FINAL PAPER PROBLEMS- JK

The hardest part about this last paper for me is the organization. I know what I want to say I'm just not sure how to organize it. My topic is whether or not I think the written word will be replaced with technology. I think that it will, but whether I think that is a negative or positive I'm not completely one sided. I think that it is not good for us as people to rely on technology. I don't think we need it and I believe a lot of people think we need it. Our grandparents and parents both lived and functioned without it and I think that is a positive. Having a cell phone means people can contact you at all times of the day. I see the negatives and positives of that. A positive could be that if you ever get stuck or need help you can reach out to someone. A negative is that people can contact you all the time. So I just think that I'm going to have trouble organizing my paper, and having it make sense.

Selling Cool

This reading was interesting because i learned about the concept of cool hunting. I have to admit i have never heard of that terminology before. It makes sense though because different trends and fads need to be know by different companies so they can produce popular products. It was interesting to see how celebrities and groups of people wearing or sporting different things can set trends on such a large scale. The reading talked about Rocky for example and the hoodie phenom. I think every one has had a hoodie at one point. Convergences talks about how it can be a difficult task deciding whats cool or not. Trends do not always stick everywhere. the example they talked about with the tube socks and flip flops and beater HAS ALWAYS BEEN BUMMY to me, and u wouldnt get me dead in that mess, but some chicks want to look a mess. I can see it being popular in lower class neighborhoods and communities. You wont see people in the Burbs wearing that. it all depends on the group of people. the article was interesting in those aspects though.

Selling Cool

Its pretty funny that they mention the "coolhunters" because my senior year in high school we actually watched a mini documentary on them and what exactly they do. I could never believe that corporate america actually paid these people to go out and find whats "cool". In reading this I dont exactly agree with what they say about the hoodie. I think they are putting to much thought into just what a hoodie really is. To me a hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood attached to keep you warm. Not to say "your against the world" or that you're a person who does graffiti. And all these examples that they are listing pretty much describes the world. Any given person fits into one of these categories. Going back to the coolhunters, I think that may be a waste of money. You cant really predict "cool" or whats in style. Case in point would be Sillybandz. A simple bracelet made out of cheap rubber. All that was done was it was molded into different shapes, animals, letters, etc.

Who would have thought that in a million years that this product would have taken off in high schools and middle schools like it did. Now when you walk into a store and you see a pack of five Sillybandz they're six dollars. Same thing with Livestrong bands although those went to a good cause but still, who could have predicted that they took off like they did.

Selling Cool

I thought this reading was interesting. However I would probably hate this Deedee person in real life. She seems obnoxious to me. I like that they know that "cool" has nothing to do with the product it has to do with the person. I think that what we see as cool is not really caring. People that we see as "cool" are usually off the trends they start once everyone else has caught on. When everyone does something it's not that cool anymore because we become accustomed to it. This makes it extremely weird that these people are looking to sell cool because you can't and they know that. I guess they're just making money off of the people that follow the trend, and those people aren't cool because they just eat up whatever is sold to them. There is a big difference in something that's popular and something that's cool.

There is so much behind the psychology of cool. For example, smoking. People don't want to think it's cool these days because it's so bad for you blah blah blah. But still when I watch the movie Good Fellas and see the scene with no words just Robert De Niro dragging on a cigarette I know it's damn cool. But even within the coolness of smoking there are things that are just uncool. Virginia slims, Camel No. 9's neither are at all cool. What's probably the coolest is Lucky Strikes or Kamel Reds, or any non filter cigarette because no one really smokes those.

selling cool

This article was all about advertising companies and campaigns and how their main task is to find out what is cool. That doesn't mean changing the product that is trying to be sold but how to make the product appeal to the proper audience by making it "cool" and therefore something a consumer would chose to buy. Shoe companies are big on finding things that are "cool" because shoe products are all so similar it makes sense that the companies need to get an edge on competition. When converse started realizing that exspensive shoes with several cushioned features and what not were not so popular anymore they brought back their classic Converse One Star from the 70s and it became popular again. When talking about Baysie and DeeDee two people involved in the advertising world, they are referred to as the Lewis and Clark of cool. This comparison is based on the fact that these people are responsible for going out into the real world and figuring out what will sell, what people will buy and let their companies know, similiar to how Lewis and Clark needed to go out into the New World and discover new things and report back on them.

