On 30 Cool

Fark.com runs a link to the Journal Sentinel article with the headline "You're not really cool until you're 30," sparking off a heated debate about the nature of cool — and the nature of 30 — in the comments.

The overall concensus: 30 is damn cool. Some choice observations, some from actual 30-year-olds:

"Maybe the coolness of post-30 comes from it not turning out to be the aged wasteland I anticipated it would be when I was 20." –ruta

"Actually, it's not so much about becoming cool at 30 as it is having lived long enough to realize how lame you were before that time." –lone_marauder

"30: young enough to enjoy life, old enough to know how do it the right way." –widespot

"I turned 30 on Monday, and it hasn't been that bad having crossed over. It's kind of like being hit by a bus and realizing that the afterlife is kinda cool with all the dancing skeletons." –Rex_Mantlepiece

"...I've been 30 for a whopping 24 hours now. *curls up in a ball* I'm old. Way too old... Just had some of my coworkers tease me about getting an AARP membership for my birthday yesterday. *grrs* I'll kick their asses with my cane." –poorgirl

"Being over thirty is cool in the fact that you can afford the stuff you thought was cool when you were younger. For instance huge TV, house, boat, nice car/truck." –laidbackwbudlight

"I got into music again right after I turned 30, after a 14 year hiatus, and it's a thrill catching up to all the hotshot kids." –robobagpiper

"I don't know if I'd call it cool, but you really don't get your head out of your ass until 30." –UnoVesuvian

"Eh? What? I'm 30? What happened? Where am I, and why am I suddenly so cool?" –Son of Thunder

"No, see, for those still in their 20's, cool will be 40 when you turn 30. Don't you get it? You'll never be cool. Each aging generation defines it's own cool. And some author gets lots of recognition for defining it." –mototodo [ed note: hey, that's us!]

"Hell, 30 Rocks!" –TheRealSkot