The post-cool grind at media services/arm-chair sociology

Today at media services a young, impressionable first year came in and took out Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. I can’t take Bergman seriously, especially his post-Persona cinema, it’s too metaphysical and earnest. I thought about making a remark to this fresh-faced girl, but I didn’t. I guess it’s an important movie to have seen, but I just hope that she doesn’t like it too much.
Right after this, my co-worker Abe and some other similar looking dude came in and started listening to George Benson, a much maligned smooth jazz guitarist. The whole thing is emblematic of the postmodern’s appropriation of low culture for its own purposes, usually ironic ones. Anyway, I feel as if they’re just making sure that we all know that they’re more post-cool than we are, because that girl for instance just took out a Bergman film…and even me, I’m guilty, I like some French art cinema sometimes…

A little later this girl Sarah Marshal that I actually kind of dated in my first year (I had to forget Sarah Marshal, ha ha) came in with a guy that was probably her bf. I realized that in addition to the people that come in and talk about post-cool shit like George Benson or animé, there is also this kind hipster, Sarah’s bf. He’s the kind of guy that probably has the same interests as us (I guess I ambivalently include myself in that category…), with a few important differences. These types look more earthy…they’re granola hipsters. They look more natural and less ironic in flannel, and maybe they wear boots. They definitely have a full beard, like this dude at media services.

I suppose that in my boredom at work, I start to get thoughtful, and more cynical. But if you smile and say hello, you’ll leave nothing but a good impression!