The Naff

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

What is the relationship between coolness and naffness in pop history.

A version of it wd describe pop history as essentially a story of a thread of coolness constantly besieged by naffness. This seems deeply unsatisfactory to me.

Comments

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

quest for cool = fear of / defence against naff? But this is transparently 'naff', so cool = not caring about being 'cool'. But this is not true either. The Simpsons explored this problem: (paraphrased) Marge 'by not caring about being cool or not I become cool' Bart and Lisa 'no it doesn't work like that'.

Dunno, mate.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

To adapt an old idiom: lady, if you have to care...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

hidden question = who gets to judge?

my xmas-pudding bobblehat man = VERY cool in the sense of looks weird and argualby silly but carries it well (esp.on such a hot day)

does this become actually really cool if an arbiter imitates (cf "i'll have a babycham!")? NO! it is already cool -- the arbiter is merely acknowledging an extant fact

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

But arbiter still has to decide, yesno? Like Mr Hopkins' example of the dude in the deerstalker hat at the hip-hop club.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

And that has huge amounts to do with context.

And, I'd say, (self-)confidence of presentation. Which may come back to the 'indifferent to cool=cool' thing...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

ok but marge is saying" what if *i* am an arbiter?" -- those who think she is go and set up another club where this can be explored!

i think the stonecutters ep has much to teach us also

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Next logical step: do we need the 'club'? I think we do, and I think it has to be a club that others would want to join but cannot for some reason.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Still has to decide before it is cool, I mean. The decision makes the coolness.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Cool here seems to be your judgement that this man is acting independently of other people's presumed judgement. 'Cool' stands for that independence (in cases where successful). But can anyone be cool in this sense or is some judgement always presumed?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i want i make Bermuda shorts cool again!

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Go on then. Wear 'em tonite!

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

It will make it easy for me to spot you.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i have no such garment in my possession 'sadly'.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

. 'Cool' stands for that independence (in cases where successful).

This is key, I think. 'where successful' possibly implies some recongition/identification by 'judgers' of coolness but without seeming to seek that?

cf the difference between 'cool' and 'trying too hard'?