Writing Assignment 2: How Things Get to Be Cool

The cartoon sequence (Figure 1 in your handout) presents an implicit theory about how--and why--things get to be "cool." After a careful reading of the cartoon, you are asked to evaluate derf's theory of "how it works." In other words, you will be testing his theory against your own experience of shifting fads and fashions, of how things come to be "in," and how they go "out" again.

During the course of the essay, address the following:

1. Pin down what derf's theory actually is.

2. Interpret the meaning or "message" presented by derf.

3. Choose a fad or style that you or close friends adopted and see how closely derf's

theory explains your experience.

Your essay should make it clear whether your experience affirms, revises, or refutes derf's theory. Shoot for 3-4 pages.