Guinness look of Zuckerberg recorded

Let's Face(book) it. There are few spectacles more embarrassing than a man determined to appear cool. Mark Zuckerberg, who has already traded his Silicon Valley hoodie for gold chains and designer tees, has now demonstrated that even googols of dollars cannot purchase the ability to drink a pint of Guinness - that delightful Irish stout which, like Bob Dylan's songs, is an acquired taste - convincingly. During a podcast aired this week, the Meta-physical boss took a sip of the Dark Stuff, appeared to chew it, and produced a facial expression suggesting that somebody had slipped him liquid taxation. The internet, naturally, guffawed.

There is a valuable lesson here. Coolness is a peculiar commodity whose value depreciates in direct proportion to the effort invested in acquiring it. The moment somebody decides to become cool - rather than simply being whatever creature he or she is - the enterprise is doomed. Being hip is a treacherous investment, especially for 42-yr-olds like Zuck. By the time the aspiring hipster has identified a trend, purchased necessary accessories and rehearsed appropriate facial expressions, the trend has moved on. The punter is left holding, well, a pint of beer. The sensible alternative is to embrace one's uncoolness. It's cheaper, needs no rehearsals and rarely attracts ridicule. (Meta stocks were unaffected.)