I think this episode of the simpsons is making fun of how people are more preoccupied with cool things rather then cool people. It is basically saying it's not the person that we're really looking at, but instead what they do, and if what they do is considered to be cool then they themselves are cool as well. The episode shows how Homer is considered to be uncool based on his age alone. I thought it was kind of funny to see how listening to classic rock in the 90s was uncool as opposed to now where if you buy a led zeppelin t-shirt from kohls everybody thinks your a bad ass (classic rock shirts from the same place my nana shops is the coolest! ) Anyway, getting back to the point, the episode is more focused on cool things and exaggerates the fact that we are so centered around them.

Whats cool?

I think that this episode is based on things being cool, not people being cool. Homer even said in the begining of the episode that he has not changed, yet he is no longer cool because whats cool has changed. I think this is probably how it is for everyone. I think when we get to be in our 40's and 50's, we probably aren't going to seem like were cool to our kids. I believe that when people are trying to be "cool" theyre just conforming to whatever the media portrays as "cool". This episode relates directly to Malcom Gladwells quote because he is talking about how people have to change to be cool so its actually impossble to be cool because youre really not being yourself.

Simpsons and cool

I think that the episode is more concerned with cool things. Most of the old time bands were uncool in the episode, but really their music is pretty good and I would consider them cool. But in that era, they were uncool. Then the bands that were considered cool aren't anymore. Homer was trying to be cool but he wasn't ever a cool person. People change throughout life but usually reamin cool or not, but things grow in and out of cool all the time. So if you were never a cool person, your chances of becoming cool are slim. If something is not cool, the chances of it becoming cool are a lot higher.

Simpson's Kool

I feel tht the Simpsons episode is concerned with both. They target kool people doing cool things. Wen they discovered Homer was able to take cannon balls to the chest he was looked at as suddenly being kool bcuz he could do summthng kool. Also when tht one guy Frank (summthng) was on stage perofrming, the teens inthe audience thought is was kool bcuz he make his guitar "talk" bt as soon as the technolog stopped working he was seen as all tht gretat. So in conclusion wt I feel the Simpsons r getting at is, is relays on bth elements... kool thngs and kool people

simpsons

i think the episode is concerned more with cool things. it was trying to show how many people think certain things are cool and certain things are not. Like for instance the music homer listen to and the things he did wasnt cool so he started to think about things he could do to make him cool to people. he soon started shooting himself with a cannon ball thinking people will like that and they did. people started thinking he was cool because of what he was doing. in my opinion cool can be anything as long as you like it and it makes you happy then that is whats cool to you.

Simpsons

Malcolm is saying that it is impossible to be cool unless you already are good. And if you have to show somebody why something is cool, it's no longer cool. So it's really very confusing. Just like how the Simpson's episode ended. Homer and Marge tried everything to be cool, but their kids weren't buying it. I think the episode was more concerned with cool things. If it were to do with cool people that Homer would have been cool from the beginning, but he wasn't. The things that he did made him cool. I also got from the episode that being a freak meant that you were cool. It's really very confusing. I think it's all about perspective. Different people think different things are cool. And you can't really make someone think something is cool.

Uncool

I feel like the episode was more concerned with being cool by doing cool things, not exaclty by being cool yourself. Homer was only cool because of what he was doing, not by actually being himself. He wanted to relieve the feeling he had when he was younger and he believed he was cool, leading him down this path that led him to do and perform the actions that he performed. He did it so he would be seen nas being cool in the eyes of his kids and in the end still didn't receive his wish. The question is that if everyone knows whose cool and whose not, how do we become cool and if it takes more work being cool, do we want to be cool?

Simpsons on 'Cool'

From watching a classic Simpsons episode, I saw the idea of cool more evolve around both cool things and people.

With things like music, dares (like Homer and the cannonball shots), and all these other abstract ideas that show something new, different, out of trend... it makes the idea of cool evolved around those things.

