Cute, Quaint, Hungry and Romantic: The Aesthetics of Consumerism
by Daniel Harris
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Why has the ring of the telephone become a beep? What ever happened to the bumpers and fenders of cars? Why do food commercials never mention hunger?In this encyclopedia of low-brow aesthetics, Daniel Harris concentrates on the nuances of non-art, the uses of the useless, the politics of product design and advertising. We learn how advertisers exaggerate our sensual responses to eating, how close-up nature photography exaggerates the accessibility of the natural world, and how the mutated show more physiology of dolls invites our pity and affection.In studying its aesthetics, we find consumerism instills disappointment rather than gratification, convincing us that our lives are deficient and wanting. If we are what we buy, then we must buy in order to be. show lessTags
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A fun, easy-to-read piece of pop sociology. Harris breaks down the title concepts and shows how they are socially constructed. For instance, what is considered romantic and why. How much do diamond merchants and florists have to do with our conception of "romantic"? The section about CUTE will make you look at stuffed animals in a whole new way.
Aesthetics, Modern > 20th century/Consumption (Economics)/Popular Culture
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4+ Works 498 Members
Daniel Harris is the author of Cute, Quaint, Hungry and Romantic, as well as The Rise and Fall of Gay Culture. His essays appear regularly in Harper's and Salmagundi and have been anthologized in Best American Essays and The Anchor Essay Annual. He has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Nation, and The Los show more Angeles Times. He lives in Brooklyn, New York show less
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Economics, Anthropology, Philosophy, Business, Art & Design
- DDC/MDS
- 111.85 — Philosophy and Psychology Metaphysics (existence, purpose, and the nature of reality) Ontology Properties of being Aesthetics
- LCC
- BH301 .C75 .H37 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Aesthetics Aesthetics Special topics
- BISAC
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- 180
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- Reviews
- 3
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- (3.36)
- Languages
- English
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- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
