Group Video - Culture of Cool

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My mom is the definition of cool

I know this is past deadline but I was in Chicago all weekend due to Cardinal Communications this weekend starting on Thursday.

I would like to talk about the culture of cool because we are actually doing that topic for our group project. After doing this project I realized the culture of cool is such a vast definition. We decided that the definition was my easy defined but we did define it in our own way that takes into account the specific age phenomenon. Cool changes depending on age, location and peer groups. Without these three things defining any type of cool would not be possible. We think cool is defined by six words, those being inspiring, leadership, creativity, confidence, unique and motivation. This definition of cool is displayed in everyday life and the way the people are. It's hard to learn these traits they must come natural most of the time. I've never thought of cool in such a way but after working on this group project it is clear to me, cool cannot be defined. It's the way people are.

The coolest person I know is my mom. She has all these six traits. She has shown me how to be my own type of cool with the way she raised me to have a portion of these six traits as well. 

Fast food... consumes me

I know it has been a little bit since we last talked about the idea of food and popular culture but this thought has recently come to mind. At the end of last year, I was consumed by fast food. I say this because at the end of the year last year, during finals week, I ate McDonald's for almost each meal of the day. I am lucky I didn't gain 20 pounds before summer vacation.

The reason I ate so much McDonald's was because of something we learned about in class during this topic. It was fast and easy. It was the cycle of fast food. I didn't have enough time to make myself a decent and nutritious meal so I decided driving to McDonald's and ordering two snackwraps, fries and a large coke would suffice. That was until Friday of finals week and I actually made it home to Illinois and I got to eat actual food. I didn't realize that I was falling into the cycle of fast food until then. I was too caught up in my busy schedule and finals to worry about the cycle. I believe that is how many others feel when they continuously buy fast food. Until they take a minute to realize how fast food is consuming their money and is convincing them to be part of the cycle they will continue to do this.

Don't get me wrong. I personally think fast food is a great thing for busy schedules. What I do not like about fast food is that there are so many different types that even if you think you are not in the cycle because you are ordering a salad at Panera instead of the big mac you ordered at McDonald's the night before, you are in the cycle. Fast food is fast food. There may be better fast food for you but either way you are ordering something that was not made with the freshest ingredients possible like you would be if you were at home making yourself a meal.

I have a secret love with fast food but I know there are better things out there for me so I have been trying to break up with it recently.

Partial Princess

After doing the reading for today and going to today's lecture... I have come to the conclusion that I may be a partial princess. I am not sure how to respond to this realization.

I would not say I am the typical princess though. I was not put in "daddy's little princess" outfits when I was younger. I did not dress in only pink or wear frufru outfits all the time. I did have my handful of dresses and skirts but I also liked to be messy. The thing that made me realize my princess ways is how my parents have had a hard time saying no to me or my siblings my entire life. They want to make us happy in any way they can. I love them for this but I feel as if they made me believe that a lot of things come easy in life when I've been learning throughout the years that... they don't.

Also, a big reason why I believe I am partially a princess is my addiction to shopping. I love getting new clothes, all the time. When I get the chance to go shopping I do. I've gotten a hard time for this from my family and friends but it's a habit I can't seem to break. What makes me okay with this princess quality of mine is I never need high end purchases. I would rather go to goodwill or TJMaxx than spend my money at coach or anthropology. Don't get me wrong, LOVE their products but I know I cannot afford them so I will not start spending the money I don't have like a true princess would.

I'm okay with having this princess quality as long as it doesn't go to the point where I'm turning into a broke princess.

Pranking Rhetoric

As I sit here at 12:20 a.m., rereading the article for class tomorrow, I thought I would express how cool I think culture jamming is. I think that if people can go against corporate and the "norm" in society in a humorous way, why not! It gets the attention of a mass audience because catches people off guard and gets them to actually think about how corporate society is defining our culture. My favorite culture jamming that is touched on in the reading is the Biotic Baking Brigade. First of all, I would LOVE to pie anyone in the face (it's on my bucket list). Second, I think that it is the most shocking one mentioned. Neither the audience or the person being pied is expecting anything of the sort and I think the surprise factor gets a lot of attention. It doesn't take much action but it gets a whole lot of recognition, which is the prime reason for culture jamming, to get the attention of a mass audience about a specific problem with society/corporate/etc. I LOVE CULTURE JAMMING!

Mom Jeans

This whole idea of "cool" and "coolhunters" has really got me thinking. Especially about the type of fashion I am in to. Whenever we talked about styles going in and out, like neon for example, the one style that kept popping into my mind is the high waist mom jeans style. I remember back in middle school and high school, when I lived at home, I always made fun of my mom for wearing high waist shorts or pants, said she looked like a dork. She would always come back with some remark about how much more comfortable they were than wearing low rise jeans that almost show your butt crack, which were in style at the time. Now what is funny to me is that I wear high waist mom jeans religiously. They may be my favorite type of pants at the moment. I enjoy wearing them much more than any of my low rise bottoms. I also know that many other girls would agree with me. They are the "cool" style right now. This style obviously went in and out of a style for quite some time but the "coolhunters" saw it rising within the past two years which I am happy about. I don't know what I would do without my high waist shorts. :)