The mythology of cool: "People who are cool are autonomous. They do their own thing. In a society that believes in self-made men and women, their self-possession is a mark of merit. Because they embody American values of individualism and independence, we really warm up to people who are cool.... /Cool people are charismatic. Even though they don't seem to care about people outside their clique, cool kids are socially graceful. They have a good sense of humor and lots of friends. They're good-looking and attractive to the opposite sex. If you're cool, you can't be caught sucking up to people." (94)

Farrell says that, "Real cool" is "effortless," and that "Most kids aren't cool and they know it." But are any?

(Farrell, James J. One Nation Under Goods: Malls and the Seductions of American Shopping. Washington: Smithsonian Books, 2003. Print.)