Cool Britannia

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Cool Britannia is a media term used to describe contemporary art in the UK in the mid-1990s . The term is closely related to the early years of New Labor under Tony Blair . It's a play on words called the patriotic song Rule, Britannia! .

Word origin

The term Cool Britannia was first used as a song title in 1967 by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band . However, there is probably no connection to the modern coining of the term. Cool Britannia reappeared in the mid-1990s as a trade name for a Ben & Jerry's ice cream ( vanilla with strawberries and chocolate- coated shortbread ). The name and recipe were coined by Sarah Mynihan-Williams, an American lawyer who lives in London, in early 1996 and were the winning entry to a Ben & Jerry's competition. The name of the ice was supposed to herald the New Labor era, which began with the election victory in May 1997. The term Cool Britannia quickly caught on in the media and advertising.

1990s culture

In essence, the term Cool Britannia referred to the short-lived, fashionable scene in London ; Bands like Blur and Oasis , fashion designers, the Young British Artists and magazines. Cool Britannia also referred to the mood in Great Britain during the Britpop movement when a sudden, lively British rock movement emerged. Often, the popularity of Austin Powers and the resurgence of the James Bond films is seen as a major factor in the spread of Cool Britannia. In March 1997 the Vanity Fair published a special edition on Cool Britannia, with Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit and headlined London Swings! Again! on the cover. In 1998 The Economist wrote that already many people could no longer hear the term Cool Britannia.

Although the term Cool Britannia actually refers not only to England, but to the entire kingdom, there are similar terms for Wales ("Cool Cymru") and Scotland ("Cool Caledonia"), but they never achieved the same popularity.

See also

literature

Web links