Why is the nonchalant and recalcitrant look identified as cool, especially amount teenage boys and young men?

By nonchalant and recalcitrant look, imagine this: a young man (say in his 20s or early 30s) who stares straight, sunken cheeks, expressionless face. You can also think of the many album covers of male singers and male pop/rock musicians and they mostly have that kind of look.





By young men, I mean those from their 20s to around their mid-30s or late-30s.Why is the nonchalant and recalcitrant look identified as cool, especially amount teenage boys and young men?
I don't think this particular look that your words conjure up to me is valid across all racial, socio-economic and educational lines within the age group of western males that you have set forth. It seems to apply to very specific groups, and not males in general of 20-35. Check what your ';males'; have in common, other than the look, and you'll probably have an answer to your question. If I read this correctly, I'd estimate that you are probably thinking of about 12-16 % of males, particularly in America.Why is the nonchalant and recalcitrant look identified as cool, especially amount teenage boys and young men?
That has been around since James Dean. Maybe it's considered mysterious, sexy, a little bit dangerous....