Shitty

For my final project, I plan to focus on a specific area we covered in our class on IRL Lit, specifically the idea of Internet Ugly, or ugly objects found on the Internet. I will create a “Shitty Object Marketplace” that specializes in the creation and sale of ugly objects found on the Internet. Therefore, in critically examining Internet Ugly and planning my project, I am using the readings below:

[1] This article (It’s Supposed to Look Like Shit: The Internet Ugly Aesthetic) discusses how Internet Ugly can be “created by amateurs” and is accessible to all. It also mentions how the “Nailed It” images “celebrate[s] ugliness as authenticity,” providing some context for how people create and perceive Ugly Images on the Internet. The positive response to ugly images suggests that despite them clearly being flawed, they are appreciated as an affirmation of life’s imperfections. Additionally, the article provides useful references to places where such images can be found. Thus, sources for my ugly images will include Rage Comics, Shitty Earth Porn [2], Shitty Food Porn [3] and the “Nailed It” subreddit [4].

[5] Postcards from Google Earth captures instances where Google’s machines warp or distort objects, making them look strange on maps. It reflects the unashamed depiction of errors and provides many instances of ugly images on a larger scale, serving as a useful resource for my project which aims to achieve a similar goal.

[6] This article from The Atlantic (Internet Ugly and the Aesthetic of Failing on Purpose) defines what is meant by Internet Ugly. It also examines the danger of commercial enterprises or people like politicians “selling out” by using or selling these objects for their own gain without understanding them. I will make sure to avoid this in my own work, though this may not be applicable to me. My positionality as an ordinary college student means I have no greater political or economic agenda. I interact regularly with memes and Internet ugly, I understand the contexts in which they are used, and my main objective is to create a work of post-lit scholarship that engages with and celebrates the exciting idea of Internet Ugly.