HW 27

Informal research:

Part 1. Street Interviews- 12/2/09

-Alec, 16 was the first person I saw who didn’t seem to be in a rush and he was not talking on the phone or listening to music. He was easy to approach and agreed to answer my questions. I explained what the class was about and asked him who he thought was the coolest celebrity. His response was one that we had come up with in class as the top 5 most expected answers. “I don’t know, I don’t really think about it,” he said. I tried to get an answer out of him by suggesting he think of his favorite musician, but he just shrugged. I thanked him, and he kept walking. Even though I was so grateful that someone had stopped to talk to me, Alec’s answer left me dissatisfied. I was so sure a 16-year-old boy would have some opinion on pop culture and coolness. His lazy response only supported Andy’s argument that people don’t think, especially teenagers.

-Next I spoke to Angelo, 21. He was standing in a large group with other people who looked his age. As I scanned the group for someone to interview we made eye contact, so I took a deep breath and went for it. I asked him if he could answer some questions for a class I am in. When I mentioned that the class focused on the concept of cool the look on his face seemed to say, “oh shit, what did I get myself into?” I reassured him that the questions were pretty specific and didn’t require abstract answers. “Who do you think is the coolest celebrity?” I asked. He thought for a moment before telling me that it was Chris Forseborg. I had no idea who this was. “He’s a driver,” he explained. “Like a racecar driver?” I asked right before I realized that was a dumb question. Next, I asked him why he thought Chris Forseborg was cool. “Well, I’m a driver too” he said. I pointed out that there are many NASCAR drivers and asked why Forseborg. “He’s from the same town as me,” Angelo said. Just then his group start walking, and we had to say goodbye. Angelo’s answer was surprising for a couple of reasons. First off, his favorite celebrity was someone I had never heard of, which was weird because I am a slave to the gossip blogs. Second, he chose a celebrity based on how much they had in common. In class, we had discussed the separation between the idols and the worshippers. Idols are idols because they have been put on a pedestal by the worshippers, who are passive, only observing from a distance and not taking action. Angelo’s statement challenged this idea by showing a different relationship between the celebrity and the fan. He feels more connected to the person he admires because they have similar interests and backgrounds. He participates in what he finds cool, instead of worshiping from a distance.

-The last guy I interviewed was Danny, who looked as if he was in his 40’s. I asked him who he thought was the coolest celebrity. For the second time that day I heard those dreaded words, “I don’t know.” As I was about to give up, Beatrice chimed in. “Well what do you think is cool?” she asked. Without missing a beat, Danny responded, “answering questions on the street,” and flashed us a smile. We giggled and thanked him, then headed back to school. Danny was cool. His witty comment and smooth exit made up for his first answer.

Part 2: Family Member

Everyone in my family and anyone close with my family knows my grandmother as GG. She says being called grandmother makes her feel old, but for all I know she could be 25, since nobody knows her real age. GG has a fabulously young spirit, but is wise and classy. She lives by the idea that “you can be as dirty, crazy and fucked up as you want to be, as long as you sound smart and look together.” With this mentality, GG went from a poor girl in Brooklyn, got away from her emotionally abusive husband, and is now one of the top interior decorators in the city. She is one of heroes and one of my best friends, not to mention the coolest person I know. She is nice to everyone, charming, beautiful, smart, and successful, which basically sums up all the traits of cool. She leaves impact on almost everyone she meets and has a solid gold lighter, GG is far more than just a cool grandmother, she is an iconic being.

Part 3. Friend Interview

Ian O’brien, 18 is from London, and recently moved to NYC. I thought it would be interesting to get the perspective of who wasn’t American, so I gave him a call. I asked him if he notice a difference in what American teens find cool versus what britsh teens do. “To be honest, the basics of it are the same because media and pop culture are so global now all the messages are the same, everyone want to be black, all the girls wanna be thin…” He seemed bored by his own response, and tried to think of something else to say, then he remembered a big difference he had observed. “In the UK its cool to hate everyone, over here if you’re generally nice person, its good, in the UK that’s considered a pussy.” This is exactly why I don’t like England. I don’t find rudeness cool, and according to my class anyone who is mean for no reason is a tool. Ian prides himself on being English, but he’s one of the sweetest, most loving people in my life, which contradicts his original statement. Maybe he’s just being Americanized.