In this case with the episode, Homer was cool when he took up the job. He found it different, and a new way for him to gain his reputation of coolness back to him that he had long ago as a teenager. In this situation, Homer is the more focused idea that’s cool... but the job he had (plus the cannon and cannonball themselves), are THINGS that are cool as well.

So, to me, in reflection, both things and people are marked upon as cool. ... Or wait, perhaps not lol (last moment turn). It's the people that help motivate the things that appear to be cool, but without those things, those people can't become cool in the first place.

... In ways of looking at it, this episode (and life in general) shows that Homer (the person) was cool, but only because he took up the risk of his new job, taking cannonballs to the gut (the thing). It’s because of the two contributing factors does ‘cool’ get noticed more better.

Cool?

I think the connection between what Gladwell said and the Simpsons episode is that they both declare that cool is something in the person not something that you wear or something that you say. It was sort of funny because no matter what Homer did he was never really cool because cool is just something that you are. I think that the episode really showed that cool is something that is relative. It showed bands that used to be cool in the 70's and bands that were cool in the 90's and how perspectives can really change over the years. The grand funk railroad references were probably the funniest thing about the entire episode. I can not think of a more terrible band than grand funk railroad. I also thought that the Peter Frampton jokes were rather funny.

TheSimpsons

I think the Simpson's episode we watched shows that "cool" is associated with the person. For instance, in the beginning when Homer was driving all the kids to school- they thought the classic rock Homer was listening to was uncool. They never actually listened to the music to give it a chance. They simply thought it was uncool because Homer liked it. Homer is a middle aged man so who would think his taste would be any good? However, when Homer started taking cannonballs to the stomach he became cool. I think there are 2 sides to coming off as being a cool person. The audience watching Homer taking the cannonball to the stomach didnt think Homer was cool, he thought what he wsa DOING was cool. So ultimately, i think it comes back to cool THINGS not cool people.

cool

If you are cool you could do something that isn't uncool and it would make you not cool anymore. Like when homer backed away from the cannon he was no longer cool because what he was doing was cool and he wasn't the cool one. His son thought he was so cool and then when he watched his dad back out he no longer thought he was cool. Something could make you cool or it could make you uncool. If a good singer really wasn't good in person that could make him not cool because you thought he was a really good singer. That goes with that gladwell is trying to say. Homer was no longer cool to his kids after what he did.

The Simpsons on being cool

Gladwell's assertion is saying if you try hard to be cool, but you're not already seen as cool, it probably won't happen for you. The episode had a flashback of Homer in high school, and he wasn't cool back then either. He was never seen as cool except for by Bart because he thought the fact that Homer was taking cannon balls to the stomach was cool. A lot the episode, too, was about what's cool to your parents usually isn't cool to the youth anymore. What's cool back in the day isn't cool now. Trends come and go, but can be recycled, though. I know a lot of people who listen to Smashing Pumpkins.

So how do you know your cool?

This simpons episode draws almost directly from Mr. Gladwell's quote. Homer finds himself at a crossroads with his coolness. If he was cool back in his time, how did he become uncool with this generation? Does coolness just fade with age, or does what you listen to and wear define your level of hipness? Homer keeps asking his kids if he is cool and they emphatically respond "No!" But to their standards, not conforming is cool, so wouldn't that make homer cool as well? The true definition of coolness can't be defined by anyone but themselves, because they in fact are making up the definition of what it is to be cool. So in a broader sense, everyone is cool, and everyone isn't cool all at the same time. Ah, what a glorious thing it is to be cool!

UNcool vs cool

i think the Simpson's episode is more concerned with cool people instead of things, simply saying they have all the bands during the musical concert and then they go on dealing with cool freaks doing cool things. Personally the idea of cool is something that's more of a general perception. If you think your cool chances are your probably not. Being cool is probably more about how you are in your surroundings and how people are reacting to you in a situation. To me if your a cool person then people are generally more inclined to want to talk to you or be around you. Uncool people are not necessarily shunned like they were in the Simpson episode they just have a tendency to not have a lot of friends or do a lot of social things.

