I think he would be exactly the same. James Dean is still the peak of coolness - or rather, his image is. Don't worry , I do know he's dead! But I suppose the rebelling against authority bit is a bit passee, everyone does that - he would nowadays be some kind of anarchist activist, but not many people think that's cool!
The trouble is, JD hit the screens in the days when teenagers had only just been 'invented' so to speak. You were either a child at school, or you were an adult earning money and going out to work or having kids. You didn't have the in between stage of having some money AND some time to waste! You lived at home with your parents until you got married. Or you got drafted into the army and had all that rebellion knocked out of you in a couple of weeks.
I'm not sure you could have a modern day equivalent. There are so many 'bad boys' around now that it just isn't anything to remark upon.
The trouble is, JD hit the screens in the days when teenagers had only just been 'invented' so to speak. You were either a child at school, or you were an adult earning money and going out to work or having kids. You didn't have the in between stage of having some money AND some time to waste! You lived at home with your parents until you got married. Or you got drafted into the army and had all that rebellion knocked out of you in a couple of weeks.
I'm not sure you could have a modern day equivalent. There are so many 'bad boys' around now that it just isn't anything to remark upon.
