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there's a lot of data in my head re: "how to perform an identity that's higher status/class than you currently are" and every so often I toy with the idea of executing on it because it might be interesting to see what happens. such a tedious way to seek interestingness though
some incoherent thoughts https://t.co/AaRAe64nfX
I feel like I've reached a breakthrough/synthesis on this – rather than try to model existing status/class signifiers, which is tiresome, it's far more fun, interesting and exciting to develop + elevate your *own* aesthetics. Bowie, Prince, Hendrix, Manson, etc appreciated this https://t.co/FrOf2FqEXa
this is now an experimental aesthetics thread https://t.co/VJkjBnjPXR
every experiment with aesthetics tantalizingly hints at an entirely different mode of being https://t.co/NYAUhHD2v2
the smallest aesthetic bits can help you get started on reimagining and reconceptualizing your entire identity, and by extension, your entire reality https://t.co/YzYPN4dPkP
I get like 10x more eye contact from women than usual when I wear jewellery like this some dudes too 😂😘 https://t.co/eIU0ah3xkU
Having tested it with a different outfit, I believe I can now confirm that, dollar for dollar, this $10 costume necklace is currently the most powerful object in my possession https://t.co/hcLKJl840v
@visakanv huh."Some people think David Bowie stole Nomi's signature costume style for this performance, but in actuality it was Bowie's costume that inspired Klaus Nomi to design his own." https://t.co/9xUzHYBNGV
@visakanv "oscillating form between that they've made wholly their own; both masters of the distinctively flamboyant and theatrical; both given […] radical changes of image throughout the course of their careers; and both immediately identifiable by just one name."https://t.co/q66RzGFuOp
@visakanv People's brands, vs their creations things.I choose a caricature of myself because I want the things I create to embody my persona -> an external brand aesthetic. But I have yet to create enough to have them define me.https://t.co/ReBSYi6aVj
@visakanv I think that @MaywaDenki is a good example of this. He always has the same jumpsuit on - or lab coat. His image is one that has stableized and represents an archetype - the engineer and scientist.His branding is embodied in his creations.https://t.co/CpinwMEkc6
@visakanv Another interesting example is how @imogenheap's style always changes when she's wearing her musicical gloves. her ouftits always take on a sense of ephemerality - hiding as a backdrop to showcase the technology - to better able to express herself thru her literal embodied music.
@visakanv It feels like two different expressions of the same underlying communication norm - just focused differently (inward/outward). I made the connection while reading your other thread on 'rudeness'https://t.co/Mcd5NxfhRS
Rudeness and arrogance are fascinatingly context-dependent. Sometimes you’ll get called rude and arrogant for plainly speaking the truth. (Of course, then you get belligerent assholes who use “I’m just telling the truth” as an excuse for being dicks. There’s layers to this stuff) https://t.co/EeqnKZhYoE
@visakanv An underlying feature? I don't like faces. they creep me out. I wrote a bit about that thing here in an awkward response to a great piece @KikiSchirr wrote that helped me see their social aspects and better frame why branding personas bothered me. https://t.co/NUvnfzOE4v
@visakanv It feels like a cultural divide along the same sort of weirdness as rudeness norms. It seems to show up on youtube as well - with the way that so many videos with faces. Explored that a bit more here: https://t.co/JKqn2rAdbj
@visakanv Coming to terms with this frame has helped me to respect people better. Personal brands used to repulse me. I would use terms like "flamboyent" or "flashy" "ostentatious"; basically saying 'rude', but as an aesthetic judgement. I realize now it was a reflection of my own biases.
@ultimape As someone who does spend time and energy explicitly analyzing and experimenting with my public persona and how I am perceived, I do think there still is a meaningful distinction between “honest” and “dishonest” personas. Not sure those are the right words to use
@visakanv I think that's whats happening - different norms around branding mean that sometimes one group interprets a normal way of being as "rude", and vice versa. All the self-focused brands trigger my 'fabricated'/'dishonest' alarms b/c I couldn't see past my bias. Felt manipulative.