Merchants Of Cool
Discussion Questions: After Viewing the video “Merchants of Cool”, answer questions in full
sentences and hand in at the end of class.
"The paradox of "cool hunting" is that it kills what it finds."
-Douglas Rushkoff
What are the implications of cool hunting for the development of new ideas, new music, new art
forms, etc.?
"In much the same way that the British Empire tried to take over Africa and profit from its
wealth, corporations look at [teens] like this massive empire they are colonizingäAnd their
weapons are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports
teams."
-Robert McChesney
Are "cool hunters" and those who use the information they supply similar to colonial powers?
Do they exploit teens or are they providing desired benefits and services?
"They don't call it "human" research or "people" research, they call it "market"
research."
- Douglas Rushkoff
Did the marketers in "The Merchants of Cool" get it right? Do they really know you? If MTV
was really based on understanding you as a person, what would it look like?
Date: __________!Name: _________________
