The Heartbreaking Truth of Weirdcore

Summary

In this video, Juno delves into the enigmatic world of Weirdcore, an internet aesthetic that challenges mainstream trends by focusing on low-quality imagery and fragmented memories. Defying commercialization, Weirdcore is an art movement that resonates with the loss of identity and the struggle with the passage of time. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and unease, encouraging viewers to confront their own memories and the ephemeral nature of existence.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The video discusses 'Weirdcore', an internet aesthetic that is often misunderstood and has a unique approach to visual content creation.
• 🌐 Weirdcore is characterized by low-quality images, often featuring interiors, forests, or suburban scenes, with added elements like shadow figures and text overlays.
• 👥 The aesthetic is community-driven and online-based, with a strong presence across various platforms but is not typically commercialized or mainstream.
• 👁 The 'Shadow People' are a notable element of Weirdcore, symbolizing the forgotten figures in our memories and serving as a projection of personal recollections.
• 🔮 Eyes and angelic beings are recurring motifs, with the former being associated with fear and the latter with dreamcore, a related aesthetic.
• 🦌 The use of animals, particularly deer, in Weirdcore imagery is linked to a sense of familiarity and innocence, contrasting with the aesthetic's oddity.
• 🟡 The color yellow is strongly associated with Weirdcore, often symbolizing hope, rot, aging, and a sense of being out of place.
• 📜 Text is an integral part of Weirdcore, evoking emotion and allowing for personal interpretation without the context of the creator's intent.
• 🧩 The aesthetic's philosophy revolves around the concept of memory loss and the struggle to hold onto the past in a rapidly changing world.
• 🕰 Weirdcore deals with themes of identity, loss, and the passage of time, prompting viewers to confront their own memories and the remnants of their past.
• 🌐 The video invites viewers to explore Weirdcore beyond its initial confusing impression, suggesting it offers a deeper, more personal artistic experience.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to analyze and explain the internet aesthetic known as 'weirdcore,' exploring its origins, visual themes, and the philosophical ideas behind it.

How does the script describe the first impression of weirdcore?

The script describes the first impression of weirdcore as confusing and scary, which can make people uncomfortable and lead them to disengage from the aesthetic.

What makes weirdcore different from other popular internet aesthetics?

Weirdcore differs from other popular internet aesthetics in that it is not focused on beauty and visual appeal, does not aim to sell an escapist daydream, and cannot function outside of the internet.

What are the three criteria that weirdcore needs to meet to be considered an art movement according to the script?

The three criteria are a clear artistic style, an ideology behind it, and a specific time frame during which the movement occurs.

What are the common types of backgrounds used in weirdcore images?

The common types of backgrounds used in weirdcore images include interiors like rooms and kitchens, forests or vegetation often at night, and fields and American suburbs.

What is the symbolic meaning of 'Shadow People' in weirdcore according to the script?

In weirdcore, 'Shadow People' symbolize the memories of people from our past who we don't remember clearly, representing the idea that they were real people with their own memories and aspirations, but to us, they are now just shadows without identities.

Why does the script associate the color yellow with weirdcore?

The script associates the color yellow with weirdcore because it stands out as out of place in a green and scary world, and it also represents a color of warning in the natural world, rot, aging, and hope.

What role does text play in weirdcore images?

Text in weirdcore images plays a role in evoking emotion and allowing for personal interpretation without the context of the author's background, enhancing the intimate connection between the viewer and the image.

What is the main philosophical message or goal of weirdcore as explained in the script?

The main philosophical message or goal of weirdcore is to make the viewer remember and confront the loss of their past, the passage of time, and the resulting feelings of dread, alienation, and identity crisis.

How does the script relate the aesthetic of weirdcore to the concept of memory loss?

The script relates weirdcore to memory loss by suggesting that the aesthetic triggers the viewer's mind to fill in the gaps of fading memories, connecting the images to personal experiences and the fear of losing one's past self.

What is the script's final message about weirdcore?

