am I cool yet?

Merchants of Cool. If I am going to be entirely honest, even the title makes me cringe a bit. It seems torn between two generations, or like one generation desperately trying to fit into the mold of another. This title is the epitome of “I’m not like other moms, I’m a cool mom” which is not something anyone should be striving for. This desperation to “be one of the teens” be it to genuinely understand them or turn them into a conquerable market makes me rethink the way I consume and the sort of advertising I fall for. Yes, I can laugh at the kids in the movie for being so blindly dependent on the idea of autonomy that they don’t see the way they are being manipulated, but more often than not- I am that kid in the movie.

As such a large market, teens have the power to make a major impact on a company’s sales. In theory, consumers should be in charge of the market-but companies have made sure to stay one step ahead so that teen life and the market are one and the same. One of the ideas that stood out to me the most was the idea of finding trendsetters. Companies roam the streets, find people that have their own sense of self and have created their own style, then turn that unique style into something mainstream. First of all, I am pretty sure you can’t take pictures of minors without an adult’s consent (thank you Nixie), but more importantly- companies take what is “cool” and make it not cool. Let’s look at e-boys. It’s common enough that I don’t have to bother looking up a definition, we all know what an e-boy is. But just in case, I’m talking painted nails, earrings, an actual sense of style- usually darker clothing, long hair, and lots and lots of rings, maybe even little stars painted under the eyes. These are not things that were common a couple years ago, quite the opposite. Boys who painted their nails, wore earrings and rings, cared about their clothing were often labeled gay or weird, but now things have totally changed; now everyone finds them attractive. The market for things like mom jeans and traditionally feminine accessories has increased, not just because men are becoming more in touch with their femininity, but because companies are fueling this need to fit in. By establishing an entirely different style, people feel like they have to go out and revamp their entire closets, which they often do. A cycle that repeats itself frequently as styles are always changing; coincidence? I think not.