do stand out a little more but not to an extreme.

Hw#30-Psychological and Philosophical Theorizing of Cool

I decided to look up the sense of emptiness and i came up with this:

It seems as if we look at ourselves we are empty and just use things to distract us in life to full up this emptiness. There's nothing really there. "Sometimes we feel an inner sense of emptiness. When we look within, it seems like nothing is there, so we distract ourselves with something on the outside, like food or television; and yet, these outer distractions only temporarily take care of the emptiness, or more accurately, they only temporarily keep our attention. When the distraction is over, the emptiness returns." I agree that we feel up with objects around us to have no kind of emptiness but at the same time do we really know what it is? No we do not. I feel like everybody once in a while has had an empty part of themselves patched it up to hide it but then it slowly seem to uncover itself. I do not think we can find the emptiness because we always seem to hide it with things such as being"cool". Everybody always wants to accepted and feel like their somebody but at the same time that somebody is not them is that considered being empty?

http://www.endless-satsang.com/emptiness.htm

Adding more later.....

Merchants of Cool

Before watching the "Merchants of Cool" i did not really understand the concept of cool and how it impacted and manipulated so many people. After watching the video it really opened up my mind and understand how "cool" is interpret in different ways and how companies like MTV and advertising manipulate young teenagers such as myself and just basically use them for their profit. The part of the video that i thought was interesting and what we discussed was how the MTV company pay other kids in the video like for the promoting Sprite so the kids watching the television can seem cool which i find is kind of ridiculous. It so true because i know i do it sometimes and is like "I wish i was in their position right now". Its like a trap that they put for us and we fall for it every single time.

One part of the video that i was surprised at was how the one of the woman who was talking about how the teenagers these days are the reason for all the sex appeal but in reality in the media is giving off that sex is okay because celebrities are doing it and publicizing it. Personally i think the lady is dumb for her to saying that because its the media that puts all this stuff out and grabs the teens attention. If the media was not presenting sex on t.v and showing that it is okay and "cool" of course kids are going to start doing it. Most of the blame is the media not the children which should be responsible for. Just like some video games provide aggression and violence kids take that to real life and do it.

When they started to talk about Britney Spears and how she showed a lot of sex appeal, it really popped a light bulb in my head on how it affected the little girls watching her. All these girls want to be just like her and be "cool".  The media just chewed her up and spit her back out the world just to make their money which selfish of them.  When the guy talks about girls flaunting their own sexuality even though they do not understand it yet i find that to be so true because the girls just do what ever the media tell them to do so they can seem "cool". I feel like its a job for the girl to do these things to remain on top or be cool so other people approve of  them.

Informal Research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_(aesthetic)


In this text, it talks about the different elements of being cool such as paintings and historical figures. It has the behavioral characteristic, the state of being, the aesthetic appeal, and artistic and "fight for your right" appeal. "There is no single concept of cool. "One of the essential characteristics of cool is its mutability—what is considered cool changes over time and varies among cultures and generations."

After reading this, i thought it was very interesting how the word "cool" branches off into different things. In the quote above i thought that it was true because over time the word "cool" changes all the time epecially in today's society, it changes everyday. They use Malcolm as a "cool" who showed cool qualities because he fought for what he thought was right with anger and agression which is "cool".


http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1478



This text is basically talking about what other people think and it has the typical reasons and thoughts on what people think is "cool". It shows what kids nowadays consider cool.


I thought that it was actually kind of funny. The way the kids describe what "cool" is. I agree with most of the stuff that they said. It said a lot about "being you" and being a great person overall.


http://www.wholefamily.com/aboutteensnow/relationships_peers/friends/wyatt_history.html


In this article he talks about making his own theory on the word "cool". His story i find is kind of ridiculous. He thinks that the term cool origned from the Paleolithic Era. Most of his points where mainly about when you come across the word and who people use it. He thinks they use it in a opposite way then they are suppose to use it.

Strangers and Family Member Interviews

Stranger #1: Casey

What do you think is cool?

"I think spirituality is cool."

Who's cooler, the pope or the president?

"Obama. He's real, he's honest, and he doesn't make empty promises."

What do you think is cool about yourself?

"I'm 58 years old, and I can still play ball. I am a Surrogate Father. I lived with seven sisters, and my mom, and I was the only boy. Also, I have lived through two occasions where I was supposed to be dead. I got stabbed in September, 1973, when I was seventeen. And I survived a gun shot. I was saved because of the luck of a priest."