The script's final message is that weirdcore allows viewers to confront their past and the emotions associated with it, offering a unique and personal artistic experience that can be both comforting and unsettling.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Weirdcore Aesthetics

The video script introduces the viewer to the world of Weirdcore, an internet aesthetic that is often misunderstood due to its confusing and mysterious nature. The host, Juno, promises to explore the aesthetic's depth and explain why it stands out from other popular aesthetics. Weirdcore is characterized by its low-quality images, often featuring interiors, forests, or suburban scenes, with added elements like shadow figures or angelic beings. The aesthetic cannot be commercialized like others, as it is deeply rooted in the internet and does not aim to sell a lifestyle or visual appeal. Instead, Weirdcore is presented as an art movement with a specific artistic style, ideology, and time frame, dating back to the early 2010s and ongoing.

05:00

🌿 Core Elements and Symbolism of Weirdcore

This paragraph delves into the specific elements that define Weirdcore imagery, such as the use of shadow figures, wide-open eyes, and angelic beings, which are often associated with the aesthetic's commercialized version. The shadow figures symbolize the forgotten individuals in our memories, representing the loss of identity and the passage of time. The eyes, a recognizable motif due to TikTok's influence, evoke fear and unease, while the presence of deer and cats adds a sense of innocence and familiarity. The color yellow is highlighted as a motif associated with Weirdcore, symbolizing both hope and decay. Text within Weirdcore images is crucial, allowing for personal interpretation without the context of the author's intent, which is a key aspect of the aesthetic's appeal.

10:03

🕵️‍♂️ Philosophical Underpinnings of Weirdcore

The third paragraph examines the philosophical meaning behind Weirdcore, suggesting that it is a commentary on the impermanence of memory and identity. The aesthetic prompts viewers to confront the loss of their past and the struggle to maintain a sense of self amidst an ever-changing world. Weirdcore is described as a way to remember and deal with the loss of memories, people, and places that have shaped who we are. It focuses on what remains despite trauma and the passage of time, using confusion as a tool to deliver its message. The aesthetic is about the struggle with memory loss, the dread of an ever-changing reality, and the longing for the past, which is a central theme of the movement.

15:03

👋 Conclusion and Invitation to Explore More

In the concluding paragraph, the host thanks the viewers for watching and invites them to engage further with the content. They offer a list of artists and music used in the video, which will be found in the description, and encourage viewers to subscribe for more content. The host also asks for suggestions on other aesthetics to cover in future videos, emphasizing the ongoing exploration and discussion of internet aesthetics and their cultural significance.

Keywords

💡Weirdcore

Weirdcore is an internet aesthetic characterized by its low-quality visuals, odd realities, and a sense of confusion and mystery. It is deeply misunderstood by many, often seen as unappealing due to its initial scary impression. The video explores this aesthetic, aiming to show its depth and unique qualities that elevate it beyond other internet aesthetics. Examples from the script include the use of shadowy figures, wide-open eyes, and the color yellow, all contributing to the aesthetic's eerie and nostalgic feel.

💡Internet Aesthetics

Internet Aesthetics refer to visual styles or cultural movements that originate or are popularized online. They often involve specific visual guidelines and are shared across various platforms. In the context of the video, Weirdcore is one such aesthetic, with its own set of visual themes and artistic style, differing significantly from others in its focus and reception by the wider audience.

💡Shadow People

Shadow People are a recurring motif in Weirdcore, representing the perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure. They symbolize the idea of forgotten memories and the people from our past who have no identity or story in our recollections. The script mentions Shadow People as a key element, suggesting they are a way to project our own memories, transforming from a black mass into someone we used to know.

💡Eyes

The motif of wide-open eyes in Weirdcore is associated with fear and alarm, as humans naturally open their eyes wide in moments of fright. The script discusses the use of eyes in Weirdcore, suggesting they are a recognizable feature that can make viewers feel uneasy, contributing to the aesthetic's overall unsettling atmosphere.

💡Dreamcore

Dreamcore is another internet aesthetic that overlaps with Weirdcore, often characterized by surreal and dreamlike imagery. The script mentions that elements such as angelic beings, wings, and halos are associated with Dreamcore but can also be found in Weirdcore, indicating a shared visual language between the two aesthetics.

