Two Kinds of Cool

 
Nutnfancy is my favorite reviewer of dangerous things for the good guys.  He publishes his independent video reviews on Youtube, and mostly reviews guns, knives, and outdoor gear.  One thing I love about Nutnfancy is that he incorporates a lot of his own philosophy into each video.  While I do not always agree completely with his assessments or ideology, he has been influential not only on the way that I look at a product, but has even had an influence on my overall worldview.

One distinction that Nutnfancy makes in his videos is the difference between the “two kinds of cool.”  According to him, the “first kind of cool” is related to the physical qualities of the product which affect performance, meaning practicality and usability.  The “second kind of cool” is related to the intangible qualities of a product which lead to your greater intrinsic enjoyment of the item, and which just make you “dig it.”  Nutnfancy’s two kinds of cool, combine to provide the consumer with their total utility for the product. 

I will be referencing Nutnfancy’s idea of the two kinds of cool in my own reviews.  Here on Ukulele Utility Blog, the first kind of cool will include aspects of the instrument including features (wood selection, finishes, body size, design, etc), sound, action, fit, and finish, and reliability.  The second kind of cool will include unique quirks of the ukulele which just makes me love it—anything from an unexplainable spiritual connection, to just the way it looks, to great customer service, to the way playing down the neck just turns me on.