nakshi shah
@nakshi2802
nakshi shah
I’ve been thinking of this Labubumatchadubaichocolate phase as IRL Brain Rot, a culture that exists physically but is incomprehensible without the internet, a set of artifacts and beliefs that adhere to the post-digital self.
Algorithms tailor to our nigh-subconscious preferences; matching with a friend expresses a kind of innate affinity, as if to
... See more1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto,” which predicted, with optimism, a looming world of monstrous machine-human hybrids in which we take “pleasure in the confusion of boundaries”—post-gender, post-capitalism, post-biology. With that reference point, it hit me: We are the Labubus, grinning ecstatically amid the wreckage of our rapidly dismantling, recom
... See moreInner Chapter | The Aesthetics of Economic Upturn
innerchapter.co
nostalgia, capitalism and aesthetics in china.
The "aesthetics of economic upturn" refers to a nostalgic movement on Chinese social media that celebrates the visual and cultural style of China's millennial-era economic reform period. Unlike similar Western trends that focus on wealth displays, this Chinese version is more about middle-class aspiration and optimism.
The article suggests this nostalgia emerges because:
Current aesthetics are more class-conscious and restrictive
Economic conditions are tougher for young people
There's less genuine diversity in expression
People miss a time when differences were celebrated rather than standardized
Essentially, it's a longing for an era when China felt like it was opening up to infinite possibilities, before aesthetic choices became markers of social class and economic anxiety set in.
is it the same for other cultures?
Today, aesthetics and class are more tightly linked than ever. Trends like “clean girl” and “old money” dominate. Phrases calling for rebellion against class led aesthetic cliques like “be yourself” and “defy labels” are still around, but now they feel like empty marketing narratives. In the search for something new, something old strongly appeals.
Inner Chapter | The Aesthetics of Economic Upturn
This efficiency shame runs deep in our culture. We celebrate the tortured artist, the writer bleeding over their manuscript, the creative genius wrestling with inadequate tools. But why? What moral value is there in making things harder than they need to be? When did we decide that the struggle was the point, rather than the connection we create wi... See more