💡Color Yellow

The color yellow is strongly associated with Weirdcore in the video. It is used to evoke a sense of the unnatural or out-of-place in a typically green and scary world. The script describes yellow as a color of rot, aging, and hope, suggesting its use in Weirdcore to create a sense of unease and contrast.

💡Text

Text is an integral part of Weirdcore images, often evoking emotion and prompting personal interpretation. The script appreciates the use of text for its ability to stir feelings and provoke thought, noting that the lack of context for the author allows for an intimate and unconstrained interpretation of the work.

💡Memory Loss

Memory loss is a central theme in the video's discussion of Weirdcore. It refers to the fading of memories over time, particularly those that are not concrete moments but rather places, habits, and routines. The script uses the concept of memory loss to explore the idea of losing parts of one's identity and the feelings of dread and alienation that accompany this loss.

💡Identity

Identity in the context of the video is tied to the memories that shape who we are. Losing these memories, as suggested by the theme of memory loss, can feel like losing a part of oneself. The script discusses how Weirdcore can help deal with the loss of identity that comes with the fading of past memories and the passage of time.

💡Dread

Dread is an emotion that the video associates with the realization that one's past and the reality it shaped are fading. It is the fear of losing the memories that made us who we are and the uncertainty of our current identity without them. The script uses the term to describe the emotional response to the themes of memory loss and identity in Weirdcore.

💡Commercialization

Commercialization in the video refers to the attempts to turn internet aesthetics into marketable trends or products. The script notes that Weirdcore has resisted commercialization, unlike other aesthetics, because it does not sell an escapist daydream or a specific lifestyle, and it cannot function outside of the internet.

Highlights

Introduction to the aesthetic deep, dice series and the exploration of the misunderstood aesthetic, weirdcore.

Weirdcore's unique position as an internet aesthetic that cannot be commercialized like others.

The three criteria for an art movement and how weirdcore fits into this definition.

Weirdcore's origin in the early 2010s and its ongoing influence.

The visual themes and artistic style that characterize a weirdcore image.

The use of interiors, forests, and American suburbs as common backgrounds in weirdcore.

The symbolic meaning of shadow people in weirdcore and their representation of forgotten memories.

The debate within the community about the authenticity of weirdcore and its commercialized version.

The significance of eyes in the aesthetic, associated with fear and the human alarm signal.

The overlapping of weirdcore with dreamcore and the difficulty in distinguishing between the two.

The role of deer in weirdcore, symbolizing innocence, familiarity, and the oddity of distortion.

The color yellow's association with weirdcore and its contrasting role in a scary world.

The importance of text in weirdcore images for evoking emotion and personal interpretation.

Weirdcore's message delivery through confusion and its reflection on the ever-changing world.

The philosophy of weirdcore focusing on memory loss, identity, and the passage of time.

Weirdcore's ability to make viewers remember and confront emotions tied to forgotten memories.

The call to action for viewers to subscribe and comment on other aesthetics to be covered.

