This was inspired by reading Chef Troy’s piece in the latest Teemings in which he discusses the difference between being “cool” and being “hip.”
Chef takes the stance that Tony Bennett is cool and Madonna is hip.
I agree.
As for other things:
The Fonz: Cool (As if there was ANY doubt)
The Beatles: Cool
Elvis Presley: Cool
Lou Reed: Used to be Cool, until he made those God-awful Honda Scooter commercials in the mid-late '80’s at which point he slipped to Hip status, where he has remained.
Barry Goldwater: Cool
Paul Newman: Cool
The Strokes: Hip
The White Stripes: Hip
Keith Richards: Cool
Mick Jagger: Momentarily vied for Elvis for the title of Grand Vizier of Cool but slipped to Hip status with the release of his last 2 solo albums and his trying to still be something that he hasn’t been for a good 15 years.
Johnny Cash: Cool
Jerry Lee Lewis: Cool
James Dean: I’m kinda on the fence on this one. On the one hand he is the model of the brooding, troubled youth/teenager whom no one understands, as well as doing an insanely great job in Giant. On the other hand he is the model of the brooding, troubled youth/teenager whom no one understands…but I’m inclined to lean towards Cool.
Teddy Roosevelt: Cool
Ed Sullivan: Cool Ed is cool because he knew better then anyone what/who was hip and got them booked on his show.
Robert Duvall: Cool
Dennis Miller: Hip Tries to be Cool, but he just comes off as too smarmy and has too much of a “look how much more obscure trivia I know then you do” attitude.
Mickey Mouse: Cool
Bugs Bunny: Cool
Gilligan’s Island: Hip
The Brady Bunch: Hip
The Ramones: Cool
