Cool or Sophisticated: What the 1950s Tell Us About Each

     A reader wrote to me recently with some really intriguing questions:

     Was there a difference between "cool" and "sophisticated" in the 1950s? Is there one now? Were Beats thought of as "sophisticated" besides being "cool?"
The questions sent me running to the (Merriam-Webster) dictionary to look up definitions of each:

Sophistication: 

• the process or result of becoming cultured, knowledgeable, or disillusioned

• the process or result of becoming more complex, developed, or subtle

• Synonyms: cultivation, urbanity

Cool (they note this definition as "informal:"
     It seems to me there's some crossover here. I didn't grow up in the Beat Generation, but whenever I saw portrayals of it or heard about it I thought the Beats seemed not only cool, but had a level of sophistication (or worldliness) that might not have been recognized at the time.     In 1950s movies or books, I always thought sophistication was styled after James Bond types - and yes, he was invented in 1953. He was an alpha male who knew how to order thousands of cocktails and had perfect suits, shoes and above all, gadgets. This always bored me to tears but I truly think that was the model.     Until Beats came along and upended it. Wearing black stretch pants, berets, Gondolier tops, scuffy shoes, and most of all, not taking chauffered cars out to see the world, but hitching or riding motorcycles cross country to see what America was really like.     Instead of playing with stocks/money/gadgets all day, they played with words and created art that set the world on fire (see the story of Howl if you don't believe me).     To Beats, being fashionable and hip was more of a state of mind than about a price tag. It probably had a little bit of James Dean rolled up in it too. And I think he was infinitely cooler than James Bond.     So yes, I do think they were sophisticated, but in the 1950s, sophisticated and cool were two separate things. In my opinion, Beats are not only cooler -- they are more sophisticated than James Bond or the 1950s "playboys."     Just my opinion... for those who asked!      Meanwhile, I found an article about "cool" and how it became so large a presence in our lives:How Did Cool Become Such a Big Deal?     If you have time to take a look, I'd love to know what you think of it?

Man with motorcycle: Axel Bȕhrmann

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