1. What struck you most about this film?
   
   
2. In one word, describe how you felt while watching this film. Explain your answer.
   
   
3. Was what the media executives were saying about teenagers true to your experience?
   
   
4. Is it important to buy brand names? Why don't you buy a generic pair of jeans or shoes?
   
   
5. What are your thoughts on the boy "mook" idea as sketched in video? Did that ring true to you? What about the "midriff" image of women?
   
   
6. Is marketing to teens different than marketing to adults?
   
   
7. Do advertisers shape culture or just influence it?
   
   
8. Has seeing "The Merchants of Cool" led you to think about how you express your identity? What questions do you have?
   
   
9. In the program, several market researchers claim that parents contribute to the prominence of the teen market by giving them "guilt" money. Do you agree?
   
   
10. Read the quote below by Robert McChesney. Are "cool hunters" and those who use the information they supply similar to colonial powers? Do they exploit teens, or are they providing desired benefits and services?

"In much the same way that the British Empire tried to take over Africa and profit from its wealth, corporations look at [teens] like this massive empire they are colonizing. And their weapons are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports teams."
-Robert McChesney

Note: These questions were adapted from The Merchants of Cool web site. See the site for additional questions.