“The paradox of “cool hunting” is that it kills what it finds.” – Douglas Rushkoff.
Synopsis of Video located at:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/They spend their days sifting through reams of market research data. They conduct endless surveys and focus groups. They comb the streets, the schools, and the malls, hot on the trail of the “next big thing” that will snare the attention of their prey – a market segment worth an estimated $150 billion a year.They are the merchants of cool: creators and sellers of popular culture who have made teenagers the hottest consumer demographic in America. But are they simply reflecting teen desires or have they begun to manufacture those desires in a bid to secure this lucrative market? And have they gone too far in their attempts to reach the hearts – and wallets – of America’s youth?In “The Merchants of Cool,” which first aired February 27, 2001, FRONTLINE correspondent Douglas Rushkoff examines the tactics, techniques, and cultural ramifications of these marketing moguls. Produced by Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin, the program talks with top marketers, media executives and cultural/media critics, and explores the symbiotic relationship between the media and today’s teens, as each looks to the other for their identityYOUR ASSIGNMENT1. Watch the video – carefully making notes of key points.2. Answers any two of the three questions (ie. question numbered 2,3 and 4), given on the following pages. Type an essay that addresses the two questions,(together, between 3 and 4 pages), using 1-inch margins all around; Times New Roman 12-pitch font, with 1.5 spacing.Answer 2 out of the following:
2. “The paradox of “cool hunting” is that it kills what it finds.” – Douglas Rushkoff. What are the implications of cool hunting for the development of new ideas, new music, new art forms, etc.?
3. “In much the same way that the British Empire tried to take over Africa and profit from its wealth, corporations look at [teens] like this massive empire they are colonizing… And their weapons are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports teams.”- Robert McChesneyAre “cool hunters” and those who use the information they supply similar to colonial powers? Do they exploit teens or are they providing desired benefits and services?
4. “They don’t call it “human” research or “people” research, they call it “market research. Douglas RushkoffDid the marketers in “The Merchants of Cool” get it right? Do they really know you? If MTV was really based on understanding you as a person, what would it look like?
