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Profiting off Cool

Commercialized cool is a big part of American society and I see it in my daily life. Commercialized cool to me is when companies position their product/company as one that is desirable/cool. This is frequently done through the use of celebrity product placement. The Kardashians are some of the most followed people on Instagram thereby making their posts very viewed. The Kardashians sell opportunities to have companies put their products on their Instagram in the form of paid promotion. The Kardashians are often pictured with the product with a caption endorsing it.  The cost of this type of advertisement with Kim Kardashian has reached up to $500,000 plus often an additional payment per like or even part ownership in a brand. This method of marketing is rapidly growing with companies even reaching out to Instagram accounts with only 1,000 followers (Kim K has 110 million as of 4/22/18). It is interesting to me to see how marketing is changing right before my eyes. When I was younger, traditional media was used to sell products (Print, TV, movies). Now with more technology, the high usage of social media networks like Instagram, and shortening attention spans, Social media is the new golden goose of advertising. 

Celebrities have always been very influential. People like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Bonnie and Clyde still have an influence on today’s culture despite it being many decades past their peak. Even before the development of social media, celebrities were used as a vehicle to sell cool and the corresponding products. In the book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, celebrities had a huge impact on sales, “Dressing celebrities for the red carpet was the best, and cheapest, advertising a luxury business could do....The sales impact was enormous. When Madonna wore a sapphire shirt and black velvet hipsters from Gucci to the MTV awards in 1995, sales exploded: within days there were waiting lists for the pants in Gucci stores worldwide” (119). Even without social media, celebrities were powerful influences. The development of social media has allowed their influence to increase. Consumers are able to keep up with their favorite celebrities on a daily basis instead of waiting for them to be reported on by traditional media outlets. This has allowed celebrities to be shapers of the modern ideas of cool. The daily influence allows for greater trend turnover as well. 

The more rapid fashion trend turnover is exactly what businesses want. It causes more products to be bought and then tossed. Rapid fashion trends increase sales. This is one of the reasons that social media marketing has become so popular. 

A simple example of the power of social media happened to me today. My friend Juuls (the new cooler version of smoking). I saw Gigi Hadid (trendsetter, cool girl model) posted her Juul with a lizard skin cover by Vianel. I am familiar with Vianel and bought one of their cases after I saw a Kardashian had it. The case itself was very high quality and is one of the best cases I have ever had. I sent the picture of Gigi’s Juul to my friend along with the Vianel link to my friend and he ends up buying it. Two simple instances of Instagram promotions caused two purchases and may cause a 3rd soon. After looking for the Vianel link, it has caused me to think seriously about purchasing another case for my phone. Thereby this model of Instagram promotion does actually produce a return on investment. Social media marketing allows brands to reach more consumers more frequently at a lower cost which allows brands to become and remain top of mind which deeply encourages continuing purchases. 

https://www.vianelnewyork.com/products/juul-cover?variant=8129913585765

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/news/a40474/this-is-how-much-the-kardashians-get-paid-for-one-instagram-post/

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Monroe Mentality

How should a person be? With globalization, there are many different ideas spreading about how a person should be but in American culture there is an overwhelming desire to be cool. Movies create famous individuals who have a strong influence on American culture. Despite only having a movie career for 16 years, the legacy Marilyn Monroe left behind has had a huge impact and likely will continue to for many decades onward.

