A phrase which popped up in a recent episode of The Simpsons had an immediate appeal for me. It succinctly stated what we all really know, but few of us bother to draw attention to.Nunchuks - cool but useless
That is: (a) nunchuks are completely useless (as weapons); but (b) they look cool when whirled about by a menacing martial arts wanker (only in a movie). It seems to me that many artifacts of popular culture could be so described, and I encourage further suggestions. Some examples to be going on with...
Baseball caps worn back to front: cool but useless.
Stiletto heels: cool but useless.
Hipster jeans: cool but useless.
Personal trainers: cool but useless.
Nose rings: cool but useless (except on bullocks)
Minimalist abstract paintings: cool but useless.
Ephemeral art installations: cool but useless.
Boob tubes: cool but useless.
Dreadlocks: cool but useless.
Blank verse poetry readings: cool but useless.
Hair gel: cool but useless.
Backless cafe chairs: cool but useless.