The Simpson's

I think it is a little bit of both. Just like we discussed in class on Wednesday. It's not the people who are cool, it is the things they do that make them cool. Furthermore, just as Gladwell wrote, and how I thought of it is that only cool people can do cool things, wear cool clothes, and so on. That is why Homer and his wife could not be cool at the end of the episode, they were only cool when they did cool things. Just the same, the idea of cool things is kind of moot because styles and views change so rapidly, by the time something is cool, it is uncool.

Another thought though is that the average person is the coolhunter. Only because Homer was cool when everyone thought he was cool. Yes, what he did i guess helped make him cool, but in the same token, it wasn't what he did that made him cool. It was all the people who thought it was cool that made it cool.

In-class group blog on coolhunting

Well done. Good work by everyone.

Selling cool

I agree pretty much all the way with the "Selling cool" article. There are a lot of things in the world that really are cool, then there are things that people make cool but are really stupid. Usually something becomes cool when a cool person starts using it. I think a good example would be shutter shades. In my opinion, those were the dumbest invention ever! Not only are they ugly, but they're dangerous. I think they make people look like complete idiots and you can't even see out of them. They work well to keep the sun out of your eyes because it's basically like putting a piece of solid plastic on your face. But they became popular for a short time because you would see stars like Kanye West or Brooke Hogan wearing them. So the trend took off. But you don't see too many unpopular or uncool people starting trends because they usually are automatically listed as uncool. Even though some of those people may actually have something that really is cool.

katie alex and joe part 2

The second rule is that cool can not be manufactured only observed.

katie alex and joe, it's not easy being cool.

1.The paradox of being cool is closer you get to the cutting edge the further away it becomes. It shows how quickly "cool" can change.
2.Gladwell means when he says that they were the Lewis and Clark of being cool that basically they were looking for the meaning of being cool, they were the first people to find it. Yes, it's a nice analogy.
3. The first rule is the quicker the chase, the quicker the flight. The third rule is that you have to be one to know one.

The Coolhunt

1. The paradox is that the better cool hunters become at bringing the mainstream close to the cutting edge, the more elusive the cutting edge becomes.

2. Referring to DeeDee and Baysie as the Lewis and Clark of cool refers to them discovering what the next cool thing is. We would agree because just like Lewis and Clark discovered new land, DeeDee and Baysie discovered their definition of "cool".

3.Rules:

a)The quicker the chase the quicker the fight. Meaning the faster that trend is launched, the more popular it will be.

b)Cool cannot be manufacture, only observed. You cannot create cool, you can only discover it.

c) It can only be observed by those who themselves are cool

ABBY AND BRAD

The Coolhunt

1. The paradox is that, "the better the coolhunters become at bringing the mainstream to the cutting edge, the more elusive the cutting edge becomes."

2. He means that they are like "founders" or that they are the "definers" of what is cool and what is not cool. We agree.

3. Rule 1 - The faster something is seen as "cool" the faster it spreads and becomes popular.

Rule 2 - "Cool" can't be made in a factory or warehouse, "Cool" is how people see or think about a certain object or idea.

Rule 3 - The person with the "cool" style is the one who recognizes "cool" when he/she sees it and others notice that.

Cameron, Rachel, Laumara

CoolHunting !

The paradox of coolhunting is that once something becomes so popular, no one wants in anymore and it moves on to something else. Because that item has been popular for so long it eventually becomes boring. People want something new and refreshing instead of what everyone else is wearing/doing. Baysie, Dee Dee, and other coolhunters are like the Lewis and Clark of cool because they are taking a chance on products they think will become a big hit. Lewis and Clark took a big chance going into uncharted territory- and they ended up finding valuable property. Coolhunters are never sure if what they have found will become popular- its a 50/50 chance.
The 3 Rules of Cool:
1) You can't make something cool over night, it takes time for people to think something is cool
2) Cool things can't be manufactured, what the majority of people wear is what people observe as cool.
3) You have to be aware and in the loop of cool, to know what is counted as cool.
-- Sami & Alexis !

