It requires a mass murder every once in a while to remind you it's also dangerous.
I've often noted that, for a culture that most repeatedly and emphatically claims to be all about "diversity," the corporate/public art is all the same flat, made-for-slow-preschoolers design, popular music is so formulaic it might as well be composed by computer as opposed to six or more people in the credits, female pop singers have the same strange tone and whine to their voices, etc., etc...there's this eerie, depressing sameness everywhere to this "dynamic," "vibrant" culture imposed on us from above. I hadn't thought of the makeup styles and obvious washed-out Photoshopping of models, but here's a fine example:
I know it's the eyeliner abuse, but there is a seriously demonic vibe coming from those eyes, especially the Courtney Cox character at upper right. Then again, if you really want to freak yourself out, look up Latina "chola" culture. They're really into the tall, arched Evil Clown eyebrows. This is what passes for sex appeal in this age. That is, when they're not dressing 10-year-old boys like 30-year-old burlesque showgirls.
Something else to consider is how little the general fashion has changed since the turn of the century over 20 years ago. Tattoos are still a thing, so much so that the challenge is to find someone under age 45 who isn't inked. Hip-hop clothing isn't quite as baggy, saggy, and ridiculous as it was in 2001, but the basics of name-brand athletic shoes, white T-shirts, and duckbill hats remain.
Decades used to be recognized by their fashions. We recently closed out the 2010s and no one has seemed to notice. There was nothing to notice. The years 2016 and 2020 stand out as years of transition and change, but the rest of the decade is nothing anyone would look back fondly on, so they don't.
As for what there is to look forward to, I'd say it's more of the same. It's an obvious joke but there's no other answer.
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