Being cool

Believe it or not, this video brings a lot of insight into the differences between being cool in Korea, Japan, and the U.S.

It's Japanese, in case you're wondering.

You're probably also wondering what the hell that was. Good question.

Basically, it was a group of people being totally cool. Here's why:

Based on what little I know of Japanese culture, I would have to say that they're a bit more willing to break the mold, and that's definitely one of the prerequisites to being cool. Being cool is about having something new and unique that no one else in your group has. Also, they have to admire you for it (which is the tough part, since being new and unique is kind of natural).

I think you would never see a video like this come out of Korea, because, while they've got the talent and admiration part down, and they sometimes have the newness as well, they generally won't be unique enough to distinguish them from other artists in the industry.

I would say Koreans are different, in that they generally don't want to break the mold. Being unique is not something that is admired in the culture. Everyone wants to be like the same movie stars or singers. Being called "crazy" is their equivalent of "loser", and what is being crazy other than being totally different and unique?

Of course, being like everyone else happens in America too, but I would say to a lesser extent. Also, being unique and different, if it's an admirable difference, is something we love. Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix...all these guys were admired for being something totally new and other worldly.

I think this brings up another point about Korean culture that's different than American culture. In American culture, being cool is the most important way to gain acceptance. In Korean culture though, it seems you gain acceptance by being cute, or smart, or funny. All of these can be components of coolness, but without that added uniqueness, it's just quaint or nice. It doesn't seem like the kind of culture that admires diversity or pushing the boundaries.

Anyways, I can't say as one's better than the other. I obviously prefer the American lone wolf ideal, but that's simply because I was brought up in it. Who knows? Maybe it's nice to not have to put yourself out on a limb in order to get people to notice you or think highly of you.

Before I go though, I would like to say that of course there are exceptions. Take Song for instance: she's cool. She's a bit different than other Korean girls, and that's ok for her. In fact, she's kinda weird sometimes, and cooky. But hey, I like cooky. Birds of a feather...