Posted by cav on May 27, 2005 at 10:58:42:
ok, this has potential to turn into a frivilous romp, but I 'm thinking of it more seriously as a question of aesthetics.
How is it that some people just look "cool" and others can do things that could be very cool but can't help looking silly?
Here's the context. Today we had a field day at the junior high where I teach. One teacher had the job of judging the inside line on the track to make sure no one faulted on the races. He had a couple of white flags that he used as signals...typical track stuff. But the thing was, every time runners passed him he would whip the flags around with a crisp crack in a flourish that ended with him standing in the exact same position only backward to the track. Everytime he did it some kids snickered and I myself thought it looked really silly. But then I realized that I don't think I could do that with the flags, and if it had been done by someone in a movie, or in a dojo somewhere it would look really skilled. So I started thinking about it and realized that the guy doing it is sort of doughy round, not really fat, but just round in the middle, and has this hip pack (fanny pack, though I hate that word) that he never takes off. He was even wearing it over his track suit today. Further, he carries himself a little up on his toes, giving him a very jaunty gait.
So is it just his personal style or lack thereof that makes his display silly rather than cool? Is it context, perhaps?
To contrast, there is another teacher who is very short, maybe around 5 feet, but he is rather muscular in a tight wiry way, he is tanned slightly, and wears clothes that suit his frame. Even his glasses are thin rimmed and a little square, giving them a nice style. Even when he wears a bad suit or tie, he still pulls it off in this sort of tough-nerd-punk sort of thing. Today he was hopping about quickly and efficiently to dismantle a portable awning, you know those open-sided tent things, and he was using these crisp movements and precise turns that yielded a tighly folded canvas that slid easily into the bag...and you can imagine how difficult that might have been without the right skill. But he didn't look silly at all. It looked really cool, like a martial artist executing perfect form in a practical setting, like a Hong Kong action flick.
I'm stumped as to why one is cool and one is silly. Any thoughts?
BTW, just for definition, I'm using "cool" in the sense of 'good looking and stylish with an element of skill'...'having it together' if you will. In opposition would be looking 'awkward and goofy, maybe a little comical'.