New York magazine recently published a story called “The Cruel Kids’ Table.” The article was primarily about young right-wingers and their cultural impact as we head into Trump’s second term in 2025.
But the content of the story isn’t what interests me. Or at least not right now. It’s the cover photo that accompanies the story.
In 2005, it wasn’t difficult to pick out a young, educated conservative from a young, educated liberal based on their clothing and their grooming. It isn’t terribly difficult in 2025 either.
A group of young, attractive, well-dressed men and women. Smiling. Laughing. Drinking. Talking. Stark light exaggerating every detail. It feels like some kind of paparazzi photo. It’s an evocative shot, and there has been no shortage of commentary on it.
Online left-wingers claim the photo is ugly. The bright flash, blown-out faces, high contrast, and excited laughter are unflattering and make the individuals look menacing. If conservatives don’t realize this, it’s because they don’t understand aesthetics.
Conservatives, on the other hand, just see a bunch of well-dressed young people having fun.
Anti-aesthetics
For the left, the best…
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