Selling Cool

I believe that this little article was really interesting and fascinating. I was reading this article and it is about 100 % true that if everyone has it you will want to own it to. I know with fashion these days this is very popular. I know that I am very guilty of doing this type of action. I will look in magazines or go to the store and look at somethings and say wow I would never wear this, then later on I see that alot of other people are wearing them so then I think they are cool so I go and I buy it. What I find really fascinating about it is why do we buy things just because they are popular? I do it alot and I know that others have to but the big question is why? I believe that most teenagers do it because they think well i'm popular and I can wear whatever I want and no one will judge me, then the other teens that don't feel as popular they would say well all the popular kids are wearing them so it must be cool. I really just don't understand I guess why parents do the same thing. I think it is because they are just like us and if they see us wear it they think they would be cool and hip and they would want to wear it too. It is just a never ending cycle of people pursuing others to buy things because they are simply cool, not because they actually want them yes that may be in a small case but the majority that buy them only want them because other people are buying them and they want them to.

Selling Cool (Kevin Farr)

This reading was really cool. Ha. Anyway, I really liked how it started out, it definitely brought me into the reading wonder which is actually cooler or which one i thought was cool. Take the smoking one for instance, i didn't think either brand were cool, i don't smoke at all and i think its cool not to smoke. Cigarette companies are really good at manipulating things to make them seem good even when they are not. Like when they say 4 out of 5 doctors would rather smoke brand A then brand B. But what they don't say that is maybe if you ask doctors if why would rather smoke brand A or not smoke at all less than 4 out of 5 would say they would rather smoke brand A. That whole study is based on making one brand being better than another. But since they use doctors it manipulates people to thinking that one brand may be good because they use doctors as examples and doctors are thought of as always doing healthy things. Cigarette companies are definitely the best and pulling this off.In my sociology class we went over cool and what is cool so i learned about cool hunters already. Then and now i still think what they do is pretty easy, they go around and see what people are into for the latest trend and then they give that information out. In the video we watched they would go to teenagers houses and pay them to ask them questions and see inside of their room of what they have and what kind of clothes they wear.

Selling Cool

To me, this was one of the better stories that we have read all year. I liked at the beginning how the story asked the question what is cool. I also thought it was very interesting how they brought up the point about cigarettes and how they are cool or not. To me I believe they are not cool what so ever just based on the fact that they cause cancer and death but teenagers think there cool because it makes them look older. I thought the next segment of this reading was also very cool. I didn’t realize that people actually had jobs to travel around and observe things that could potentially be “cool”. In my opinion “cool” is what I think looks good, I could care less if everyone else is wearing something. I mean if I think it looks good I’ll join the party but otherwise I have no interest in what other people wear. I also found it very interesting that the “cool hunters” don’t necessarily look for what looks cool but they look for the actual cool kids. Another interesting thing I realized was the fact that some of the cool things that are being worn were actually old fashion. My mom has told me many times that the things we wear now a day were once popular when she was young. I also enjoyed the last reading how the Rocky movies effected fashion and started the trend of wearing hoodies. I never thought about a movie effecting fashion but now that I actually think about it I would have to say they affect fashion tremendously.

selling cool--last blog post

As a current high school student, I completely understand the importance of being cool. I agree completely with the introduction of the selling cool. Having the most up to date cell phone has been something that has been important at my school. I have always wondered, what makes a certain word cool or anything else cool? I think this goes back to like what we were talking about in class where advertisers bombard product advertisers use celebrities to sell their products. I thought it was interesting to read about the creation of Converse shoes and I can agree that today they are still very popular, but I have personally never owned a pair. I think it was interesting to read about coolhunting and how they do what they do. I wonder what a book would be like if they were to write a book and be able to write it without the footnotes all over the place. I agree with the fact that trends can change on a daily basis. One thing could be cool one day, but could be uncool the next day. I think that Nike add really says a lot. I have never seen that advertisement before, but I have heard how poorly the factory workers for Nike are treated overseas. Knowing that seeing that article would make me think twice about wearing Nike, despite how cool Nike is to many people. I thought it was interesting to hear about the start of hoodies. I am for sure glad that the hoodie was invented because I wear them so often I don't know what I would do without them. Overall, I found this article to be very interesting and very informative. Although I probably wouldn't use these "cool rules" in my daily life to become a cooler person.

