Chapter 1
Rice begins this chapter with the question, what is cool? It is synonymous with Marlon Brando and James Dean. Rice defines it with two words, independence and rebelliousness, or at least that was the way cool was defined, through the years it has changed meanings, depending on the generation. Rice states that Jay-Z or Snoop Dogg would be considered cool in today’s terms. Cool used in websites to draw in readers and hopefully sell their products.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 focuses on the incorporation of cool and the internet. We have all kinds of brand names that we can associate with various types of people. They are in fact marketed towards them. This chapter also looks at cultural associations put upon cool. Words and phrases that you can use with your peers may or may not be the same as those you use with adults. These words and ideas of cool are constantly changing and won’t be true from one generation to the next. The chapter also explains that cool is used on websites, which are often times dictated by the teenagers versions of cool. An example of one of these websites is Yahooligans! Cool.
Chapter 3
This chapter focuses on advertising in general, we know that attitudes are important as are icons. Various icons can give advertisers an edge above others when that icon is deemed cool. Oprah is a great example of cool advertising. Her book club is an example of her great advertising power, when she reads a book, so do millions of American women. To have a book mentioned on her show automatically makes it cool.
Chapter 4
The advertising and youth section looks at various advertisers and their attempts to make their products cool to a younger audience. One example focuses on Sprite as a cool teenager consumer product. Sprite uses a parody in one particular advertisement, saying that “Image is Nothing, Thirst is Everything”. This is obviously not true, and the consumer knows it, but they like the message being conveyed, that they don’t care about what others think, it is cool to be an independent thinker.
Chapter 5
This chapter looks at the process of interpellation, which is how people quickly identify their own attitudes with a product. It also looks at cultural jamming, which is the appropriation of advertising slogans and images for resistance purposes. The theme is independent thinking, getting away from the mainstream in product advertisement ideas. Advertisers are looking for something new, as the consumers are tired of traditional ad styles. Rice concludes the chapter by introducing Ad busters, which is a site that specializes in spoof ads. It’s purpose is “anti-cool”, it encourages us to get away from the preconceived notion of cool and ask questions to find out whether or not the product is all it is cracked up to be.
Video
I was a bit disturbed with how much effort goes into marketing for teens. I think that the teens are modeling back what various media expects them to be like. I also agree with the idea that the media and its audience are part of one large feedback loop. Cool and consumerism are definitely linked in the media, where the driving force is the need to sell. The portion where it focuses on the 13 year old girl was extremely disturbing to me. The young woman seems as though she would do anything to be on TV, and when she had her chance at the party, she acted just like the people she sees on MTV. Cool is driven by consumerism, if everyone wants it, it automatically becomes cool. I don’t know how to separate the two. It would be interesting to see someone separate the two, if you take away the consumers of a particular product, it is no longer cool. I imagine if teens were to make a video like Rushkoff’s, they would look similar. The main difference would be that the video would be “me” focused. It would not be looking at the way cool was interpreted by a large audience, it would be their personal interpretation of cool.