Transcripts

hi hello my name is Juno your local

Mothman and welcome to my aesthetic deep

dice Series in which I analyze and

explain internet Aesthetics while making

art inspired by them and today we will

be taking a look at weirdcore and how

this confusing and mysterious aesthetic

has been deeply misunderstood by the

users of the worldwide web I am going to

show you an image and then I'm going to

ask you a series of questions

don't worry this is in a

test ready where are

we have you been here

before where is the

exit why are you

here don't you

remember while I personally love weird

cor I understand why so many people are

turned off by it the confusing and scary

first impression can be enough to make a

person so uncomfortable that they decide

to no longer engage with the aesthetic

further but I would like to invite you

to take my hand relax and explore What

Lies Beneath discomfort cuz I truly

believe that what is lurking under the

poor quality and odd realities of the

aesthetic elevates weird C to a realm

not often explored by other internet

Aesthetics but why let me explain at

first glance weird call fits the

definition of an Internet aesthetic

perfectly it has accounts and mood

boards dedicated to posting and

reposting content made in line with a

visual guidelines of weirdcore their

entire Community is online based around

the aesthetic and is popular across many

platforms and created in many different

forms where it differs significantly

from others is in what they're set

focuses on and how it gets treated by

the wider audience compared to other

equally popular Aesthetics overall the

most popular internet Aesthetics take

real life Concepts such as institutions

responsible for higher education for

example take the neat beautiful Parts

ignore the bad bits and then romanticize

the aestheticized version of reality and

then later once the aesthetic hits the

mainstream it becomes a wonderful

marketing tool for companies looking to

sell products and so the internet born

Aesthetics bleeds into reality turning

into a manufactured lifestyle fashion

trends inspiring home decor and product

design we've seen it with dark Academia

Tumblr girl aesthetic kidcore on which I

already made a video if you would like

to watch it the link is in the

description and many others but

weirdcore will never be able to follow

in their footsteps there have been

attempts to commercialize weird cor

however the attempt failed simply

splitting the aesthetic into his

original version and the new one because

weirdcore unlike other Aesthetics isn't

trying to saell you an Escapist Daydream

or convince you to prefer a certain

color palette and clothing style over

others it isn't focused on beauty and

visual appeal and most importantly it

cannot function outside of the internet

that's what makes weirdcore and

weirdcore adjacent Aesthetics so unique

and because of that I would like to

prove to you that Weir call is an art

movement an art movement is a tendency

or style in art with specific common

philosophy or goal followed by a group

of artists during a specific period of

time usually a few months years or

decades so there are three criteria

weird cor needs to fill in order for my

claim to be true it needs a clear

artistic style an ideology behind it and

a time frame well weird C dates back to

the early 2010s and is still ongoing but

what's the philosophy here is there even

a goal to answer that question we need

to analyze Weir call one layer at a time

starting with its visual themes and

artistic style what makes a weird Co

image for an image to be a weird Co

image it needs to feel like you could

have found it by browsing through the

old internet a weird Co image is a

lowquality photograph art piece of

screenshot which serves as the

background on top of which there are

some edited elements and the image is

often tied together by text although

it's not necessary there are three types

of backgrounds commonly used in

weirdcore first one being Interiors

photos of room kitchens rarely bathrooms

either clotted or early empty like linal

spaces for example next up there are

forests or overall vegetation often at

night the third one are fields and

American suburbs and what ties these

places together is that they are places

we usually spend a lot of time in they

need to feel familiar otherwise the

aesthetic won't work there's of course

also different genre of imagery where

instead of a photograph we have a

screenshot of a badly rendered video

game the early internet or old versions

of an operating system there are many

things people edit on top of those

backgrounds however there are a couple

which seems to be staes of the aesthetic

and the most famous one the one that is

nowadays associated with the

commercialized version of weirdcore are

of course the Shadow People a shadow

person also known as a shadow figure or

black mass is the perception of a patch

of Shadow as a living humanoid figure

and interpreted as the presence of a

spirit or other entity by Believers in

the Paranormal and Supernatural however

I believe that shadow people have more

of a symbolic meaning than a

supernatural one the shadow people are

nothing more than that

Shadows frames of people with no faces

No identities no stories to be told they

represent how when looking back at our

memories especially those earlier ones

we know that other people were there

with us but we most likely don't

remember them the people from our past

neighbors classmates older relatives

that passed away those were all real

people with memories of their own

aspirations struggles and thoughts but

to us they're merely Shadows entities

with no faces Shadow People in weird C

there for us to project our own memories

onto them they go from being a black

mass to somebody we used to know not

