The "cool kids" in the context of the story are portrayed as individuals who flaunt their wealth and status through expensive ski trips and fashionable skiwear. Their disdain towards the half-pound burger can be seen as a reflection of broader societal attitudes towards class, wealth, and cultural capital. In many societies, there is a tendency to associate certain foods with social status and sophistication, with healthier or more exotic options often being favored by the elite. By rejecting the half-pound burger, the "cool kids" are reinforcing their own social standing and distancing themselves from those they perceive as lower in the social hierarchy. This behavior mirrors the ways in which individuals in society use food choices as a means of displaying their cultural capital and asserting their place in the social pecking order.