As a child, I looked up to Marilyn Monroe. I constantly saw her image in art and media. I thought she looked beautiful and had this magnetic quality to her. Her voice was breathy and inviting like an old friend. I hadn’t even seen a movie of hers until I was in my late teens but she was someone I thought I aspired to be, beautiful and graceful with a hint of sass and mystery. When I grew I realized that this wasn’t exactly the woman I wanted to be. Her persona to me was a naive, breathy blonde who uses men. I never understood why some people saw stupidity/naivety as attractive but that is one of the lasting impacts she has had. However, many people do still look to her as a role model, I think this may be due to the glorification of her image alone. She is present in many pieces of art such as Andy Warhol's pop art and you can’t truly convey a persona through two-dimensional media. In reality, she wasn’t who she really was on screen. She even acknowledged the separation between her persona and herself, “You know, most people don’t really know me” (Meryman). Although much of American society saw her films, very few actually knew this complicated woman. She also acknowledged her role as a sex symbol, “Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered” (���Marilyn Monroe.”). If she was truly the woman she was on camera, then the state of being a sex symbol wouldn’t be such a heavy burden for her. Monroe had clear boundaries for herself and her persona. I think it is important for a person to be clear about who they are to themselves. You can lie to others (even though you shouldn’t in most cases) but you can’t truly lie to yourself.

Self-branding is an essential element is important in regards to cool and how a person should be. Self-branding allows you to control your image. Marilyn Monroe’s real name is actually Norma Jeane Mortenson. She adopted this name after she signed her first movie contract. This new name came with a new image as a blonde. This image she adopted became her persona she would become famous for. This reminds me of myself a few years ago because I also adopted a new name and fresh hair color. My freshmen year of high school people started calling me Queen Biancs. This name stemmed partially from my aristocratic blood and dramatic flair. This name quickly caught on to such a degree that my teachers began calling me Queen Biancs. It is interesting to me to see that despite a completely new group of people at the University of Miami, Queen Biancs is something I am still regularly called by many people. I think this is due to the fact that the name is very applicable to my behaviors today and therefore I decided to self brand. I self branded my instagram handle as queen_biancs which in our media obsessed era is very significant. Social media allows people who don’t really know you to gain some insight into your personality. I think my nickname is representative of who I am so I made it my handle. I want to make it clear however that my nickname does not embody a persona like Marilyn but my actual personality.

I wonder what Marilyn would think of Instagram culture. I’ve noticed that people adopt persona’s for their instagram and crave admiration in the form of number of likes on any given picture. I think that Monroe would have really enjoyed Instagram because it would have given her direct access to her fans without going through the studios she hated. Instagram would have given Monroe the opportunity to interact with her fans while still maintaining the privacy she wanted and maintain a fantasy. During her final interview she refused to have LIFE take pictures of her house,"I don't want everybody to see exactly where I live, what my sofa or my fireplace looks like. Do you know the book Everyman? Well, I want to stay just in the fantasy of Everyman” (Meryman). I think Instagram makes it easy to create a fantasy which Monroe was very adept at doing. If Monroe was alive today I think she would be one of the top followed accounts on Instagram.

Sometime Freshmen year, I also started to dye my hair to a lighter shade of blonde (I’m naturally a dirty blonde).I think that a person should pay attention to what state of being makes them happy. When I was a baby, I had super light blonde hair. As I grew older my hair darkened to a dark blonde which at first glance appeared brunette. For years I begged my mom to let me dye my hair but it wasn’t until freshmen year of high school that she said yes. Since then I’ve been dying my hair on a regular basis because it feels more true to my personality. I feel more complete as a bleach blonde than as I do as a dirty blonde. I personally think I stand out more and look better as a bleach blonde. I really try to pay attention to my emotions and I believe everyone should do so.

I am confused by Monroe’s behaviors and I think she was troubled by her emotions. She was a well awarded actress but she was still deeply insecure. Her quotation about being a sex symbol makes me think she resented Hollywood. She was also reported to have chronic insecurities and performance anxiety so bad that it made her physically sick (“Marilyn Monroe.”). No one truly knows why she kept acting but I think it may have been her craving for love. Monroe was spent some time in an orphanage and foster care which typically aren’t very loving environments. In addition to the lack of a loving support system, she was raped multiple times in foster care. I think the instability, lack of love, and abuse in her formative years caused her to become an insecure and unstable adult. Monroe was asked once what she thought of Hollywood, “If I close my eyes and think of Hollywood, all I see is one big varicose vein” (“Marilyn Monroe.”). Varicose veins is a condition where veins are swollen and often very painful, the fact that Monroe compared the two shows that she finds the city/industry to be painful. Despite insecurities that made her sick and resentment of being a sex symbol and Hollywood, I think she continued to act because she received widespread admiration. This may have been some of the only love she received throughout her life. Despite being a successful actress, Monroe didn’t have many possessions. One of her most valued possessions was an autograph from Albert Einstein that said “To Marilyn, with respect and love and thanks.” (“Marilyn Monroe.”). I think this was so valuable to her because it was a token of the love and respect that she craved due to such a difficult upbringing that lacked those emotions. I think a person should be loved and want love. Humans are genetically built to crave love and Monroe went about getting it in a very untraditional way.

