culture's Profile

Why, oh why? This site always had its own sensibility, and has managed to attract the kindness and even sometimes the bitchiness of strangers always eager to join the conversation about the myriad ways that we construct our homes. This has been a public place to show off and be shown, namely because everyone, no matter what social class, knew that this site wasn't about material aspirations, but that good design and a thoughtful engagement with it is in-itself aspirational because it reflected the best of a democratic aesthetic. Obviously someone, somewhere decided to make a change (without asking its followers and contributors) wagering that design and notions of inspiration and aspiration can be streamlined without the questions that they provoke. Even though there are over 200 comments, I'm guessing that there is a resounding silence from current members. As in, "what, really?"; "this can't be happening!". It will be interesting to see if more comments and a conversation will emerge in response to this mass-produced (with all of its negative connotations) new and now deadly boring website.

Sad. I always think of Cherry Blossom Season as Japanese. People are suffering and are without homes...sober thoughts worth attention. Donations to the Red Cross are always a good way to pitch in.

Why I love Pet peeves:
1. It means that we've seen something often enough that we have created a negative opinion ...same function as a trend which is positive, but can often blur because:
a. saturation becomes the basis for contempt (eg. keep calm)
b. mass following is an exemplar of bad taste (popcorn ceiling and vertical blinds).
a. represents a choice, b. is often imposed by builder/contractor because cheap/mass produced.
2. I love pet peeves, because it reflects the fact that we are judging and thinking about, not just what we see, but what we do. We live against what we hate and what we hate must be communicated!
3. Could there be another design manifesto around the corner? Please may it include no animal-hides.
4. Pet peeves allow one to rage against the banality of the same. I don't hate MCM, I hate that that is the predominance of what one views at this site.
Design is dead.
Long live design.