The Power of Cute
Mar 2019 · Princeton University Press
1,0star
2 yorumreport
E-kitap
256
Sayfa
family_home
Uygun
info
reportPuanlar ve yorumlar doğrulanmaz Daha Fazla Bilgi
shoppingmode30 Oca tarihinde %23 fiyat düşüşü
Bu e-kitap hakkında
An exploration of cuteness and its immense hold on us, from emojis and fluffy puppies to its more uncanny, subversive expressions
Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T.—all reflect its gathering power. But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on—in a lighthearted way? In The Power of Cute, Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers.
We usually see the cute as merely diminutive, harmless, and helpless. May challenges this prevailing perspective, investigating everything from Mickey Mouse to Kim Jong-il to argue that cuteness is not restricted to such sweet qualities but also beguiles us by transforming or distorting them into something of playfully indeterminate power, gender, age, morality, and even species. May grapples with cuteness’s dark and unpindownable side—unnerving, artful, knowing, apprehensive—elements that have fascinated since ancient times through mythical figures, especially hybrids like the hermaphrodite and the sphinx. He argues that cuteness is an addictive antidote to today’s pressured expectations of knowing our purpose, being in charge, and appearing predictable, transparent, and sincere. Instead, it frivolously expresses the uncertainty that these norms deny: the ineliminable uncertainty of who we are; of how much we can control and know; of who, in our relations with others, really has power; indeed, of the very value and purpose of power.
The Power of Cute delves into a phenomenon that speaks with strange force to our age.
Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T.—all reflect its gathering power. But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on—in a lighthearted way? In The Power of Cute, Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers.
We usually see the cute as merely diminutive, harmless, and helpless. May challenges this prevailing perspective, investigating everything from Mickey Mouse to Kim Jong-il to argue that cuteness is not restricted to such sweet qualities but also beguiles us by transforming or distorting them into something of playfully indeterminate power, gender, age, morality, and even species. May grapples with cuteness’s dark and unpindownable side—unnerving, artful, knowing, apprehensive—elements that have fascinated since ancient times through mythical figures, especially hybrids like the hermaphrodite and the sphinx. He argues that cuteness is an addictive antidote to today’s pressured expectations of knowing our purpose, being in charge, and appearing predictable, transparent, and sincere. Instead, it frivolously expresses the uncertainty that these norms deny: the ineliminable uncertainty of who we are; of how much we can control and know; of who, in our relations with others, really has power; indeed, of the very value and purpose of power.
The Power of Cute delves into a phenomenon that speaks with strange force to our age.
Kullanıcı puanları ve yorumlar
1,0
2 yorum
Yazar hakkında
Simon May is visiting professor of philosophy at King’s College London. His books include Jump! A New Philosophy for Conquering Procrastination, How to Be a Refugee, and Love: A New Understanding of an Ancient Emotion.
Bu e-kitaba puan verin
Düşüncelerinizi bizimle paylaşın.
Okuma bilgileri
Akıllı telefonlar ve tabletler
Android ve iPad/iPhone için Google Play Kitaplar uygulamasını yükleyin. Bu uygulama, hesabınızla otomatik olarak senkronize olur ve nerede olursanız olun çevrimiçi veya çevrimdışı olarak okumanıza olanak sağlar.
Dizüstü bilgisayarlar ve masaüstü bilgisayarlar
Bilgisayarınızın web tarayıcısını kullanarak Google Play'de satın alınan sesli kitapları dinleyebilirsiniz.
e-Okuyucular ve diğer cihazlar
Kobo eReader gibi e-mürekkep cihazlarında okumak için dosyayı indirip cihazınıza aktarmanız gerekir. Dosyaları desteklenen e-kitap okuyuculara aktarmak için lütfen ayrıntılı Yardım Merkezi talimatlarını uygulayın.