Monroe died at the age of 36 in her Los Angeles home in her bed with an empty bottle of sleeping pills. There were rumors of murder due to her relationship the Kennedy family but officially it was determined to be a suicide. I think she genuinely did kill herself and presence of sleeping pills makes me think so. Earlier in her life, she stated her exhaustion, “Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered” (“Marilyn Monroe.”). She had been a sex symbol with a heavy workload for 16 years which when combined with her many failed relationships and emotional difficulties would make even the strongest person exhausted. Monroe had a final interview a few days before she committed suicide for Life Magazine, her interviewer said “The wild laugh sort of a trademark but in the interview it seemed to come out at odd moments, out of place. Marilyn gave her fans the credit for her fame. She felt she never had respect from the Hollywood studios and only her adoring fans really understood her and they had made her a star. Talking about them were the only really happy moments of the whole interview” (Edgar). Her distaste for Hollywood makes sense because only her fans seemed to admire her. Even though I personally strongly disagree with suicide, the conditions under which Monroe’s suicide occurred is somewhat poetic to me. She was tired of Hollywood and her personal life so she decided to take an eternal rest. I wonder if she would be happy to hear that even 56 years after her death that her persona is still admired, well known and influential to many.

In a complex and difficult world it is difficult to know how a person should be. The pursuit of cool or being cool is necessarily good for the body or mind. Monroe had many elements of cool such as a difficult childhood, complicated love life, strong sense of self, and remarkable style but I believe it led to her premature death. I believe determining how a person should be is a very individualistic process but in general, a person should be loved, respected, and honest to themselves because in the end nothing else matters. However, some individuals may never get these truly things due to circumstance despite trying their best.

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Self-Portraits

It seems like every “great” artist has several self-portraits. I feel like I used to draw a lot more self-portraits as a child. However, I do maintain an active Instagram. I think our generation's version of a self-portrait has turned into Instagram pictures. Few people post a picture without tweaking lighting, filters. The extreme people often photoshopping/Facetune in addition to tweaking elements like lighting and filters. Every artist tweaks their art in a way whether it be changing colors, mixed media, and simply putting elements together in a different way. These pictures are presented in a singular area under your name with an accompanying caption that serves the purpose of a title. These elements remind me of an art gallery. People browse through these miniature galleries of people they follow and also through the explore section. Also, instead of giving the artist validation through purchasing the art they create, validation is given through likes and comments. 

There’s an argument that my generation doesn’t create anymore but I think we do in our own way. People attempt to curate their Instagram pages with themes, color schemes, filters, etc. Although lacking the traditional canvas, there is still artistry. People take pride in their pages. Some spend hours a week taking pictures, editing, and posting. Photography is, in fact, a traditional art form but the younger generations express it differently and in a more publicized way. People post their accomplishments, favorite experiences, and as well as pictures with friends and family. 

However, despite the art and creative processes present on Instagram, there is a large amount of superficiality. This is even apparent in the hit song,#SELFIE by the Chainsmokers:

After we go to the bathroom, can we go smoke a cigarette? I really need one But first, Let me take a selfie

Can you guys help me pick a filter? I don't know if I should go with XX Pro or Valencia I wanna look tan What should my caption be? I want it to be clever How about "Livin' with my bitches, Hashtag live" I only got 10 likes in the last 5 minutes Do you think I should take it down? Let me take another selfie

...

