This is an edited transcript of “The Ezra Klein Show.” Why is everything so drab and same-same right now? Coffee shops all look alike, architecture is standardized, cars are interchangeable. On the other side, President Trump has a theory of beauty — not my theory, but a theory. For a while now, I’ve wanted to ask: Is the world getting uglier?
Debbie Millman teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She revamped logos for Burger King, 7Up and Häagen-Dazs, and hosts “Design Matters.” She says it’s getting more vulgar. Vulgarity is accidental and lacks intention, while certain ugly can be glamorous.
Examples of vulgarity: the Cybertruck, housing squeezed onto lots with only six or seven inches of grass, and Gen Z fashion. Proportion matters — mathematics dictates lyrical beauty. Humans sense disproportion, which causes discombobulation, whether in a building, car, or coffee mug.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing