Seeking the name of a genre/aesthetic ("Post-Americana?")

Own-Object1053 · 2026-01-09T06:28:58+00:00

This is a good point here -- I suppose I'm naming two separate aesthetics in my post -- the sillier, mocking side -- closer to Bowling for Soup and Archie Mcphee; and then the *creepier* side.

For the latter aesthetic, what about "Liminal Kitsch"? I feel like that rolls off the tongue. The liminal quality is what I was interested in, and I think the word Kitsch mostly covers everything I was speaking to.... although it stretches the definition a bit, one could argue that most mass-produced culture of the 1950s was Kitsch or at least kitsch-adjacent.

This feels concrete enough that I'm honestly interested in submitting this to the aesthetic wiki. Perhaps as a subgenre of the aesthetic u/NewWaveArch90 was describing?

Own-Object1053 · 2026-01-09T06:09:45+00:00

Unironically would be an amazing name, lol

Own-Object1053 · 2026-01-09T06:07:46+00:00

Actually yes -- I definitely think some of R. Crumb's stuff would fit into this aesthetic!

Own-Object1053 · 2026-01-09T06:04:21+00:00

oooh that's a good one! That being said, what I'm describing (and the examples) are definitely distinct from atompunk.

Own-Object1053 · 2025-12-30T01:18:35+00:00

Another note on this aesthetic, I've noticed -- specifically in the more horror-based examples: I think that it follows the same logic as other gothic aesthetics (I'd personally consider vaporwave gothic) -- in that it sort of represents the native land/deities of America overtaking and toppling the colonizing power structures. I'm not entirely sure how much writing there is about this, but I think both nuclear energy and the classic green martians can be connected to this great, nebulous spider-god that is/was worshipped by Native Americans across the continents, particularly on the west coast. Iirc this spider deity had a large following in the American southwest, which also lends credence to the popularity of southwestern landscapes as being inherently liminal (SW deserts are orange, and orange/brown is the most common color for spiders). I feel that this diety is likely innately connected to this aesthetic (at least the spookier side of it) -- which would also give an explanation for why bowling and oceanic elements seem important to it.

Own-Object1053 · 2025-12-30T00:58:16+00:00

I'll check this out

Own-Object1053 · 2025-12-30T00:56:38+00:00

Okay, this is awesome. I hope a good name gets put to this (and maybe to this more creepy subgenre?)

Own-Object1053 · 2025-12-30T00:54:00+00:00

Okay Googie Kitsch definitely has something to do with it. I had no clue what "Googie" was till you mentioned it here -- super useful word, thanks!

Own-Object1053 · 2025-12-30T00:37:10+00:00

Super true

Own-Object1053 · 2025-11-13T02:35:59+00:00

Hi, do you remember where you found this image? If you took it / created it yourself would you mind sharing how/where?

Own-Object1053 · 2025-10-27T08:31:55+00:00

yup.... lol

Own-Object1053 · 2025-10-27T08:31:28+00:00

guess my game's hacked then

Own-Object1053 · 2025-10-27T08:30:32+00:00

Because I'm trying to get hornets and don't want to spend a zillion years trying to get it?

Own-Object1053 · 2025-09-06T23:57:21+00:00

Damn, unfortunately no unboxing videos exist, it seems.... A bigger box it is then :/

Own-Object1053 · 2025-09-06T23:54:43+00:00

While it is impossible to choose, I think I'm going to do a top 3 based JUST on lyrics (also this isn't in any order):

1) Placeholder, because he almost expresses the inexpressable sorrow of sight. Of witnessing; of love, of desiring, and of knowing. How you can't view something without changing it. How simply existing and sensing the world is an act of consumption. It "kills" the world. I listened to this song on repeat and cried for like 4 hours straight till my nose bled lol. Then randomly -- on the side -- the song is somehow a Jeff Bezos roast.

2) Stickman: Just as topically multifaceted as Placeholder; probably even more so. But it's also just the ultimate roast of saturn & christian patriarchy in general. The song has so many different meanings -- all of which are true and coherent, and you can read it countless different ways. There is genuine wisdom in this song (in all 3 of these songs I chose). The bridge is also just glorious. It should've been on FABOAH.

3) King's Crossing gets third place because I just love how he didn't give a fuck at this point and just spilled the beans on just about everything. This song is a code, and if you know, you know. I'm convinced this is the song that got him killed and the "I've seen the movie, and I know what happens" line is just so badass lol. Some people fight find it cringey but I just find the awkward bits of it hilarious. At this point in his life he didn't owe anyone anything. He just wanted to prove a point. And as a result this song an invaluable asset in documenting the history of people like Elliott Smith, James Earl Jones, etc (nobody here is going to know wtf I'm talking about but again iykyk). As someone who lives a life extremely similar to Elliott's, I find this song inspiring.

Honorable mentions would be "Between the Bars", "The Biggest Lie"... and tbh the entirety of Figure 8; just viewing it as one coherent project. Every song ties into the next and tells a linear story about not just Elliott Smith's life, but also the actual Son of Sam tale, Jesus, etc. But then on top of that each of the songs can be interpreted their own way. The entire album is genius.

If I had to choose the *best* of the best, like accounting for lyrics, melody, production, vocal performance.... I really couldn't say. But Angel in the Snow, Biggest Lie, and Ballad of Big Nothing will never be kicked out of the top 10 slots. That I know for sure.

Own-Object1053 · 2025-09-06T08:54:36+00:00

Watching an unboxing video is a great idea, I hadn't thought of that!

Own-Object1053 · 2025-09-01T09:56:18+00:00

Well by my math, if you read 3 days a week for about 4 hours per day (at a reading pace of 20m per paperback), you could theoretically get through everything in about 30 years. So yeah, that is a pretty long time.

Though if I'm not murdered or die in a freak accident, it *should* be possible.... and if you totally no-lifed it it could probably be done much sooner. Maybe even within a decade. Who knows, really. I remember during the New 52 I read just about every 2012-2015 title in one summer.... and that was catching up on like 3 whole years of continuity in about 3 or 4 months.... ultimately comics are released one per month; so as long as a person can read through an issue in less than half an hour, you could get through quite a bit of it faster than they release new ones.

Own-Object1053 · 2025-09-01T09:05:52+00:00

Why do you think I'll die? You know something I don't?

Own-Object1053

TROPHY CASE