That girl is such a fake model She definitely bought all her Instagram followers

          This self-obsessive song has over 523 million views. In the upbeat catchy tune there lies common truths. The italicized portion is things I or my friends have said. I think these sayings are also common for the University of Miami which is an extremely image obsessed school. Why else would the gym be so full at all times of the day? I believe this obsession with image here at the university is the desire to attain the label of “cool”. 

Although Instagram may appear to be a superficial art form, it can be therapeutic for some. There are inspirational, art, cooking, etc. pages that promote the spread of ideas. Instagram is also a way to keep in touch with others. There’s more to Instagram than just bikini pictures. Therefore, before completing dismissing this application as a haven for superficiality one should explore what it can really offer. Although, one must avoid being completely sucked in by the superficiality that is present. 

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I think it is interesting that you bring up risk and fun. I think there is a physiological explanation for why humans enjoy risk and danger. The rush of adrenaline can be a pleasurable experience for people. I think that also drives people to participate in “dangerous” activities such as rock climbing. 

Illegality itself can be an adrenaline rush. Adrenaline causes your body to be ready for fighting or flighting due to the risk and danger involved with illegal behavior. 

Cool Flirting With Death Pt. 2

It’s a common fact that cool people flirt with the idea of death. They aren’t afraid of dying if it means they are truly living. This is why they drive fast, smoke, and do things most people consider an endangerment to life. But they still do it and in the end they’re cool, even if some consider it foolish.

Something I’ve always wanted to do that flirts with death a bit is skydiving. It’s always been something I’ve said I wanted to do but when the opportunity is handed to me will I actually take it? As of now, I have plans to go skydiving with two of my friends, but I know the risks of skydiving. I mean you aren’t forced to sign a waiver for no reason. While I know the odds of anything happening are slim to none, they still exist and for me that is still a risk.

But, sometimes the risk is what makes these things fun. Would people still want to drive 100 mph on I-95 if it wasn’t illegal? Probably, but then it wouldn’t be such a thrill and that is part of what makes these activities cool.

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School Paradox

As a child, I used to draw all the time. I even put my creations on the walls of my house despite the scolding of my parents. My drawers were full of art supplies and I liked it that way. I don’t recall when I stopped drawing regularly but I wish I hadn’t. I think I attribute this to my education. I believe that education, for the most part, teaches you to think inside a box. As children, we want to have careers like astronauts but there is a point where our dreams become more realistic. 

I believe that school causes us to limit ourselves. It is interesting to me to think that school is supposed to “Expand your horizons” but instead I’ve seen it limit creativity and make peoples boxes of thinking even smaller. When I was younger I didn’t really understand why people like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college. They are clearly very intelligent people and they could handle school. Now I realize it wasn’t that they couldn’t handle it but that they saw beyond school and had a vision. 

Throughout this academic year, I’ve considered dropping out. Never very seriously because I felt I would disappoint my parents who were unable to achieve a college education in Poland. I’ve just felt very impatient and I want to start on my career path. I feel the drive to go create experiences and projects but I feel hindered by the time requirements of my education. For now, I simply write down my ideas and wait for the right time to come. However, this waiting makes me question, is there ever really a right time to do anything? Maybe this is why Jobs and Zuckerberg dropped out. They realized time is precious and there is no sense slaving to get a piece of paper known as a college degree.

When thinking about the purpose of education, I always think back to the industrial revolution. The purpose of schooling was to create workers for the factories. The educational system itself is a factory of similar employees. All with a focus on completing tasks and achieving praise in the form of grades/GPA. These learned behaviors translate really well into the workplace as managers have worker sheep that generally listen to their orders pretty well. You can see evidence of this schooling/training very well in college students. When faced with a blank canvas and no instruction, we avoid it.

