My llist of ten things that are “hot’
1) Having values. This is something that is surprisingly unnecessary (take a look around). Please note that what you want to “value” is up to you—we’re all past the idea that there is only one way to live and so being moralistic, self-righteous, judgmental and all of these things are just not cool, especially if you’re also going to be hypocritical. But, all things considered, don’t you think it’s beyond time to know what you stand for? Being able to actually live up to all of that gets you even more points.
2) Things that work. Did anyone else notice that nothing works anymore? I don’t think I need to explain this one. That something works is the most important thing EVER. And since nothing works, working makes you cool.
3) Prints and patterns. I am just obsessed with prints and patterns. They rock. Colours are alright too. But I’ve started to move past that…
4) Science. By science I am referring to (systematically) studying and learning more about the world and how it works. Technology and the application of science to things are interesting / useful and fun but knowing more about the world is much cooler. By association, history and philosophy are awesome too but I think the humanities are just a little bit less fashionable right now…
5) ADD, ADHD, and OCD. I’m not a psychiatrist or a psychologist. And I do not mean to belittle these disorders. But to “have” ADD or ADHD is cool cause people who “have” them are people who are generally interested in lots of things and always running around getting bored and then getting interested etc etc. OCD is cool cause obsession and compulsion drives people to get into things. Getting really into anything is cool. If you’re lucky, one of these things will turn into a longer passion. But even if not, the feeling of having gotten into it in the first place rocks and getting into lots of things rocks as well. Life gets so monotonous without these traits…
6) Beautiful things. You can choose to see beauty in whatever you want to see it in, but beautiful things are awesome cause they touch the soul. And depth is where it’s all at. Really. Or else really ugly things have the same effect as beautiful things, but they’re just sort of depressing to have around.
7) Toys. Toys are cool cause you play with them. Toys have no value other than to amuse you. That’s awesome.
8) Mash ups. They say that the DJ is the artist of the post-modern world. Maybe. But what is definite is that putting different things together is cool if you do it in the right way. And so while things like Soulwax or “The Grey Album” were very early millennium, the theory behind them is still so forward cause of the crazy things that come out of random juxtapositions and contradictions. Overthrowing previous things is so tired—now its all about bringing things together in new ways and creating new stuff while recognizing the old stuff and the new stuff if that makes any sense at all. And the randomness of it all makes me smile. But at the same time, loving the original rocks too. Go both ways.
9) Having a balcony or a roof attached to your house or apartment. I don’t have one and maybe in Hong Kong you don’t really want to breathe the air anyways, but having a private enclosed outdoor space is pretty cool.
10) Sugar. I don’t know if this is particularly fashionable but sugar literally makes me high and I love it.
My list of ten things that are over.
1) “Sharon Stone Syndrome.” People who age ungracefully are not only not cool but stupid as they draw attention to their age through their insistence on being superficially young. Young at heart but old in age exists—look at Karl Lagerfeld. But Sharon Stone Syndrome is the worst.
2) The “concept” anything. Particularly the concept store. Seriously—what does this actually even mean? And it is so tired. Oh and actually also the boutique hotel. Get over yourselves. Or get a “life-style” of your own.
3) Things that call themselves modern Chinese design but which actually are hyper literal translations or mutations of the original. Work a little harder and actually make something Chinese inspired or modern Chinese but I think we are all over the repackaging of old Chinese things and having them sold to us as the next or only real modern Chinese whatever.
4) Dot-com colours. If I never see lime green, orange, sky blue, and yellow ever again I really wont be sorry. And along with this actually goes the whole “friendly” or “cool” company thing? Please—you want me money. I see through you. So make me something that works (see the cool list) and I will give you my money—no false niceties required.
5) MBA’s. Is it just me or does every other person now have a MBA? I don’t have anything against studying business, but take a look around and think about all the people whom you know who have MBA’s. I’m not going to go too far with this one because I’m not going to have any friends left if I say too much but MBA’s were cool in the 70’s, maybe in the 80’s, and just so democratized in the 90’s that please—enough already.
6) Anything pink, girly, cute, or girl themed. Beyond the fact that these past few and coming seasons actually have seen a resurgence on the runways of 80’s, rock, punk, goth and for lack of a better way of saying it “intellectual” fashion, the whole girl thing is dead if you are over the age of 12.
7) Sudoku. How sudoku took over the world is something that baffles me completely but I think that its moment has definitely passed. If you are obsessed with Sudoku then the obsession part might still get you cool points, but just playing sudoku—whether it be to “train your prefrontal cortex” or to pass the time—is just not cool.
8) The discussion on the coolness of ipods, blackberry’s, internet things and other similar effects. These things are not cool, nor are they actually not-cool—they are a part of life. Being a part of life, they are a given. Think of all of these things as different types of cooking utensils. We use them. A new one is fun for a while, but whatever, a newer one will be out next week. Whichever one works, well—you get the idea.
9) CSI. I loved CSI (Vegas) up to season three. Now the format is just tired. Actually all TV shows that are too one-sided are pretty much doomed and boring. Explosions and bigger bangs don’t make a show better. I’ve moved on.
10) Specific things that are “in” or “out.” Trends and “it” things or people or objects are no longer in cause the whole concept of in or out doesn’t really make sense given the speed at which things happen and since the whole concept of a tastemaker is sort of religious. “In” or “out” is beyond out.
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