selling cool

I liked how it started off. It brought things into my mind that i already had sense of but never really interpreted. Like cigarettes for instance. they are not cool they kill people but kids smoke at a young age still because of ideas they have in there head already. and also fast food places its like everything is a popularity contest just depends who likes what the best and who has the best ratings weather things will do good or not. I liked how they talked about fashion to. I found it interesting how they said a new shoe or something would come out yearly now they come out seasonally. the world has to keep up with what the trends of today are or they might go out of business. For example many girl took an interest in uggs which are very expensive. I have never heard of a coolhunter untill i read this. But i guess everyone has a job and theirs is to find and expand the trends of the world. they also stated that you have to be one to know one. so Im guessing you have to be cool to know what cool is. i guess this makes sense i mean i wouldn't want to take fashion tips from someone who doesn't no how to dress well them selves. lastly i liked how they talked about hoodies i am a big fan of them and they have grown. there are so many different types of hoodies out there. Cool is cool!

Selling cool Kyle Baker

In this article I was able to think of so many examples to when something is cool applies especially in advertising. When they began to talk about apple and how they portray the logo and Corp to be cool i thought about many commercials that were aired late last year. They began the commercials out by having Justin Long represent apple and an older man in a tux represesnt PC. Justin Long is a younger actor that appeals to the general population that apple wants to sell to. By him endorsing and representing apple in these scenario's it allows alot of college kids to think " Hey i want a mac" because often times in the commercial they make the PC look bad. I also agreed with what was said about how big sneakers used to come out every year and now they come out every season. With the use of multi modal advertising its allowing styles to be seen sooner which in turn leads to them fading quickly. I also thought it was funny how there are cool hunters because who decides who is cool? Especially with how society is constantly looking for the next cool thing. Often times i feel that cool is defined by what is going on in the world and who is the next big thing in entertainment. I couldn't imagine being a cool hunter because by the time you realized what society thought was going to be cool it might have already changed.

"Cyberspace" (kyle baker)

This article really made me think because as much as you want to deny it cyberspace really exists. This gives a person a more in depth look at a specific example of how technology is becoming a growing medium. Chat rooms for example don't actually allow the user to sit and talk to an individual at a single location but "cyberspace" is more of a label for the way we talk to people. It should never be considered a geographical place because it's not. You're not actually able to get up and walk around but cyberspace allows users of the internet to voice their opinions on an open medium where anyone can look at it. I also never looked into how they give you a shopping cart on websites and treat it as if it were a real transaction in person. This form of medium to purchase items allows a user to do many things impersonally because you're no longer able to talk to a person. The video game aspect taking a look into virtual worlds is crazy to think about. My roomate just purchased a game called Fable 3 where you can have a real life. You are practically able to do anything from marry a women to have children and become a king. I believe these video games are distracting people especially young kids out of ordinary life.

Cool- Greg Knapp

I enjoyed this reading in convergences very much. Knowing what is “cool” is sometimes very hard to figure out. Fashion changes every day. Sometimes it’s new things and other times its old fashion being reborn. This makes good business for companies but not consumers. I have personally found it hard to know when to buy something. In this changing culture, a shirt that you bought brand new a month ago could be considered hideous now. With technology, you never know when the next version of something is going to come out. Companies know when to slow the production of an older version to prepare for the new one. However, consumers are left in the dark. The “cool hunters” was a very humorous story to me. When they talked of the old guys going into the bar with their 1980’s apparel, I couldn’t help but laugh. I liked how they wanted to see the reactions of people. I also found it very interesting how they said that in order to be cool; you have to be born with it. They said something like you can’t put something cool on an un-cool person and expect them to be cool. This is harsh but very true.