 I am guilty of this myself. I’ll have Tumblr sitting open and ill be looking at it for a while unsure of what to write about until I close it and do other homework instead. I try to create but words haven’t ever been my favorite medium. I think this may be due to the fact that writing/English was the subject I had received the most schooling/guidelines on. I can write a 5-page research paper about anything in any format you want (APA, MLA etc.). But if you want something honest it takes a lot more effort, practically no English teacher asked me for something honest so I gave them fluff that I knew they would enjoy. I believe that I’ve been drawn to visual arts more than writing because I’ve felt many fewer “rules” imposed upon me. When I have the time, I really like to paint because I feel like I am in complete control of the canvas. 

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Luxury and Cool go hand in hand

In class, we talked about how the coolest clubs kick people out and immediately I thought of my luxury marketing class. One of the most important elements of luxury is the concept of exclusivity. Without this feeling of incomparable exclusivity, luxury wouldn’t be as cool. Luxury throughout time has been a motivator and something cool that people try to attain. Luxury is a rebellion from the average. The coolest luxury is that which is very difficult to attain. For example, The Hermès Birkin handbag is one of the most coveted purses in existence. It is extremely difficult to obtain due to the price point and the dedication to the brand required to obtain it. Hermès prices this purse upwards from $10,000 depending on the color and leather used. Even if you show up to Hermès with $10,000 they won’t simply sell it to you. In order to get a Birkin directly from Hermès, you must have a large purchase history and a strong relationship with a sales associate to even get offered the opportunity to purchase a Birkin. This process makes the bag extremely special because it rebels against the traditional conventions of not only purchasing but even luxury purchasing processes. Even in a luxury setting, you go to a store and if the item is in stock and you have the funds for it you can purchase it except in the case of Hermès. Although the Birkin is the most photographed and well-known bag, many of the other bags they offer after a similar buying process. This allows Hermès to maintain their exclusivity and “coolness” despite the growth of the very rich. While many luxury brands have slowly democratized their luxury and tried to make it more accessible to consumers by offering lower priced items, Hermès makes no effort to do so. This I believe will ensure the longevity of their brand. 

On the other hand, Juicy Couture is an example in which lack of exclusivity of their brand ultimately led to their failure. At first, all the large influencers of this era wore Juicy Couture items. This made the brand very desirable and “cool” as it repelled against traditional fashion (terry cloth and velour tracksuits) and branding conventions of this era. The financial crisis caused a slump in sales which put Juicy Couture products into Kohls which hurt the image of exclusivity. Now even though the economy has recovered, their image has never recovered and other brands have taken their place. Juicy Couture had the potential to become a staple brand but the financial crisis caused their downfall. Juicy Couture was cool in a different way than Hermès is. Juicy Couture was an active rebellion against fashion conventions and this image was continued into their advertising. Their stark contrasts between Marie Antoinette femininity, punk edginess, and over the top splendor kept making consumers to want more. These unique products were just enough rebellion to be socially acceptable (not wearing a chicken suit around) but different enough to be cool. 

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God is dead

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Composition No. III, with Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black, - Piet Mondrian 1929 (sold for 50,565,000)

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“Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul”

This is important for authentic thinking and development. In my luxury marketing class, we have journals in which we do what this quotation encourages. It causes me to examine what I really deem interesting and worthy of attention. This process has also helped me solidify what things I like and for the first time, a really noticed a pattern. Although I took photos from many different sources, certain patterns tended to repeat often. Florals and feminine colors were strong components of my journal. From this journal, we are supposed to create something this semester. I also agree with this quotation, “It’s not where you take things from -it’s where you take them to”. In my case it could be a design project for my marketing class. Society builds progress based off of prior work. Without something as seemingly simple as the concept of gravity, many of our physics equations would be non-existent.  