The Coolhunt

1. That the better coolhunters become at bringing the mainstream close to the cutting edge, the more elusive the cutting edge becomes.

2. Lewis and Clark were a part of the first overland expedition undertaken by the United States to the Pacific coast and back. They discovered it, or the found it.

3. Three Rules of Cool

1. The quicker the chase the quicker the flight. So the faster you discover cool the better it is and the more popular it becomes. It has a life of its own. It's very ordinary.

2. Cool cannot be manufactured, only observed. You cannot create cool, you can only discover it.

3. It can only be observed by those who themselves are cool.

"The coolhunt" Class assignment

The paradox of being a coolhunter is "the better they become @ bringing the mainstream close to the cutting edge, the more elusive the cutting edge becomes." This paradox is significant bcuz we feel tht is closer people come to discovering what "cool" is, it changes so rapidly no one every really gets it.

Gladwell mean tht all these people are out to explore a "marked" territory. The explore the lengths of 'cool" and are vry good at it. We agree with this statement bcuz they are out to find new things and bring things to people attentions tht they may nt hav ever thought of or tht they would never thnk to "look for"

Rule #1: "the quicker the chase the quicker the flight"

-meaning once the thnk they found wat "cool" is it takes off into a whoel new era of meaing

Rule #2 & #3: "cool cannot be manufactured , only observed" & "cool can only be observed by those who are themselves cool".

- something can onlii be seen as "cool" if the person/ persons carrying out the look are presented tht way. & second yu cant buy kool straight out of a store, "cool is wat u make it"

Allison Bishop

Patrick Katusin

Autumn Ware

What cool is

I think there are two main definition's of cool that we throw around. Some people call something cool because a lot of people like it, and it's popular. It's like back in middle school, we would call the popular kids the cool kids sometimes even though we may not have liked them. I tend to favor calling something "cool" because of the simple fact that I like it and think it's awesome.

Sometimes, different trends start because just one person thought something was cool. Like when do we decide when a style of clothes is cool again? Someone thinks a certain trend from the past is cool, and then they advertise it, and other people like it too. So I do like when they use the term "coolhunters".

Cool?!

The term cool can be perceived so differently according to the culture. I think social norms have a lot do with being cool. I think if most people are doing something, positive or not, it is thought of as cool. For example smoking is seen as a cool thing to do. A group of friends make an outing out of smoking. I do not smoke, so when I tell people that they call me a good girl. Also with alll these young girls having babies. Its insane. It is not that hard to prevent pregnancy. It seems as if it is the thing to do.

Media has a lot to do with promoting what is to be thought of as cool. Such as music. Music has a lot of things in it that people will follow. Not all music is negative, but it is a nice amount of it that is. If a rapper or singer is doing something, then it is quickly imitated. Advertisement such as commercials too. They tell you what is the best to eat, buy, or wear. If you have these then you are seen as cool.

Cool

The word "cool" can be interpreted in so many different ways. Some people think that it is super cool to be in a frat with all your other cool friends, but to me being cool is the same thing as being unique. I think that people with unique features and characteristics are cool. Some people like that frat guys and sorority girls try way to hard to be awesome in every way. They wear the clothes that are in trend and drive nice cars just to try and look cool. The thing i have against them is they all look and act the exact same. Like no offense to the people in the class that belong to a frat or sorority, but how can you be friends with someone that is just like you its just weird in my opinion. The people that are cool to me don't try to impress people with their clothes or cars. They are unique in their own little way. They don't try to be cool they just are cool, their personalities are just so cool to me. I try to meet a lot of different people with different styles and characteristics, because that is what i believe to be cool and upbeat.