The hoodie story with Rockie caught my attention. I never knew the story behind hoodies until now. I think that the way a hoodie is perceived is by who is wearing it. Everyone wears hoodies but it doesn’t relate the people whatsoever. For example, if a girl is wearing one I think that she just didn’t feel like dressing up today. On the other hand if a tall, built man was wearing one I would assume he is related to athletics somehow. It all depends on who is wearing the hoodie.

Selling Cool

Personally, I enjoyed the very begging of this reading. It pinpointed main tings that people describe as cool and ask "are they really cool?" and if so whose the judge? For example, smoking and the latest technology. I do agree that advertising agencies play a big role in the persuasion of people. They make the products seem ideal and perfect so that everyone wants them. Cigarette companies are probably one of the best at this. They make their cigarettes seem good for you even though their product causes lung cancer and other health issues. The younger people are usually the most influenced by advertising gimmicks. They have the need to fit in and feel that if they buy that product it will help their cause. Another advertising strategy is when celebrities try and sell a product. As we discussed in class Gatorade, and other commercials such as Pro Active Solutions and Jenny Craig are some of the few that use this tactic. What is sad is that...it works.
The whole concept of coolhunting is funny to mean. It seems to be a meaningless activity. Every ones idea of "cool" is going to be different, so why pick one woman to go door to door to give her opinion and decide. Sure fashion has different trends however most likely the person who starts them is educated in fashion. Overall, I believe that advertising is sometimes fake and overrated and that cool hunting should not exist.

selling cool

I honestly enjoyed reading the stories on convergences this time. I honestly thought they were pretty interesting. To start off with, I had never heard of "coolhunters" before until I read about them. It talked about Baysie and DeeDee who were coolhunters and I think that is such a cool job to have. To go out and see what people are wearing, if it is cool, and if it would sell. I think that would be really fun but obviously really hard to get that specific job. In my opinion I think it would be incredibly hard to figure out what is considered "cool" and what isn't because every person has their own opinion. I don't know. Another thing I thought was pretty cool was how they talked about the hoodie and Rocky. This interested me because the Rocky movies are my favorite movies. I learned how the hoodie came to be which I had never really learned about before until now and how it was partiall brought about by Rocky Balboa. I also never knew how many stereotypes there were when someone was wearing a hoodie. I think it is crazy to judge someone based on an article of clothing they are wearing but we are humans judge people every day and will judge for the rest of time. But one thing I do not understand and probably will never understand is how can they put a label on what is "cool"? Because I believe it is each and every individuals opinion to decide what is cool, not one specific group of people. My advice to everyone is wear what YOU want to wear, not what everyone else is wearing because what you wear and do makes up who you are somewhat. You just have to be yourself.

cool

I thought that this was a really interesting read. Being into in the world of fashion, and being a fashion design major I've always had I guess an "eye" for certain trends and upcoming styles. I'm not saying that I'm always right or that other's agree with me, but I would say I get it for the most part, which is why i'm making a career out of it. I thought that the job of a "coolhunter" sounds sweet, but it's not as easy a task as people who don't really have that ability may think. Predicting style trends can be very difficult and a brutal process. For a designer, if your next line is just slightly off from what is considered cool for that season, your career is done. Not to mention all the time, money and effort you just spent to launch that line is wasted. Baysie and DeeDee seem to really grasp the idea of "cool" and have the right knowledge and skills for their line of work. I thought that the hoodie article was a good example of how trends move and how without realizing it by wearing something as simple as a hoodie your participating in a trend that's been strewn across many different groups of people. I've been snowboarding for about five years now and I will often see people wearing hoodies on the slopes. It's crazy to think that that same clothing item snowboarders might often wear started from the Rocky movies, and has been involved in completely different groups; from laborers, to athletes, to their girlfriends, to gangs, to hip hop artists, then to snowboarders. That's how a lot of trends work though, they start off being used for a completely different purpose then over time get transformed to be a popular use for something else and this is a good example. Overall I enjoyed reading these articles, even though the whole idea may seem a bit ridiculous; they do explain, for the most part, how "cool" works.

