"BE WITH ME": CUTE TECHNOLOGY AND THE SIMULATION OF AFFECT
GN HONG ZHAN, JOEL
GN HONG ZHAN, JOEL
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Abstract
This thesis examines the aesthetic of cuteness and its augmentation of biological forms. Through augmentation, I posit that cuteness is an affective device, because it bridges the gap between the otherness of the object and its human subject. Since cuteness is also applied in the design of various artificial objects, I propose that the aesthetic can be regarded as a form of short-hand, or technology that renders the object as approachable and lovable. My work draws on critical theory to illustrate how cuteness encompasses ambiguities of a post-social milieu, where humans have come to share intimate and even indispensable connections with the objects they consume.
Keywords
aesthetics, affect, cuteness, media studies, philosophy
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2015-07-31
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Thesis