Above: a couple of weeks back Turner prize-winning artist Grayson Perry fulminated about the concept of coolness. It is a position I have some sympathy with, since the use of "cool" as an acclamation is inherently unfair. However, just because we disapprove of something doesn't mean it will go away.
I also think Grayson Perry has got some of his assumptions wrong. Cool is more than just an expression of teenage approval, and is a pervasive concept that regulates society (or sub-groups within society - what Seth Godin would delineate as "tribes"). The concept of Cool relates to ethics, logic and the philosophy of language.
It's an idea you can trace back to Homer's Illiad.
Above: an example of the power of Cool can be seen in the Demos report on terrorism and how it can be countered by addressing the "cool factor".
As the Victorians taught us, if you can measure something you can control it.
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