Coolagraphy

Marketing and Advertising have never been this responsible for culture. It's interesting to see the mechanics and systems that MTV and other corporations have developed to get inside the minds of teens. When I was watching the film, I thought about how I was and perhaps still am a target for the teen market's interests. Although I don't follow too many mainstream pop culture trends, I am still a customer. This puts me as well as everyone else into pools that categorize us by everything from age to hair color. 3,000 advertisements a day flood our heads that plant seeds for recognition and response.

Just last year, I was one of the final top 12 male candidates to be on MTV's The Real World: Cancun. It was really interesting to analyze the questions and interviews I had. They asked what my favorite alcohol was, how prone to fighting I was, how much I listened to certain bands, etc. The purpose was to find another cast member that would stoke ratings and attract more viewers. Obviously, I did not make the cut (which I'm really glad about) but it did give me a different perspective about how screened, scripted, and critiqued media is before it ever reaches anyone.

Media giants like MTV are successful because of this in-depth research, however I personally see "cool" as something that can't be studied- it's too fluid. Studying the demographic is definitely the best way to angle your advertisements but lately, I'd have to say that MTV is heading towards a big problem. You can't thrive on reality TV and cash in ultra-tanned Jersey Beach kids for too long. That. is. NOT. cool.