However, I do disagree with Jim Jarmusch’s perspective on originality. I believe it is possible to be original. The first caveman who created fire was original. While it is possible to be original, it just is becoming increasingly difficult with the spread of globalization and the massive consumption of media on regular basis. Influences may even be subconscious but existent. Something such as clothing is still an area where originality is possible but increasingly difficult. In my history of fashion class, there are clothing items that appear out of nowhere. There had to be that first person who decided to experiment and wear it. However, building upon old ideas and putting a modern twist on them has progressed industries such as clothing steadily throughout time. You can also trace imitation/stealing of fashion trends through time so imitation is not a new concept at all. I do think that imitation now is much easier to accomplish due to the abundance of websites that can give advice on certain processes, give ideas, and even deliver supplies to complete the imitation. 

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This is very interesting to bring up, Skylar. It seems that Taylor Swift is a sheep in a different way than most people. Traditional sheep such as college students tend to be motivated by things they see in popular culture. While Taylor is a sheep in a completely different way. Her influences seem to be very limited as she likely has her image controlled by her manager and she is PART of pop culture. There are many girls who thoroughly enjoy her music which causes me to think about the downward stream of “control/influence”. I think that people who actively seek out her music are at least partially under the control of her. These people listening to her music (Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music) generate revenue for her and that is often the goal for performers. Typically, managers tend to stay behind the scenes (unlike Kris Jenner) so we do not think about the strings behind the scenes surrounding popular icons. This makes me think that people who have lots of power and influence are mostly silent/not very public.Therefore, to rebel against people who have power you must carefully examine who is really the source of the influence.   

The Old Taylor Can’t Come to the Phone Right Now

Based on our last class discussion, I did some thinking. While Taylor Swift’s music is not cool, Taylor Swift could be considered cool if not carefully examined. We said that cool changes as the times change. And with every album Taylor Swift has had, she’s changed her image. In the last album, Reputation, Swift went from the good girl to the one who doesn’t care what others think. She made a statement and this statement said “the old Taylor is dead,” as mentioned in her song, Look What You Made Me Do. Each album gives you the illusion of out with the old and in with the new. And not only do her songs and lyrics change but she herself changes. In the timeframe of her 1989 album, she was portrayed as a young girl who shook off her country roots and emerged as a pop star. She cut her hair short, wore bangs, and had the iconic red lip. That was a different look than the one she previously had for her album, Red. Then sometime in between her 1989 and Reputation albums, she dramatically changed her look with bleached hair, different bangs, and bold, dar lips. The point is that Taylor is constantly changing looks, because that look is different from her current look. She is always evolving, like cool does. Expect there is a difference between her and cool. I think she changes based on extrinsic motivation. She changes so her popularity skyrockets and music is on the top of the charts. I don’t think she changes because she wants to and the changes she makes I do not think are changes she would necessarily make on her own. I think she changes based on what her manager and stylists tell her the new Taylor Swift is, and that is the difference between Taylor Swift herself and cool.

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Greek Grief

When you walk through breezeway at the University of Miami during the fall semester, you can expect to see Greek life-related tables on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Sororities tend to have sales of some kind such as baked goods, swimsuits, or game day apparel but what I feel like they are really trying to push is Greek life. As a Freshman girl, I’ve felt that Greek life has been pushed down my throat. According to the University of Miami website, 2,500 students are involved in Greek life. The student population of the University is approximately 17,000 students. Despite being such a small percentage of students on campus, Greek life seems to overwhelm campus. Signs advertising Greek life are a constant presence followed by chapter apparel and social media posts proclaiming the superiority of their organization.

I succumb to the pressure and decided to rush last January. I was full of hope and excitement which disappeared on the second to last day of rush. I was dropped from the sorority I wanted and I had another one left that I wasn’t passionate about. When I told my Rho Gamma that I wanted to drop she said she understood why. I did not want to join a sorority where I felt I didn’t belong for the sake of being in a sorority. Several individuals in charge of rush tried to convince me to stay in the process but after several attempts, they gave up. They gave me an official form to sign in order to drop. Once I signed my name, I felt like an enormous weight had been lifted.

