Do your eyes roll whenever you hear the word “core” attached to anything? Do you complain to anyone who will listen about how they’ll name a style after anything? Do you claim to have no style or that you just throw on whatever and go about your day? Have you considered that maybe…you’re normcore?? In this episode we’re rambling about what distinguishes someone who is “normcore” versus someone who is “normal”, what it means to pursue “no aesthetic” as an aesthetic, and what it means to pursue no...
Jan 23, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 4
We’re entering our ~ hag era ~ ! AKA the perception that people (namely, women) evolve into hags when they enter their thirties. In this episode, we explore the anxiety and pressure that can come with this perception—particularly for those in their twenties (like us!) who are approaching this milestone. We end this episode on an uplifting note: delving into why getting older should be celebrated and seen as a blessing, rather than a source of fear or shame. Join us as we muse on aging and the va...
Mar 12, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 3
We’ve talked about Instagram quite a bit on this podcast - one of our earliest episodes was us talking about our Instagram aesthetics and anxieties around using Instagram. I think it’s fair to say that Instagram plays an important role in our lives and we’ve started to re-examine and re-assess our relationship with it. In this episode we're discussing how our relationship with Instagram has changed over the years, the ways that Instagram tries to keep our attention and keep us on Instagram, and ...
Mar 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Two ✨material gworls✨ who love their stuff get into their spending habits, our thoughts on the genre of online content that tells you what you NEED or DON’T NEED to buy, how we’re influenced by influencers, ads, and even those around us, and our relationship with money. Disclaimers: - This episode was recorded in early 2022, before the start of the global economic slowdown and mass layoffs of late-2022. Some of the topics mentioned do not take this extreme economic lifestyle-shifting event into ...
Feb 18, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Hello hello! Did you miss how awkward we are?? Well we are at our most awkward and rusty in this season 4 trailer/pre-season episode??? Just a little explainer on what we’ve been up to the last 8+ months and trying to get back into the swing of things for the new season. We'll be back again next week with a new episode! Until then, feel free to follow us on instagram @net.aesthetic and keep up with us! As always, thanks for listening!
Feb 11, 2023•15 min
I wish I (Lisa) could say that it took me so long to edit this episode because I implemented all of the advice in this episode and was too busy reading to edit. But really I was procrastinating on both and watching The Great Pottery Throwdown instead. Which isn’t to say that our advice is garbage and you should skip this one! If you used to love to read and/or want to read and, like us, are also struggling to build the habit - you’re not alone! Join us as we chat about our love for reading, our ...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 9
We often see people posting images of their glow ups comparing themselves to their middle school/child selves. But can they really be called glow ups when you were just going through the awkward phase of growing up? In this episode, we explore Glow Up culture. Is this putting pressure on actual children to look like adults? References: The Problem With "Glow Up" Videos I Didn’t Have a Glow Up and Neither Did You thepuppyclub post “Glow Up” Culture is Dangerous It’s Time To Leave Toxic “Glow-Up” ...
Mar 24, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 8
in this episode we're kicking back and discussing randomly generated aesthetics! We talk about whether or not Jam Punk and Forest Grunge would date. What's Realcore? And what on earth is Carnival Dinosaur??? Let us know what your favorite aesthetic generated during this episode was! Or if you identified with any of them! Generators we used: First Second
Feb 12, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 7
We’re fascinated by the speedy rise and fall of the Girlboss movement. What was once an admirable harbinger of gender equality in the workplace dissolved into a laughable meme. In this episode, we explore the history of the Girlboss, why the movement became problematic, and whether WE are Girlbosses. Resources: Taylor Swift, “Unapologetic Messiness,” and the Dying Gasp of Girlboss Anachronisms The Girlboss Is Dead. Long Live the Girlboss. Rich White Women, Pinkwashed Capitalism, & The Downfa...
Jan 24, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Ah shit, here we go again. Another episode on Instagram. This time we're unpacking our motivations and feelings of shame around doing things specifically for the 'gram and why we feel so compelled to share our lives on social media. Also, with the holiday season upon us, we'll be taking a break and will be back again next year! Reading: The Damage Behind "Do it for the Gram" - Travel for Difference An Evening Offline with the Fairytale Goddesses of Instagram - Vox...
Dec 10, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Did you also pick up ceramics / pottery / knitting / crocheting / sticker illustrating / print making / baking over quarantine and fantasize about turning them into a business? Just us? In this episode, we explore the monetization of hobbies. This phenomenon is not new, but this episode discusses the ways in which it manifests today on social media. We go over why this monetization is tempting, freeing, stressful, and sometimes necessary. Sources: Stop Asking Me About My Side Hustle The complica...
Nov 23, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 4
One of our favorite ways to pass the time is playing dress-up in paper-doll style avatar-maker picrew.me and creating our best selves in an illustrated alternate universe where we have more confidence and cash. Picrew also forces us to think about the way we see ourselves, the way we want to be seen, and who we actually are. Or maybe we're just overthinking a dress up game. Also maybe Tumblr ruins everything??? Resources: What is This New Picrew Avatar Trend? - The Mary Sue How an online dress u...
Nov 14, 2021•30 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Autumn is upon us—move over cottagecore and thot girl summer, because Academia has entered the chat. In this episode, we explain what the academia aesthetic is and give an overview of its sub-genres: dark academia, light academia, chaotic academia, gray academia, and more! While we love the visuals of this aesthetic, we also cover why this aesthetic could be problematic. We understand that women, people of color, and queer people have been important members of academia for ever—so why aren't the...
