What is cool?

Recently I saw an interview with President Obama on the Jay Leno show. I usually don't watch Jay Leno - off and on from time to time and then usually if nothing else is playing on any other channel.

However this interview I'd read about in the paper and I thought it was cool that a president had decided to appear on a TV show. I got lucky in that when I was flipping channels I managed to catch the episode.

What essentially comes across is that the President is a very nice guy - someone you'd trust your money with. I wish we had more such people here. He made a few jokes - and I liked the way he himself seemed awed with some of the "perks" of being a president.

He was talking about how it was cool that he had such privileges - but how his daughters appeared to be completely unaffected by the change. In one instance, he recalls how they were dividing up Starbucks among themselves while he was marveling at the Lincoln Memorial. They have a different view of what is cool he said.

So what is cool? Some time back voting in the General elections was considered a pain. Now thanks to TV campaigns, ads and rise in general public awareness, its not cool if you don't have the indelible ink mark on your finger on voting day - its not cool that you did not vote and you didn't contribute to the democratic process.

Some time back, it was not cool if you did wear a seat belt. Now ofcourse, you'd just be considered stupid. Same for helmets, same for speeding. Why take the chance - you only live one life?

When I was in school/college - it was so uncool not to know who was no. 1 - which movie was playing and who was the lead actor/actress of the time. Now as we've become older - it's just generally accepted that you may not know all these things - being lost with what is in is fine for our generation. Listening to songs from our school days is perfectly acceptable - who listens to new age music anyway? But I'm sure a teenager would not agree with you. I remember conversations with my niece and nephew and they look astounded when I appear dumbfounded on a new actress whose entered the scene. I can hear them thinking - you are so uncool massi!!

Going to see a serious film like Gulaal (2009)? Perfectly cool.

But my point is, it really matters who you ask.