Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art for Everyone

August 13, 2026
by Aesthetics for Birds
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The Game That Won’t Let You Disappear

Pinball isn’t just bells, bumpers, and high scores. Philosopher Mark Silcox looks at why the game still has such a hold on us, exploring the odd pleasure of being drawn into the little world under the glass while chasing a very real silver ball. Continue reading →

A woman sits at a kitchen table and peels the first potato out of four. She stares at it vacantly. Her outfit is drab, and so is her kitchen which houses an utterly routine assortment of household items.

September 16, 2025
by Aesthetics for Birds
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In Praise of Boring Art

We miss out on something important about life and art if we want things to be constantly stimulating, interesting, and engaging. Continue reading →

Ani dancing happily with her eyes closed, surrounded by people in a club-like setting, bathed in vivid blue and magenta lights.

February 27, 2025
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Oscar-Winning Film Anora on the Life-Giving Power of Love and Sex

Sean Baker’s film Anora tells a story that challenges our current, libertine sexual climate. Continue reading →

February 20, 2025
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Why Women Should Rethink Their Love of Gay Male Manga

Unraveling the mystery of a genre designed for women and by women, but with no women in them. Continue reading →

A promotional image from Spotify's 2024 Wrapped. Mostly in Spotify's typeface, some of the letters and numbers are styled as yellow splotches.

December 10, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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How Spotify and its Genres Define Who We Are

Spotify and its bizarre, hyper-specific genres are rewriting how we understand music. Why? And should we bother fighting back? Continue reading →

Natalie Wynn - head and shoulders - faces the camera directly, appearing nearly nude. She artfully holds an apple with the fingertips of both hands, nails red to match. Blond hair tumbles down out of a flower headband, all set against a green and floral background.

May 30, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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How Autofiction, the Buzzy Literary Category, Helps Us Make Sense of YouTube

A media scholar explains autofiction and looks at how it is embodied in Natalie Wynn’s ContraPoints videos. Continue reading →

A dark room designed to look like it is outdoors. It has a large pool of fenced-in water in the center with a fake boat containing a live band. Bamboo accents, dried grass "roofs", plants, and string lights decorate the space.

May 17, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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How to Enjoy a Tiki Bar Without Guilt

Tiki culture rests on a history of exploitation and appropriation. What does that mean for us today? Continue reading →

May 9, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Embracing the Chaos of Adult Swim and Frisky Dingo

Adult Swim’s style was messy, chaotic, and pointless. That’s what makes it bad, but also what makes it great. Continue reading →

A woman in a wheelchair with neat but frizzy hair stares intently at the audience. The open ocean—framed at the edges by heavy drapes—is visible from her balcony. Several objects float or fall from above behind her. The drapes, her sweater, the floating shoe and pocket mirror: all of these plus the eraser of the pencil, bits of her shawl, an object one can only describe as a starfish, and (of course) the flaming steering wheel show a remarkably dynamic and wonderful use of red.

May 2, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Alt Text for Artwork, Alt Text as Artwork

What’s the best way to write alt text for artworks? Read our best practices guide. Continue reading →

An old, white-bearded man kneels on the floor of a messy and dark laboratory, lit only by a bright point of light emerging from the side of a glass flask. Two young boys look on as the man stares at the small plume of light in awe.

April 11, 2024
by Aesthetics for Birds
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What Is the Aesthetic Value of Science?

How scientific experiments and instruments, and the scientific method itself, can be a source of aesthetic appreciation. Continue reading →