Week 5 Merchants of Cool

In the movie Merchants of Cool the archetype of the "mook" stood out to me. By definition a mook is a "stupid or incompetent person". The mook archetype fits this definition perfectly. The mook is the male stereotype presented in advertising as obnoxious, loud, and in-your-face. Perfect examples of this mook are the daredevils on Jackass or the frat boys who party it up with girls on MTV. By constantly seeing this mook it makes teenage boys think this type of behavior is desirable and right. It makes them want to prioritize girls, partying, and sports over academics or their life goals. I don't think teenage boys are mooks to the extreme shown in the media but I believe constantly seeing this ideal of teenage life makes them want to change to become more "mook like". I think advertisers try to cover all boys in one group by taking teenage male attributes and making them reletable to all but not specific enough to identify a single person. This way the ad can reach a larger audience.