Selling Cool (Blog Week 14)

When I saw the title for this blog I thought it would be a pretty fun article to read and it was. "Selling Cool" really interested me right away because it asked a bunch of questions about what is cool to do or what is cool to own. I answered some of the questions to myself because my opinion on these questions is what I think is cool. Not everybody has to agree with me on this but I know in my own mind what is cool.

I think that DeeDee and Baysie have THE coolest jobs because they are "coolhunters." I didn't even know there was a such thing as a "coolhunter" until reading this article. I would love to have a job that required me to go out and see what was "in" or what was "cool" these days. I think it would be awesome to land a job for Nike or Under Armor as a "coolhunter."

After reading "A Look Under the Hoodie" I was really quite surprised because I didn't know that Rocky made them famous. I knew he wore one in the movie after running up the steps but for him to make it famous is quite interesting. Also the part about intimidation or wearing a hoodie for keeping a low-profile is kind of ridiculous because everyone wears a hoodie nowadays so is everyone doing something illegal then? No!

Selling Cool

Some of the examples in selling cool made me laugh a bit, i mean the description of the cholo or whatever that was supposed to be a hit? I can honestly say i've never seen the whole wife beat, bra strap out, long shorts, tube socks, and shower sandals catch on. I mean i realize i've only been here 18 years but I have never seen it and I hope that it does not catch on. The thought of cool hunters seems awesome. I feel like that is a job I would love to have. I mean to do nothing but get paid to find out what is cool? That would be living the dream. Plus I feel like there would be some nice perks for a job like that :) Really, the question that sparked my interest the most was who really gets to decide what is cool? I mean who can say that their opinion matters more than mine. I do not think that it is determined by just one group of people. I mean take a look at Kent for example, I see people walking by dressed in all black, some in tight dresses, some in tights, meanwhile since it is getting so cold I prefer a nice warm pair of sweat pants and a hoodie. Who is to say that my style is better or worse than any of these styles? If there is one person I would love to meet them, and slap them in the head for making tights a hit... ha.

Selling Cool

I thought it was interesting that there are such things as "cool hunters" when the point of "being cool" is not selling out to the mainstream. These "cool hunters" look for things that are cool, consider themselves cool and yet ruin cool things. I'm pretty the first rule of being cool is go against the mainstream. How can you go against the mainstream when you work for them specifically to ruin cool things? This is uncool. Then again there are many interpretations of cool. I do not think Snooki nor Justin Bieber is cool but a lot of people consider them to very cool and therefore very popular. It's neat that the article mention black Converse One Stars as it is a trend I've noticed every where for years and years on everyone from the goth kids to the cheerleaders. Everyone seems to have a pair but no one really talks about it. It's a fad that's lasted a long while.

I can understand hoodies being popular. They're warm. They're also really convenient for windy or rainy days. I remember a few years ago when it was the in thing for girls to wear XXL hoodies so they looked like they were drowning in fabric. That was right before the pancho fad. I still can't believe that was a fad.

What is cool? (BG)

after reading this weeks readings, i think that it makes a good point and can easily relate to today especially in high schools. in high school and even in college your trying to figure yourself out and if you hear everyone else doing something like smoking your gonna think its cool and that its normal. your going to want to fit in and not be the odd one out. Its hard to not to fall into that shadow. but at the same time you got to do some searching yourself. this articular talks about the "trickle up" theory where cool finders get their ideas from normal people. i dont think this is a bad theory as long as you take that idea and make it your own because then your just stealing it from someone. Take the idea but put your own thoughts and views in. i think honestly everyone goes through a cool cycle and it wears off. Kids and teenagers and college kids all go through them to figure where they want to go in life. i think that you just have to know where the line is between taking someones idea and taking the idea but making it your own.

CyberSpace

this reading was interesting to say the least. i mean cyberspace exists... no one could argue that. Millions upon millions use the web every single day and when they go into those chat rooms, obviously they are not transferred to a spot in space where they can sit and talk to these strangers, but there words are. That is what i have always believed. I mean your entire body may not be in cyberspace but your words and thoughts can be, and those are a huge part of a person. The thought of cyberspace being a geographic location makes me laugh. Obviously it is not. That is the beauty of it. I mean you can get online in one click, and instantly see things for sale half way around the world. I think that the invention of the Wii and Connect probably increased a lot of belief in this topic. I mean you hold a controller and move it to the left and the character on the game moves to the left. Now with the connect you do not even need a controller, it moves when you do... so you yourself might not exist there but your cyber self if you will, is what exists there. I guess in a sense it could be considered a location, just one that only human avatars could ever exist in. But personally, I think that thinking that way is just going to drive us all mad with curiosity.