Nov 07, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Hello! We're finally, finally back with our first episode and we're talking about the pitfalls of the internet and how to navigate them with the help of our very first guest, our friend Brenda! Listen on for our thoughts on why it's so important to be well-versed in the way the internet works, how to protect yourself, and some of our tips and tricks for getting around paywalls, processing the onslaught of information, and more! You can find our first guest, Brenda, on Instagram and YouTube @theb...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Welcome to the new and improved Internet Aesthetic! We're going on 3 seasons strong and felt like our trailer needed an update :) Join us each week for a casual dive into the internet and its trends, cultures and sub-cultures, society and its structures of power, and, aesthetics. Because of course, what is substance without style?
Oct 23, 2021•2 min
We're undeniable! We mostly just wanted to talk about how often we use the word "like." In this episode, we cover what makes a California girl: linguistically, demographically, and culturally! It's also fun to challenge our assumptions of what a California girl can look like. While we don't necessarily fit the stereotype, our home addresses and lived experiences make us unequivocally California girls. Bonus stories included about our experience growing up as California girls in Vietnamese-Americ...
Jun 12, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 11
If you're on Instagram chances are you've seen at least one infographic trying to explain a complex topic within ten well-designed, minimalist slides. In this episode we discuss the benefits of raising awareness and spreading information through a social media platform like Instagram as well as the pitfalls that come with it and our own responsibility as consumers of that content. Further Reading/Viewing: the instagram infographic industrial complex - amandamaryanna Should We Trust Instagram Inf...
May 28, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Cottagecore is the north star of our personal aesthetics. It was one of the first internet aesthetics we wanted to talk about, but never did because we wanted to do it justice. In this episode, we explain the origins of cottagecore, why we love it, some contentious issues associated with it, and variations of the aesthetic. Now excuse us while we frolic in a bucolic meadow wearing gingham linen frocks. Associated resources: Cottagecore Debuted 2,300 Years Ago Is cottagecore a colonialist fantasy...
May 15, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 9
surPRISE SHAWTY! It's another episode! Join us as we try to figure out what the fuck NFTs are supposed to be and do with questionable success and if they're worth the damage they cause to the environment (no). Disclaimer: Tbh we probably got some stuff wrong, please gently let us know what. Better Resources: What are NFTs? - Bitcove Blog Confused about NFTs? We Explain All You Need to Know - Creative Bloq Sorry, but NFTs Are Not Design's Democratizing Savior - AIGA Eye on Design NFTs Weren't Sup...
May 07, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 8
We've established that your workplace is probably toxic in Part 1/2. In Part 2/2, we cover some different examples of hostility in companies, how the pandemic has worsened these existing issues, common and covert ways to identify a toxicity in your workplace, and how you can fight back to achieve a healthier work environment for yourself and your colleagues. In this Part Two, we explore sexism at Pinterest, racism at Glossier, and harassment at ThirdLove and Away. Pinterest Shareholders Sue Over...
May 04, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming because we're really good at content planning. We wanted to put out this episode on Fast Fashion vs Slow Fashion and what it means to be a sustainable and stylish consumer this Earth Day! Fashion Revolution Week is also happening this week, so check them out at fashionrevolution.org to learn more about who makes your fabric and what you can do to spread awareness! Ultra-Fast Fashion is Eating the World - The Atlantic If Gen Z Killed Fast Fashion, ...
Apr 23, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Is your workplace toxic? Probably. In this two-parter episode, we're talking about toxic workplaces, how common they are, and the structures of power that create them. In Part One, we break down the problems that caused Bon Appetit's fall in June 2020, exposing the ways staff of color were devalued, and how it took down the podcast, Reply All, that tried to cover it half a year later for the same problems. Then we take a look at two examples of more direct racism that can occur in the workplace ...
Apr 17, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The Aesthetics Wiki page is a treasure trove of aesthetics trending online. In this episode, we dive deep into the subcategory of Foodcores: applecore, buttercore, honeycore, jamcore, bubblegum bitch, milk, mushroomcore. Cottagecore who? We'll cover what these aesthetics mean and how you can incorporate them into your internet aesthetic.
Apr 10, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Two zillennials discuss the millennial aesthetic and the co-opting of that aesthetic into the branding (or blanding) of current products and companies that are being sold to us, the resulting backlash to those blands (and re-blands), and guess how brand design will evolve for the next generation. Further Reading: The Tyranny of Terrazzo - Will The Millenial Aesthetic Ever End? - The Cut Welcome to Your Bland New World - Bloomberg Don’t Worry, These Gangly-armed Cartoons Are Here to Protect You F...
Apr 02, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 3
We discuss the rise of astrology in the internet age, how much truth horoscopes hold, and how we think astrology could be useful.
Mar 27, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We're back for Season 2! In our first episode, we talk about our thoughts on House of Ho's first episode and the entire season of Bling Empire (spoiler alerts, obviously) and how we feel about Asian Americans being represented on reality shows. We also get into the quality of the representation we've been getting and the ways our stories are told in media. Most of all, we're so excited to have more and more stories coming out featuring characters that look and feel like us and the people we know...
Mar 18, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We reflect on our journey, progress, and future. Making this pod wasn't easy! Stay tuned for Season 2...
Feb 15, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Our penultimate episode is here! We're talking about the Youtubers that we like to watch across different genres - beauty, fashion, commentary and video essays, etc - and discussing how far Youtube channels have come since the early days of the internet. Let us know your favorite Youtube channels on Instagram @net.aesthetic
Feb 09, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Lisa shares this article on Muhammed Sajid's Mental Health Illustrations: https://abduzeedo.com/mental-health-illustrations-muhammed-sajid Which begged the question: why has becoming a plant parent become a replacement for taking care of our mental health? We touch on the coping mechanisms we employ because we can't (or won't?) go to therapy.
Feb 02, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Join us for a casual chat, Lisa introduces Isa to virtual K-pop group K/DA!
Jan 26, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 7
