In this week's episode, we define the Pastel Protestant Grandmother aesthetic, a cozy visual universe recognizable to anyone belonging to the American Middle Class, or anyone who's ever been to an antique store in America. We discuss the hypnotic sedation of low-definition media, nostalgia-based commodities from Precious Moments figurines to dusty dollhouses, anti-intellectualism and sentimentality in American culture, the social history of craft, Christian kitsch and camp, the dark side of elderly matriarchs, and more.
Links
Pastel Protestant Grandma – Our Official Playlist!
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life – Richard Hofstadter
”The Forgotten Everyday Origins of ‘Craft’” – Sarah Archer
Cræft: An Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts – Alexander Langlands
Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America – Steven M. Gelber
“Do Protestants Have a ‘Low’ Aesthetic?” – Front Porch Republic
“A Defense of Christian Kitsch” – Paul Griffiths
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