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"If you fake the funk, your nose will grow.” — Bootsy Collins

Last decade or sometime there about the cool hunter was invented. I am still not sure what they did, but I guess they were not so good at it because they have seemed to of vanished. Such a shame, I wanted to be a cool hunter back then, it seemed like easy cash. Cool hunting was like corporate crack, every clueless company wanted to get a cheap short evil high. Now with the demise of the cool hunter a new breed of vermin is moving up the food chain, “THE TASTE MAKER”…

I still have no idea what a cool hunter did and I am not sure I want to know what a Tastemaker does. Was late capitalism not doing OK before it needed people to tell other people what was cool??? Do tastemakers work for MENTOS creating new flavors? No, no, no, I am afraid not, Mentos has, “The Fresh Maker”. The Fresh Maker sounds dope, it is like one of the Fatboys names. Or the name on a Bboy name belt. It resonates loud, fly and bold. Tastemaker just sounds out of tune and a bit like a reality show name. (Hmm, note to self, pitch Tastemaker show to MTV).

Back to my point, not that I actually have one, I am just curious why we (not necessarily us, and I am not sure that us exists except as part or a larger company or group) need cool hunters or tastemakers???? I declare open season on them both, I green light both gangs of wannabees and hasbeens, and sorry your time has come. Was the world not cool or tasteful before their rise to greatness, self-importance and the bullshit they rant and sell. It is time to hit the street again, read the signs and figure out the ever so illusive “COOL” on your own.

Where were these cultural experts in the past? Were they down with rock and roll, punk, disco or hip-hop? One needs roots and a position to make choices and site possible valid directions or ideas. Have these hired hands ever been part of any relevant subculture? Did they ever live a life, or have they only tried to live and understand other people’s lives? Have they ever dug in the crates, hit the streets or actually did anything beside ask odd questions that don’t really have any relevant answer. It seems like they always have questions, but so many times the wrong questions are asked. And the wrong question will usually get the wrong answer. So where does that put us? I am sure some of these uber cool idea traders are very good at what they do, but I am afraid what they do is actually harmful, kinda like they have fucked up the gene pool and once mutation occurs, well lets say things are never the same.

Do you remember buying a pair sneakers or record for no reason? But only because it spoke to you? Lack of understanding “why” at a moment is sometimes good in a process of growth and exploration. Things usually get very clear in hindsight. Maybe cultural production would be much smoother and interesting with out this group working at creating inauthentic-cool?

Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer famously explored the interaction between culture and economy by the term ‘Kulturindustrie’ (The Culture Industry) to describe the production of mass culture and power relations between capitalist producers and mass consumers. Their account is a bleak one, but one that appears to hold continuing relevance, despite being written in 1944.

It seems like tastemakers deal in an illusionary ideology of illusive temporal production until they need to change their minds. I have a funny feeling that tastemakers were super into Prada Sport not long ago. What happened? Is it not tasteful to have a red rubber stripe on the back of you shoe now???? Has casual tech been replaced by flannel shirts and vulcanized shoes?

In this nebulous world of what might be and where will it come from? We can find comfort and direction in the past. Maybe this is why at the time simple black sneakers are so popular. The masses are taking back the street and running fast from pseudo corporate cool. When you strip all of the collect ability and exclusivity away style will always prevail and there might not be anything cooler than a pair of old black Chucks…