The first article I read was called "What is Cool"? by Michael Fenichel. In this article Michael states that teens want to be cool and look cool to the "right" group of friends. And how the sneakers we wear and the attitude we have play an important role at school. This seems almost exactly true because people at school always try to fit in with either wearing the same exact sneakers for example "jordans" and many other sneakers in order to be seen as cool. And the attitude at school needs to be correct if its not you wont be consider cool, if your a person who reads books your a geek which people of course don't consider cool at all.
Another tip for being cool is that you must fit a certain role and some the of the things you may need to follow is: you cant be really quite or shy, or embarrassed or slow, too heavy or to thin. A lot of roles to follow just to be on top of the hierarchy. That means you need to change who you are as a person to somebody your not. Even though sometimes being cool is being yourself but most of the times its not always like that.
2) Jeff, Rice. "What is Cool? Notes on Intellectualism, Popular Culture, and Writing ." 5/10/2002. Web. 8 Dec 2009.
Jeff states that cool can be beamed into 100 million homes, tracked and data-processed. Downloaded from across an ocean. Or bounced off a satellite on your wrist. And this is pretty much true because cool can almost be found anywhere from the music we like, down the clothes we wear on a daily basis. And cool changes everyday; new technology comes out often, and new clothes come out. And once that happens that's when the coolness starts to change all over again.
Something else that Jeff states is that "The 21st century, long a sci-fi daydream, is here. Its slogan is simple: If your neighbors are in on it, it can't be cool." That is true because people now and days want to have the newest thing first before anybody else gets it like new sneakers, or phone for example. But if somebody else has it before them its not as cool because people wont follow them. Which is what people want which is the attention. And without that attention they arent considered cool to other people.
3) "Cool (aesthetic)." Web. 9 Dec 2009.
As the online encyclopedia states "Cool is an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist." This basically says that cool is shown by many things, and that cool isn't just one major thing you must do in order to meet the criteria of cool. Cool in general is a major thing through out a teenagers life, we all want to be somebody higher than what we are so we can have the most attention and be the most popular throughout school. They are a lot of people who try to fit in because of their low self esteem or because they want to follow their friends in what they're doing.
Another point that Wikipedia states is that "Because of the varied and changing connotations of cool, as well its subjective nature, the word has no single meaning." Which is totally true because coolness changes on a daily bases. If a new item comes out that person must have it. Let's take the iPhone 3GS into consideration that thing is newest iPhone that came out, and people camp outside just for that new phone because people need it that bad because they want to follow that certain trend that people follow get the new gadget and your automatically cool.
4) "How to Be Cool at School." Web. 9 Dec 2009.
I found this website to be okay on giving tips to being cool but its totally based on how you see cool not on how other people see it. In this article it states "Have your own sense of style: Discover the clothes you prefer/like to wear and create your style. Wear those clothes to school and be unique" and basically if you have that one thing throughout school your already consider cool because people will notice you more. But if you dress like a bum like holes in your shirts and some ragged out shoes then i doubt you'll be cool, you'll be considered to be more like a bum instead of a cool person. Like come on bums aren't cool right?
Another tip that they state is, "Be fit, clean, and smell good. The first two are compulsory. Brush your teeth, exercise, etc. The third, you don't have to smell nice, just don't smell at ALL. Deodorant and a bit of perfume over that is good. Not too much. Or just deodorant. Just don't smell bad. It will make your rating go way down" this is true in a sense because a person who smells really bad wouldn't be cool they'll be considered to be a dirty person. And dirty people aren't cool... Anyways this tip could possibly help somebody who isnt cool out to make their way up to the top of the hierarchy.
5) Bayer, Jeff. "How To: Be Cool." Web. 9 Dec 2009.
This website i found also to be good for guys who are trying to be cool or just browsing on what a guy should do to be given the title as cool. Jeff states that "Have a nice girlfriend (preferably good looking)" is one step closer to being cool. I agree with that because if a guy goes out with a girl who isn't popular or what ever then people wouldn't consider him as cool. Why you might ask? The true answer is because a pretty girl knows lots of people, and a not so looking girl would have a limited amount of friends. That's just how the world is now and days.
Another tip that i found interesting was "Arrive fashionably late" this is because we seen a lot of students in high school come into class as the center to attention. We all know that when were in class and that classroom door opens all heads turn right to the door to see who is coming in. And the arriving late tip seems more helpful because you'll be at the center of attention for the whole close with all the students looking at you while you walk in. You better be wearing some fancy clothes if your going to be arriving late. Nah just kidding. But that tip seems more likely for somebody to do who is cool.