SELLING COOL - JK

I thought this article was really interesting. I liked that I could connect with it. I'm a Fashion major and when I started learning about how some trend seekers were getting their ideas from the streets and from real people I really loved that. This article talks about the "trickle up" theory where these cool finders were getting their ideas from normal people.

I also liked the part of the article where it talked about where certain trends come from. From example: baggy jeans. Some might say one place and other might say another. I liked that it can’t be pin pointed.

I really liked that cycle of cool. It’s like with fashion. You want to be wearing a trend that makes others want to wear it, but by the time everyone is wearing it, you want to be on to the next thing. It’s taking what you’re wearing and owning it. Making it your own so that when others see you wearing it they think, “Wow, I never would have put it together like that.” I really liked that fact that they talked about finding cool things, but being about to ver off a certain path. Too much of anything is a bad thing, but it’s ok to get things from here and there as long as you make them your own.

Overall I can’t believe someone gets to search for trends as a job. I think it would be the coolest job ever. It sounds easy, but it truly takes an eye to pick out the next big trend.

Cyberspace

While reading these pages on cyberspace, many ideas were brought to my attention that I have never thought about before. One of the first things I learned about was that people look at cyberspace as an actual geographical place. Now, I have never thought about the internet this way but I can see where they are coming from. The part that I really liked in these few readings was the part about real life shopping compared to internet shopping. In this part they talked about how on the internet the places you want to shop at are infinite where as if you actually went to the mall your choices are limited to the stores the mall has. They also talked about how on the internet the stores are just one click away rather than going to the mall and having to walk around to them. I also liked the part where they talked about games and how they get you away from your ordinary life. I like this because when you play video games it gets you to experience things you never would in real life. For example, I just bought a new video game called Call of Duty: Black Ops and in the game you are a secret organization that goes around and completes unimaginable missions. Now, in real life I would have never had the opportunity to do this but because of video games I have experienced it. One of the last things that I read was about how people think the virtual world will affect life in the real world. I strongly disagree with this because I have been playing games like this my whole life and not once have I ever been affected in the way they speak of.

Cyberspace Greg Knapp

This reading put the internet into a different perspective. Even after reading it, I still don’t know where I stand I stand on the actual physical presence of “cyberspace”. Obviously it isn’t something that you can feel, touch, taste, touch, or smell but is it still there? Every second of every day cyberspace is used. You can talk to people through cyberspace. The amount of information being passed through this space is endless. It can never be overused or “burnt out”. Cyberspace to me is facebook. Through facebook a lot of things are possible. It allows you to connect with people that you may not see on a daily basis. This is a positive way that I utilize cyberspace. The reading talks about how it is in a negative way. The game world of warcraft was mentioned. I’ve known many people that have been way to into this game. The reading talks about psychologists have clients that talk about obsessions with games. This is a prime example of the negative effects of cyberspace. I have personally known these types of people. These kids can’t wait to play in this virtual world. I’m sure that each and every one of them world tell you that cyberspace is real. They are so into the game that they think they are the actual player. I think that cyberspace is something that needs to be used correctly or the results could be bad.

Cyberspace

Cyberspace is becoming a very hot topic amongst people today. I believe that cyberspace has changed the way that people are communicating. Things such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming a more popular way to talk to someone than to talk face to face with a person. I think that cyberspace is actually a good thing also. I have to say that I think without things such as Facebook I would not be able to talk to the people that are far away from me as much as I do. I can now communicate more conveniently with people. I also believe that cyberspace can be taken in a bad way. Like I said before, I believe that people can use the internet too much and that disconnects from the actual world. Not only is there Facebook and Twitter, but now there are video games and much more to do on the internet. Cyberspace can be taken in different ways, but I believe that it can be positive and negative.