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself” (Nietzsche). I agree with Nietzsche that the individual struggles to maintain their individual self in face of tribal influence. The semester-long bombardment of Greek life combined with pressure from my peers to join Greek life made me feel overwhelmed. Once I removed myself from the process, I felt free but also afraid. However, this freedom has come with a price. Bid Day was an extremely depressing day for me. It felt like all my friends were busy with Bid Day which caused me to fear the future. Would Greek life fully absorb my friends? Would I become friendless by lack of contact? Furthermore, I saw sorority posts on all forms of social media. As a college student, it is common for me to spend at least an hour a day on social media. I felt the need to get away from it all so I drove all the way to Aventura Mall. My attempt to lose myself in a sea of consumerism ended up a failure. Nothing appealed to me, all I could think about was what I was missing out on. I ended up having a panic attack because I couldn’t find an exit to a parking garage and then later thought my car was stolen because I couldn’t find it. Fortunately, a woman who worked security took me on her golf cart to the right garage and helped me locate my car. Once I got back to the dorms, I slept the rest of the day away to make my horrible day end.

The negative feelings I associated with Greek life didn’t end at Bid Day. It actually took me a while to get over the fact that wouldn’t be a part of my life. I made another attempt at sorority life by informally rushing the sorority I had wanted (which had dropped me late in the process). It stung that I was once again rejected despite having numerous recommendations from sisters. I remember thinking for a deeply for a long time and determining that I am not a sorority girl. As an outsider, I have the impression that a big part of sorority life is being told where and when to be as well as who to mingle with. I’ve always been fiercely independent which causes me to despise it when I am told what to do. On a weekly basis, I hear my friends complain about how they have to go to chapter, a fraternity mixer, a ceremony, and other social events. They have to do this while still having the workload of full-time students. I personally rather have time for myself to relax than spend hours a week towards an organization that in my experience many girls are not passionate about.

I think that to truly be part of the Greek community you have to give up a piece of yourself due to the amount of conformity expected. I define conformity in this sense as going to all the events and following the rules without questioning them. I personally find this very difficult because my past education has always made me question authority figures and actions they wanted me to take.  I have other friends who are not truly a part of the Greek community and simply are a sister in name only. They avoid going to events and they resent the “ownership” that their sorority tries to exert. However, they stay in the sorority for the sake of the being in a sorority. However, it is important to note that there are many instances of sisters becoming inactive. An inactive sister does not participate in any activities but has been initiated. One example of “ownership” is fining sisters money if they don’t attend certain events. One of my friend’s big was fined $350 last semester for not attending certain events over the course of the semester. Other sororities try to get “ownership” of sisters by a form of informal hazing such as wearing onesies all week. Although Miami has a so-called strict no hazing policy, it is not actually enforced. I believe that being forced to wear onesies in Miami heat which can reach 90 degrees even in the winter as a form of hazing. Some sororities also maintain a point system which prevents a sister from going to exciting events such as Formal, this requirement convinces sisters into doing things they wouldn’t do otherwise.

I’ve always been a very independent person so I realize now that I don’t think sorority life is really for me. It may be lonely sometimes but I value my own desires and needs ahead of an organization (as selfish as that sounds, it’s true in terms of Greek life). I want to own myself and not be owned. I don’t want to be a sheep and follow the herd to personal misery. I rather take the lesser travelled path even if that means I may trip and get a little dirty because I will know that I did that on my own.

Despite Greek life having such a heavy impact on campus, it is not cool according to our textbook, Cool Rules, “Cool is a rebellious attitude, an expression of a belief that the mainstream mores of your society have no legitimacy and do not apply to you. It’s a self-contained and individualistic attitude, although it places high value on friendship within a tightly defined peer group - indeed it strives to displace traditional family ties,” (23). Greek life is not rebellious as many chapters in it heavily recruit the same type of person and follow very specific rules in conjunction with societal expectations. Greek life attempts to simulate family ties by creating “families” containing “bigs” and “littles” but it is done in such an organized fashion that is not rebellious and thereby not cool. My personal individualist attitude and personal preference for close-knit groups align me with this specific definition of cool. However, I do not see myself as truly cool because I do not rebel enough against society. I work hard at a top-rated university, have strong ties to my parents, enjoy consumerism, follow laws, and do not engage in drug use, these are all elements of the anti-cool person.

