Cool: Its Meaning and Evolution
Cool refers to something dangerous, original, a style and always related to sex. According to Wilson's, what does "cool" even mean in 2013, in the 50's and the 90's during the rock and roll and hip hop era, the meaning of cool was very relevant and fit the above definition as the teenagers engaged in dangerous lifestyles which were authentic to them. They also engaged in sexual behaviors and indulged in drugs and substance abuse as a protest against their parents. The African communities also, were rebellious as they demanded equal rights with the whites. Even, the LGBT community faced a lot of struggles coming out. Consequently, they exuded an attitude of defiance which was 'cool'. However in the present day cool seems to have lost its intended meaning and evolved as the teenagers do not have to showcase their defiance by engaging in dangerous lifestyles as a way of protests against the harsh realities of life (Wilson). Therefore Wilson argues that cool is not relevant anymore
Modern Challenges and Cool
To some extent, I tend to agree with Wilson's opinion. Cool no longer has to be dangerous by virtue of portraying defiance. It is true present-day struggles are not much of racial or sexual discrimination or injustices. However, the adolescents face different challenges such as having a social and cultural capital (Wilson). Having a social and economic capital is the backbone of what constitutes cool presently. Contrary to the 50's and 90's, defiance was fundamental in defining cool which explains the dangerous lifestyles. For instance, Kylie Jenner is a cool person among many of the adolescent populations. Her fans cuts across races. However, she is neither a musician nor an actress. Her character neither portrays defiance or violence. Consequently, cool in the present day may refer to an attitude that allows detached assessment but also shows a degree of knowingness over a specific knowledge (Wilson). For Kylie, it is beauty and lifestyle.
The Evolution of Cool
Wilson in his essay, what does "cool" even mean in 2013? He concludes by asking the question, "is coolness a trap, then a nightmare from which we need to awake?" Wilson further describes that in the present day, the society has come to accommodate both the African Americans, the Latinos and white to coexist peacefully. The United States for instance also accepts the LGBT community (Wilson). The author further points out that President Obama was African American and advocates for gay marriage. Furthermore, in the present day, the African American Artists are the ones who are dominating the pop charts. Therefore, according to Wilson, cool at the moment seems to have lost its original meaning.
The Ambiguity of Cool in the Present Day
Also, cool has lost its initial meaning in the present day as it is everywhere and nowhere (Wilson). Cool can be in music, in a movie, a comedy, an art, a fashion, on Twitter or Facebook among many other platforms. Contrary to the 50s and 90s cool could be identifiable whit certain few traits. The information age came with so many avenues such that cool is disappearing and it is quite difficult to pick out one trait of cool as what is now could end overnight. Consequently, cool is what is on the buzz feed at any particular day (Wilson). I am inclined to agree with the author that cool in the present day is a bit ambiguous. However, one thing remains constant in the previous eras that invented cool that is also present in the modern day. Cool has to have influencers. The previous errors influencers were actresses and musicians. However, in the modern day, the scope of the trendsetters widen from actresses to include social media personalities, reality stars and models, musicians, and sports stars among many others.
Loss of Original Meaning
Cool has also lost its original meaning as has transcended races. Wilson argues that cool is irrelevant as the populations have nothing to rebel about. However, I disagree with him as originally cool was never intended to be violent. Cool was coined by the African Americans as they faced racial adversities (Botz-Bornstein). A cool attitude enabled the slaves and the slave owners to coexist in America. The African American community had to practice the self-control of cool before the 60's as over aggression by them was punishable by death (Botz-Bornstein). Consequently, cool is about maintaining control even though it might seem to many people that you have lost control. However, Wilson in his essay is right as the term cool was a preserve for the African American community (Skinner). In the present day, the term cool has no significant meaning as it is not a preserve of a certain oppressed group. Therefore, it has lost its intended meaning. Even violent acts are termed as "cool" the paradox the word depends on the niche one is addressing.
Redefinition of Cool
I also concur with Wilson when he says that "cool is an emotional mantle sheltering the whole personality from embarrassing excess." However, in the modern age, the celebrities who are the inventors of cool, do not care about the embarrassment so much. The celebrities nowadays make it okay or cool to be just human (Wilson). Some even do not care much about trending styles. For instance, Alicia Keys recently decides to go without makeup which she received a very good reception from the adolescents and adults alike. Makeup is usually expensive and from the initial definition of cool has to involve money. For a celebrity status such as Alicia to let down makeup while she can afford it to be cool could signify that one does not have to materialistic to be cool (Taylor and Taylor). Jenifer Lawrence is another icon that goes against the initial norms of cool but still exudes a character the adolescents wants to associate with. For instance, when she stumbled at the Oscar steps something that is embarrassing (Botz-Bornstein). However, embracing the humanity by the celebrities makes it easy for adolescents to survive. Initially cool was supposed to be grotesque. A preserve for those we idolized (Wilson). There was no room for mistakes. Cool is treated casually in the present day and sometimes lacks monetary value makes the term lose its intended meaning, therefore, it is no longer relevant.
Cool and Financial Background
On the other hand, I tend to disagree with Wilson. Cool is most of the time not all attainable to all people. For celebrities, their simplicity is viewed as a cool personality. On the other hand regular individuals, cool is always linked to material wealth (Waldman). One has to get the latest gadgets in the market, watch the most recent movie, and wear the latest fashions (Taylor and Taylor). All these things are expensive and therefore only those with strong financial backgrounds get to be cool if one is not a celebrity. Therefore, as much as cool has lost its initial values money is still a factor and therefore cool is relevant.
Cool and Sexuality
I also do not agree with Wilson that cool has lost its relevance as cool is also closely linked to sexual behaviors. The present-day movies and music videos glorify sexual acts and Sexy bodies. Just like in the 50s rock and roll sexuality was the main theme. Also in the present music and films sexuality has also become the main theme (Taylor and Taylor). For instance, in the present days having an hourglass figure for women is a cool factor that is sexy. Consequently, many women are getting into cosmetic surgeries to get the desired. Men likewise are hitting the gym to attain six packs. Cool has a lot to do with aesthetics which is expensive and mostly the motivating factor behind the body image consciousness is to appear sexy which is regarded as cool.
Cool: Its Evolution and Relevance
Cool as a word has traversed generations from the rock and roll era in the 50s, through hip-hop in the 90s and to the present day. Some factors that initialized the meaning of the word such as the calmness of the African American population in the midst of slavery issues changed (Zimmer). However, there are other factors that still hold its meaning such as the uniqueness of something, the style, money and the connection to sex. Consequently, I think the term cool, however much it has lost its meaning it has evolved around the world. Therefore the teens use it as a term that gives them identity and is still relevant in the modern age. Cool is also an attitude that identifies with the teenage struggles. Consequently, since the present day teen faces their own unique challenges its proper for them to define what is cool for their generation as the word will certainly mean something else in the next generation.
Works Cited
Botz-Bornstein, Thorsten. What Does It Mean To Be Cool? 2010. 26 February 2018. .
Skinner, David. "How Did Cool Become Such a Big Deal?" Humanities
35.4 (2014). 26 February 2018. .
Taylor, Carl and Virgil Taylor. "Hip Hop is Now: An Evolving Youth Culture." Reclaiming Children and Youth (2007): 210 -213. 26 February 2018. .
Waldman, Katy. The Cool Kids. 31 October 2013. 26 February 2018. .
Wilson, Carl. "Cool Story " What Does Cool Even Mean In 2013"." 30 September 2013. Slate Website.
.
Zimmer, Ben. When "Cool" Got Cool. 27 May 2010. 26 February 2018. .
