No self-conscious attempt to make a great statement.

Their work was a self-conscious attempt at creating an English equivalent to the Beats.

There have been many self-conscious attempts to open up a brave new world of fashion, but none have particularly jelled.

It may also have damaged his self-conscious attempt to fashion himself as a more personable candidate.

To me, it seems more like a self-conscious attempt to revive the time before machines did all the work and magic really meant something.

And some of the hotel's self-conscious attempts at quirk were grating.

I feel jaded about the work's self-conscious, student-like attempts at feeble meanings.

Professor Carter's lumping together of the two platforms suggests a self-conscious attempt at fair-mindedness.

Both concepts were self-conscious attempts to organize urban space for habitation.

In fact, Mr. Gore won points with his sometimes self-conscious attempts to be funny and casual.