It’s common knowledge the mass media plays on social stereotypes to a certain extent.

Whether it’s in good taste or not, one would be hard pressed to not have at least a little bit of a skewed view toward others, which reflect the stereotypes we see on TV.

A common stereotype for my demographic, white male, is that we are dorky and out-of-touch with what is cool. Personally, I see it in myself every day.

Just because I’m often behind on the latest trends and I out myself by asking ignorant questions about technology and celebrities that even my parents would know, I’m not going to condemn every white guy to being un-cool. However, I do understand the logic behind this stereotype.

Although “cool” is a subjective word, a good measure of what is cool and what isn’t is what people gravitate toward and what becomes the “new.” Time does play a factor in how long something stays interesting and relevant, but a greater factor than time is exclusiveness.

Those who keep up with the exclusive side of culture are the ones who set trends that are worthy of the title of “cool.”

But what makes people more prone to accomplish this social status than others?

The reason for the un-cool white guy stereotype and the degree of truth behind it might be because white people are the majority in America.

Being a majority, one might think they would be the ones controlling the interest of the population, but it appears to be the other way around.

In a nation obsessed with the thrill of the counter-culture’s way of life, minority groups will always have our interest, whether it is overt or concealed.

The mainstream does a great job of sniffing out what is getting people’s interest now, and packaging it in a way that has wider appeal – specifically toward the majority, and for a short time making them feel interesting or exclusive.

After something exclusive and interesting is broadened to make sure no one is uncomfortable, offended or confused, whatever was cool to begin with gets metabolized into tasteless, cultureless mush and ends up on department store shelves for the general public.

Two great examples would be jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. Both originated from minority communities and were unappreciated by the mainstream in the days of its infancy, but now are safe and tasteless enough to use their names for pre-set ringtones or to be played by middle school marching bands.

The reason white people are un-cool is simply because we are trying too hard. Being such a large portion of the U.S. population, we struggle to maintain our own culture and absorb parts of other cultures as our own in an attempt to forge an identity.

Of course, all that being said, it really is a cultural difference more so than an ethnic difference that can make a certain group of people more prone to being cool. The biggest takeaway is to stop trying to ride the same wave as everyone else and instead look for something they might have missed.