Although Du Bois experienced a different kind of exclusion, I can relate to his experience written in Of Our Spiritual Strivings, “He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face” (2). In the beginning of this semester, I wanted to be in a sorority really badly. The double rejection I experienced made me feel as if the door of social opportunity had closed for me. However, I realize now that sorority life was not the right door of opportunity for me. I will have to create my own path of opportunity away from the herd even if it will be a more difficult journey it will be worthwhile because I will own myself as well as my actions.

[bianca-osi]

Training

In class, it was brought up that despite humans being intelligent, we are very easy to train. You can even see this one the most basic level. 99% of the time you will see people in public wearing clothing and generally attempt basic hygiene. Further examples of basic training is that people generally obey laws such as driving on the right side of the road (U.S). Some of these training methods are similar to which dogs are trained with. In an experiment, humans were trained to crave foods in 8 minutes in a manner similar to Pavlov's dogs. Positive reinforcement is one of the strongest training methods used. In capitalist societies, the desire for money is one of the strongest lures. For example, if you obey the rules of your job and go above and beyond your position you get promoted. This promotion comes with a financial reward which then is often used to get hedonistic pleasures. Despite appearing rational and intelligent, I believe that humans are simply pleasure-seeking creatures like other animals. Humans simply have the distinction of the ability to plan out our path towards pleasure more efficiently than other animals on the planet. 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4083-humans-trained-to-hunger-like-pavlovs-dogs/

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“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

 This touched me on personal level especially in regards to Greek Life at the university. I rushed and it didn’t end up working out. My position outside the Greek system has allowed me to maintain an outsiders perspective. As a freshman girl, I felt an overwhelming pressure to rush a sorority because that was what the tribe was doing. I did not end up doing what the tribe decided was the norm and it has been somewhat of a lonely experience. Most of my friends joined sororities have been extremely occupied with it. However, in some ways, I am grateful to not be absorbed by the Greek community because I’ve seen people completely change. My friend only hangs out with members of her sorority and doesn’t really talk to anyone outside of it. I feel that this attitude hinders personal development because you get a limited perspective of life.  I feel like to truly be part of the Greek community you have to give up a piece of yourself due to the amount of conformity expected. I have other friends who are not truly a part of the Greek community and simply are a sister in name only. They avoid going to events and they resent the ownership that their sorority tries to exert. One example is fining sisters money if they don’t attend certain events. Other sororities try to get “ownership” of sisters by a form of informal hazing such as wearing onesies all week (Miami is hot). As an outsider, I have the impression that a big part of sorority life is being told where and when to be as well as who to mingle with. I’ve always been a very independent person so I realize now that I don’t think sorority life is really for me. It may be lonely sometimes but I value my own desires and needs ahead of an organization. I want to own myself and not be owned. I don’t want to be sheep. I rather take the lesser travelled path even if that means I may trip and get a little dirty because I will know that I did that on my own. 

[bianca-osi]

Women have an important role in cool. Women are in a unique position to rebel. Throughout history, women have been assigned very specific roles in society such as a simple housewife. Although these sentiments are changing, some people still see women in the workplace as a rebellion against their role in society. Women and Men are equally cool, I do feel like we hear less about cool women. Even the cover of our book about cool is a man. This is why I posted a segment about cool women because so far we have mainly focused on the perspectives of men. It is important to focus on multiple perspectives and not only half of the population. Some other women I plan to explore more in-depth in regards to cool include Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Madonna etc. These women all have rebelled in their own ways and rebellion is the basis of cool.

What’s the role of women in cool?