What is a midriff in Merchants of Cool?

Marketers have to find a way to seem real: true to the lives and attitudes of teenagers; in short, to become cool themselves. In “The Merchants of Cool,” FRONTLINE introduces viewers to the “mook” and the “midriff” — the stock characters that MTV and others have resorted to in order to hook the teen consumer.

Who is the midriff most well know when this frontline was made?

The midriff archetype is undoubtedly teenage mega-star Britney Spears, whose latest album, Oops I Did It Again, has sold over eight million copies.

What is the paradox of cool hunting?

that it kills what it finds
“The paradox of “cool hunting” is that it kills what it finds.”

When did Merchants of Cool come out?

2001
The Merchants of Cool: Frontline/Initial release

What is cool according to marketers?

Focus groups, depth interviews, and an essay study indicate that cool brands are perceived to be extraordinary, aesthetically appealing, energetic, high status, rebellious, original, authentic, subcultural, iconic, and popular.

What is the relevance of the midriff character in relation to the Mook?

The female counterpart to the Mook is the Midriff. She is obsessed with her appearance and making herself into an object of sexual desirability. The Midriff’s purpose, place and power all emanate from the same source.

Is the Mook and midriff real?

As with the Mook, the Midriff isn’t real. But some of the Midriff’s traits are present in many young women. The common denominator between the Mook and Midriff is that they are performers – one Page 4 the buffoon and the other the sexual temptress.

Why do commercial culture providers like MTV not represent characters in depth for their audiences?

Brianna LaJeunesse 2 Commercial culture providers like MTV don’t represent characters in depth for their audiences because it is easier for them to show something on media that would be recognizable, making marketing faster and easier, instead of taking time they don’t have to fully develop a character and its identity …

What are cool hunters What are some of the methods they use to find cool?

Cool hunters utilise both overt methodologies such as focus groups, and covert methods such as entering a chat room posing as a member of the target market. This style of research is most common among teenagers due to the perceived lack of response to direct and targeted advertising among this demographic.

What is the giant feedback loop?

His explanation, however, is not that new: The entertainment industry is in a ‘giant feedback loop,’ which gives kids what it thinks they want, and the teens then reflect back the culture that surrounds them.

What makes a cool brand?

We find that cool brands have up to 10 characteristics: Consumers perceive them to be extraordinary, aesthetically appealing, energetic, high status, rebellious, original, authentic, subcultural, iconic, and popular. Some may even conflict with others (e.g., popularity with subcultural links).

Is being cool subjective?

According to this theory, coolness is a subjective, dynamic, socially-constructed trait, such that coolness is in the eye of the beholder. People perceive things (e.g., other people, products or brands) to be cool based on an inference of “autonomy”.

Who are the characters in merchants of cool?

The “midriff”–the character pitched at teenage girls, is the highly-sexualized, world-weary sophisticate that increasingly populates television shows such as Dawson’s Creek and films such as Cruel Intentions. Even more appealing to marketers is the “midriff’s” male counterpart, the “mook.”

Who are the merchants of cool in America?

They comb the streets, the schools, and the malls, hot on the trail of the “next big thing” that will snare the attention of their prey–a market segment worth an estimated $150 billion a year. They are the merchants of cool: creators and sellers of popular culture who have made teenagers the hottest consumer demographic in America.

Who are the merchants of Cool on Frontline?

The Merchants of Cool. FRONTLINE journeys into the world of the marketers of popular culture to teenagers. They spend their days sifting through reams of market research data. They conduct endless surveys and focus groups.

How much money does merchants of Cool make?

They conduct endless surveys and focus groups. They comb the streets, the schools, and the malls, hot on the trail of the “next big thing” that will snare the attention of their prey–a market segment worth an estimated $150 billion a year.