Stranger #2:Arista
What do you think of as cool?

Like clothes, cell phones, style, materialistic things?

"Clothes are pretty cool I guess."

What do you think is cool about yourself, if you think of yourself as cool?

"I'm all over the place, and crazy. I like myself. I'm weird cool."

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about popularity, and coolness?

"I have a whole bunch of magazines I'm always looking at to see what's in."

Who, -on television or celebrators- do you think of as cool?

"I watch a lot of Nickelodeon things. I think Sam from I-Carly is cool. She has her own style, she's girly but she's not really girly. She's different."

Do you spend more time now trying to be cool, or did you spend more time trying to be cool in high school?

"In high school I didn't really care what was cool. I guess I spend more time trying to be cool now."

Stranger #3:Nia

Who do you think is cool?

"I think anyone who is original, with their own sense of style is cool. "

Who is cooler, the pope or the president?

"The pope is cooler." Really? Why? "The pope is cooler because he just chills and gets money. He could be at a strip club right now, and no one would know it."

Do people consider you to be cool? Do your friends consider you cool?

"I think my friends think I'm cool."

Do you think your friends are cool?

"No, not really. Not a lot of them."

What about your friends do you think is cool?

"We have our own inside jokes, and we understand each other.

Family Member:

Do you think your cool?

"Yes because im down to earth and in tune with today's society."

What people do you consider cool?

"Not according to my daughter.

Besides me Ma?

"Because im open."

When you think of the word "cool" what pops in your head?

"A cool climate. I think of air conditioning. Refreshing and a margarita."

"Cool" Interviews

Stephanie

Q: Why do you think your "cool"?

A: "I think I'm cool because of my style and personality. Because of my personality i am popular and that also helps me with my "coolness."

Q:What is it about your "look" that makes you cool?

A: "My sneakers definitely helps my coolness because i have sneakers that many people don't have because they are exclusive. So i definitely think my sneakers help my coolness."

Francesca

Q: What about you makes you "cool"?

A: "My funniness and i can laugh at myself."

Q:Do you think your looks make you "cool"?

A: "I think the way someone carries themselves like the other way people gravitate towards them."

Q: On a scale of one to ten, where in "cool" do you fall in?

A: "8 because 10 is too high and 1 is too low. I have a lot of friends (popular).

Aisatou

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how cool are you?

A: 9 because i could stand alone and be by myself. Be my own person. I am a trendsetter.

Q: What is your initial thought when you think of the word "cool"?

A: I think of the world being perfect, cartoons, good hair, good weight, good clothes, and athletics.

Q: Would you like to be cooler?

A: Uhmm no, in movies people really like the cool person but their something their not. Not meeting the true them. You know what I'm saying.

Comments

Hey Steph,
i thought your short story was funny and interesting. I think the message you were conveying about being cool is to stay in class and get an education in order to do something you have passion for such as basketball. Also that getting good grades is good but it seems in your story that the character does not do that at all. Overall your story was good and i hope to read more of them.


Heyyy Norra,
Your story was good. It reminds me of me when i first went to middle school and making new friends. The character thought that being able to make friends that can be a meaning to be cool or even a start. I agree with Ean about you going into detail about the two different towns and schools. =)

Matt
I thought your short story was cool. I like how you talked about the defintion of being cool is being an indivdiual. Charlie kind of reminds me of myself because i don't follow anyone i tend to do my own thing. Overall i agree with steph it was creative and hopefully read more of your stories. =)

Francesaaa
I really liked your story. I liked how you explained how the main character wanted to more of an individual and keep to herself instead of being the popular one which i believe was the "cool" part. It showed the two different cools, the appearance of cool and the cool within you. Great Story! =)

Hi Sarah,Your story was cool. It seems your character was being who she was which is waht you consider "cool". I agree that being yourself is cool and whoever does not like it screw them. Your character is cool and the other kids in the class think so too which makes her even cooler! =)

From the stories i read, lots of people were a teenager and going to a new school or High School and talking about fitting in and trying to get the approvals of others. Some of them is just appearance cool and just have a mask on. Most of the stories i read people were more individuals and rather just be themselves and not care what others think which is a symbol of "cool".

I believe that to most of students short stories cool is not being popular or getting fresh or anything its more just following your own instinct and being a leader. Instead of following those who wanna be "cool". For example, in Sarah's story and Francesa's story the main characters decided to do themselves and forgot what others thought which was "cool".