Hw 27- Informal Interviews

Strangers:
The first person we interviewed was a man in his thirties holding a cup of coffee. He wore a med-length brown coat. Seemed in a hurry on 23rd and lex. Remy asks him "What makes a person cool?" He replies, "What does?" I tell him we're asking him that to see his pov. Then he says "Popularity."
"Do you think you're cool?"
"No, I'm too old to be cool" I don't think that's true, older people can be cool too.


The second person we interviewed was wearing darkwash jeans. Had a hoodie on and a cap, and plug earrings. Seemed to be in his twenties. "Do you think you're cool?" "No." I asked him if he thought other people thought he was cool and he said 'Oh yeah.' Which made me think he thought he was cool but didn't want to admit it. He told us he taught music and I asked what kind of instrument he taught he said "rock and roll guitar" and that he was in a band and traveled the world. I kind of thought he wanted to make himself seem more important because he mentioned his band and playing "rock and roll guitar". I thought that the part about his traveling seemed more interesting. Jia Min said. "That's cool." I think people are just narcissists by nature because people feel that they are important when they get notice, which is fine. Its apart of the human nature that is stronger in some than others but everyone has their moments.


The third person we asked was a girl who seemed to be a college student. Around 19-20 maybe older. She had a tan jacket on carrying a brown bag. She was fiddling with a table hook which was kind of interesting and Jia Min and Remy asked her about that. Remy asked what is cool. She said "Confidence. And age" and that personality was important but some people pretend and you don't always know if they are. One of asked who is cool and she said "Everybody can be cool" which I thought was interesting. She differentiated cool from popular which was different from what our first interviewee thought. "cool and popularity are different things. Like an unpopular person can be cool such as someone who draws and is really good at it and is passionate about it."When we asked her if she thought she was cool she said "I think I am really cool." then she laughed and said "No." I guess it seems pompous to people to just say they are cool and they don't want other people to think that.

I asked her why some people thought cool was important and she said "Because its idealize in the society, and its a positive thing that people want to think about. Since everybody wants to be cool. It also depends on our own interpretation."


Friends:
Jo- She's a girl from my after school program and it was an in person talk
What do you think is cool? A nice person. I don't know. (I think she's pretty nice)
Do you think you're cool? I don't know (People never use their own definition of cool when I ask them this...)
Do you think you're nice? I don't know



Reggie-I asked this in person. She seemed kind of apprehensive with the questions.
Do you think its important to be cool? I don't know
Do you think you are Cool? No
Why not? Because I don't.
Why? Because I don't. This conversation is getting nowhere.
(Agrees and wonders why she won't tell me a specific answer. Every one I asked for this question will without exception say they don't think they're cool. I think its because people think its uncool to say you think you're cool since it might seem like they are full of themselves.)
Can give you give me a specific reason? I don't know because there's a set system
What is cool in this set system? I don't know being beyond norm but maintaining a connection to the norm.
What is the norm? Something established by society but viewed as something right. I don't know. (Alot of people seemed to do that as well, add "I don't know" after making a statement. I guess this topic kind of makes some people more guarded)



Curly
I talked to my curly-haired friend online and they seems more comfortable with the topic.
Can i ask you some questions for my humanities class
What do you think makes a person "cool"?
Hmmm....I don't no any cool people ._. (I thought his answer was interesting because that was the first thing I thought when we began this unit. I didn't really think of anyone as cool, just as different kinds of people.)
who do you think is the coolest celebrity?
I don't think there r any cool celebrities cuz if i think they're cool than that makes me think I'm lesser then them and I don't think I am so I don't really think anyone is cool.
What makes a person uncool?
LYING (thinks this is the first time I heard someone said this, wonders if he is referring to being true to yourself and all that since that's technically lying to yourself if your not)
About what? Anything. Well little white lies are okay and lying to not hurt people as long as it ultimately hurts no one thats okay but other than that any lie sucks.
Is there anything else that makes a person uncool? Um ya being clumsy is okay, but clumsiness in excess that's not cool (thinks I can get pretty clumsy, wonders if bumping your head into multiple objects counts as excessive) and I don't mean just lying not being true to yourself is a better way of saying it.
mm..Do you think being cool is important to people? To other people yes. To me no.
why? well theres no being cool for me there's only being uncool and if your uncool then I don't like you by my means of uncool not other people's.
What about for other people? Why is it important to them? Other people's view I don't care and its important to them for social ranking.



Family: Is talking to my cousin over the phone, who happens to be at a very noisy club...(surprisingly) but is nice enough to find a quiet spot(s) to answer my questions. There are many what?? moments that I didn't include in the transcript. They are in college.

Hi. Are you busy?
No. Its kind of noisy though.
Can I ask you some questions for school?
Sure.
What is cool? Is this my personal opinion or what society says?
You can do both.
You have a weird school. I personally find libraries to be very cool. Yes I like libraries and computers too.
What about people-wise?
A person I find Cool?
Yeah.
I find. Damnit. Who do I find cool? Tom Delay.
Why do you find him cool? Because he was an asshole.
You like assholes? Because he bullied people I don't like.
Who is that? Democrats (He used to be a Democrat by the way. Now he considers himself a Republican with Democratic values)
Hey!!
I'll make an exception for you since you're my little cousin.
Alright. *he is deaf*
What do I think is cool? Extremist people who don't go along with what everyone thinks because that's what they're told.
Do you think being cool is important? No.
In what way? No its not important to be cool, its very important to rich and then you will be cool.
What qualities do you find to be cool? There are alot. Intelligence is very important and Wealth.
Why do you think being cool matters in our society? It doesn't. Because people are dumb. When you are older you will realize that cool isn't the most important thing. *thinks briefly that he's is being slightly patronizing *
I know that already. Do you think you are cool? Yes, because I have money.
What are difficulties of being cool? The difficulties are obtaining enough money.
I feel like you think cool is synonymous with wealth. It is. If you have wealth you can buy anything.
Laughs. That's not true.
If you were in a store with someone and they bought you everything wouldn't you think they were cool?
No I'd think they're a piggy-bank and are trying to buy me with money.
If it was as a gift.
A gift? noo...still... *thinks that is alot of gifts for someone to have..*
What do gifts require?
Compensation? (was thinking in terms that you have to give something in return like reciprocating with another gift)
My little cousin has grown up so fast.
-laughs-
*background friends are in the subway*
Oh do you have to go now?
Yeah. I'm in the subway. Ask me any last questions.
So far, most people when I ask them if they're cool, all the people I asked said no and you're the only one to say yes. Why do you think that is? Those people are losers. Because they are losers and they know it.

My cousin's pretty funny. I think he is cool because he's not typical in his comments, he is in other ways. Even though he said that cool means wealth, he wasn't really being stuck up, he likes making extremist statements. I think he does mean it though, at least partly.