Cool

The word cool can mean so many different things to so many different people. The word itself is very broad and can be used in many different ways. It has literal meanings but we use it as slang. A lot of stereotypes come with the word. In elementary and middle school it was cool to sit in the back of the bus! In High School it was cool to be a football player or a cheerleader. The one reference to the word cool that I never understood was to drugs. It's cool to smoke or do drugs. That never made any sense, and it still doesn't. Everybody wants to be cool. The advertising world uses that to their advantage. They show super attractive people wearing their clothes or buying their products. Then the people you consider cool start doing those things so you want to do it. It's really funny. All the popular kids wore a certain brand in High School and everybody tried following and doing the same thing. Abercrombie and Fitch used to be really popular in High School. I even owned a bunch of A&F clothes. Just because all the cool kids are doing it you want to do it too. It's human nature. And advertising companies use it to their advantage! But sometimes other people's cool isn't cool to you. Like some fashion statements that are considered cool don't make much sense to me. I already talked about the drug thing. And when it comes to relationships and guys. Some guys think it's cool to have multiple girls and keep them all in the dark. Same goes for girls. But I don't think those things are cool. It's kind of pathetic.

Selling Kool...

When I thnk of kool I usually thnk of styles and trends I like and wat best fits mii. I dnt alway like to buys wats "in" nw adays bcuz I feel it takes away frm my personal style. The piece tht I read called "selling cool" didnt cover these aspects. I feel tht onlii saw cool through the eyes of wat is most common. When they talk about hw Reebok & Nike only came with my shoes every 18 months, to mii tht a since of being unique and "cool". This way nt everyone is guaranteed to be seen in the same thngs at the same time. For examlpe If I missed the selling of the new trendy shoes last year, I dnt hav to wrry about buying it bcuz I can jus by the new one nxt year. I also feel tht was a good way of keeping peoples interst in tht brand. I agree wit the author wen he says tht if he were to write an encyclopedia of all the knowledge of "coolhunters" [such as DeeDee & Baysie] it would be virtual unreadable bcuz of the footnotes. This would happen bcuz he would hav to explain where tht was considered to b kool, why it was kool, && also wat people who engaged in tht type of fashion tht thought kool was.

When I think of the term cool I don’t really have a specific image that comes to mind. I start to think of people that think they’re cool and then what I sort of consider to be cool. In my mind, what is actually cool is not trying so hard to be “cool.” No offense to the self tanning dudes in wife beaters or the girls who wear sun glasses bigger then their face, but that’s just not what i consider to be cool. I try not to judge based on “the books cover” but sometimes it’s inevitable. I just find myself being attracted to people who don’t try so hard or care so much. My closest guy friends have been wearing the same t-shirts since 8th grade and most likely can’t remember the last time they got their hair cut. But it’s cool to me because they’re hilarious and aren’t that concerned with what people think about them. But then again some of the people I’ve come across who seem like they would be the biggest idiots have become people I’m actually really close to. It all goes back to the saying we’ve heard a billion times, don’t judge a book by its cover. You just have to do what feels right to you, and in the end someone is going to think you’re cool, and those are the kind of people you should surround yourself with.

WhatsCool?

I think the term “cool” is different to everyone. For instance, I think boys wearing tight girl pants is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. However, to the boys in the girls pants they think they’re COOL. What is cool to me is completely different than other people. The first portion of the article was talking about Converse shoes. Gladwell was talking about people jumping on the bandwagon with Converses. That was in the 90’s. (I’m assuming?) I think now-days fashion isn’t all about what everyone else has. Today’s styles are very diverse and I think that’s what people want. People now want to be different and stand out of the crowd. In the 90’s Converse shoes were really popular but I think in present day “anything goes.” I have also noticed most of the fashion trends in present day are old trends simply coming back. For instance, leggings as pants (the 80’s), babydoll shirts and floral prints (the 70’s) and over-sized glasses from I don’t even know what decade. Since there is no overly popular mainstream culture trend people are just dressing however they want. Whatever someone thinks looks good or looks “cool” is what they will go with.

selling cool

The word cool can mean all sorts of different things for different people. some people think that it is cool when they are bad and dont follow the rules. Other people think its cool when they help people out or become successful. I think cool is just a word used to describe something you like yourself. Like when i see something i like i will say oh thats cool. Anything could be cool it jsut depends who you are and how you see things. I have never really thought about the word cool but i use it in alot of different ways. Like when i describe something and then there is how i descibe someone.

selling cool

i was interested when i read the intro paragraph to 'selling cool' because it was asking questions about whats cool and how does something become cool and why its that way and i started thinking about the things i think are cool and why..i found that most things i find are cool is because of the person who does it...not specifically the thing. and thats what was mainly discussed throughout the passage. (pg 630) baysie says...'i can see a coat on one of my friends and think its not cool but then see the same coat on DeeDee and think that it is cool.' thats like with me i can see an outfit and not like it on myself but like it on one of my other friends. i think its all about someones personal style and who can and cannot pull certain things off.
(pg 630) 'it is not possible to be cool, in other words, unless you are-in some larger sense-already cool...' is just the same as when people say 'sex sales', which it does, but how could you sell sex if you dont know how to be sexy?...not look sexy like the people you find 'beautiful' but be sexy as yuorself, you cant be something your not. thats just it. (pg 630) 'youve got these kids who dress ultra funky and have their own style, then you realize their just running after their friends'.

Selling Cool

When reading this article i became very fasicnated by it. in my opinion i think many people in society today now think that doing bad things is "cool". for instance like smoking not doing good in school or just trying to be bad in general. that is not cool at all . That is very ignoranant. Most of this i think comes from what people see in the media now days. Whats cool is having good grades being respectful and being successful. from a person that has changed i can tell you that doing wrong things isnt cool at all. when being youger i use to be sort of disrespectful and just a non caring person. i had friends that told me they love the way i look at things because i just didnt care about anything. Soon i saw that that way of living and acting wasnt going to get me anywhere in life. i quickly change my attitude towards my grades and also started being respectful to everyone and from that i ended up in college with a full ride. i started by distancing myself from my bad friends to focus on me a better life and now i like the way things have turned out. many people get the wrong idea of whats being cool and who is to say that whatever you doing is cool anyway? to me if your doing something positive and effective to the community then that is the definition of being cool.

"Selling Cool"

When I read the first article talking about the shoe companies... I gotta say, I'm not interested with the trend of shoes types. To me, shoes are shoes; they're there for the convenience of needing a pair to run around in.

The overall view on the article, it tells me that no one can say what is cool, and what isn’t. To me, I believe that everyone’s personality and interests represent to them what is cool, and what isn’t. I can’t convince everyone to love my favorite music, can I? Of course not!! Everyone’s different. 

For example: one of my friends loves modern/’Beatles’ rock, while I’m more into metal. That’s more of his loving for (which can be another way to look at ‘cool’), and that’s what I’m into as well. He’s got his interests in cool, and so do I. 

Even if someone’s popular in some way, they can’t convince me 100% what is cool to me… but it doesn’t mean I WOULDN’T like it, and perhaps love it myself : )

Which brings up the next article with Rocky and the hoodies. I wasn’t influenced to loving to wear hoodies because of him. I love them because of the comfort, the style, and the use to becoming isolated from the world with them. But what the article shows me is that anything can represent something different to someone else, like a rapper or a jogger.

‘Cool’ is a word that only the person him/herself must figure out for themselves. If you what you wear is ‘cool’ to you, but no one else… who cares? Be a rogue; love what you love, and be your own type of ‘cool’ : )