only shadow people look at the edges of

the images from the corners of the rooms

and beams of light widely open eyes

stare straight into our souls the eyes

are one of the more recognizable motives

of the aesthetic due to the popularity

with Tik Tok weirdo creators however I

understand that there's a big debate

going on in the community about what is

real weirdcore and what is the new um

over edited version of weirdcore and I

know that the eyes are often associated

with the new commercialized version of

weirdcore however I will still analyze

them because I think that they are

important the eyes are scary to us

because humans mostly open their eyes

wide in moments of fear it's an alarm

signal and we instinct instinctively

start to feel uneasy when fully open

eyes with pupils blown look at us

forcing eye contact Angelic beings might

also pay us a visit while scrolling

through a weirdcore account I believe

they are more associated with dreamcore

although weirdcore and dreamcore overlap

quite a lot and sound creators tag their

images with both so it's difficult to

tell but wings and Halos as well as many

many glowing eyes are often edited with

pictures of animals ESP especially deers

and cats although the cats are part of

the star flesh aesthetic which I might

analyze in another video if you'd like

me to I believe that deer appear for two

reasons one being the fact that deer

species inhabit most of the globe

meaning that more people have seen a

deer in the backyard than let's say a

kangaroo once again the feeling of

familiarity is essential to leore and

secondly the symbolize innocence and

naivity

which I believe adds to the Oddity of

seeing them distorted the color yellow

is something I strongly associate with

Weir cor although I know it's not a

popular Motif yellow smiley faces yellow

walls yellow

Fields I don't know what about those

images in particular spoke to me I guess

I just enjoy the color theory behind

yellow there's a reason why so many

different kid characters in horror

franchises have a yellow color scheme in

a green and scary world yellow feels out

of place and seems innocent on the other

hand in the natural world bright yellow

is a warning sign the animals use waren

Predators or their poison glands yellow

is the color of rot and aging it is also

the color of Hope a weird CL image is

rarely complete without the text and I

for one love the text it evokes emotion

when analyzing a piece of art especially

written we usually take into

consideration the author behind the work

their back story time frame in which

they were creating and personal ideology

here that context is gone our knowledge

on the author starts and ends with a

username at best with no frame of

reference we're left with purely our own

interpretation that's why I think so

many people are drawn to weirdcore it

allows you to interpret every aspect of

it very intimately without constraints

and that lack of context is essential to

weirdo the way it manages to deliver its

message is through confusion after all

but let's try and dissect it regardless

what does it mean what is it trying to

say

hello hello can you hear

me I'm I'm

sorry I'm confused and in an

everchanging world nothing stays the

same the place you grew up in doesn't

exist anymore your childhood friends

don't exist anymore they are not your

friends they are strangers now the

things that were thought of as

inessential 20 15 10 5 years ago don't

matter anymore I don't feel like myself

so how are you supposed to feel like you

belong like there's a place in this

world for you you a creature of habit

created by the past that holds no

bearing on this new reality who are you

what are you don't you remember all I

feel is dread isn't it terrifying the

version of reality you are part of tus

and exist anymore and if bits and pieces

of what make you you have been lost to

time and progress can you really tell

that you are you the original you the

you you were supposed to be are you

real sorry that's a stupid question

of course you're not real

because I

can't I can't remember there are great

chunks of time I don't remember and the

small moments I do remember I wish I

didn't but when I really Center myself I

can see it my many many childhood homes

the playground that got demolished

recently the oppressing bright green

Walls of a daycare my parents would send

me to my childhood friends

my first

dog but if I focus too

much those memories become wobbly I

can't remember anything concrete other

than these small moments Frozen in time

and warped by years that have passed by

since with every passing moments we're

losing a bit of our past

[Music]

selves memory loss begins in our 20s so

for me and most participants of the Year

aesthetic it has already begun our memor

can also be affected by trauma emotional

disorders or high stress but it's

important to remember that weird core

doesn't focus on trauma it focuses on

what remains despite the trauma what is

left of the past within you it helps to

deal with loss and the passing of people

and places of losing yourself alongside

these

things even though the spaces shown in

weird Co edits are not familiar to me in

particular they still feel feel and look

like something I've seen before the low

quality tricks your mind into filling

the gaps an image of a kitchen suddenly

becomes the kitchen of your late

grandmother a bed looks like the bed you

slept in at your old house and look it's

your fourth birthday again it's a drive

back home from

school your brain is desperate to find

the connection to recognize the pattern

even if that means it has to bend the

truth weird call is about remembering

ing the burning memory that's teing on

the edge of being forgotten the memories

that were the ones that made us who we

are today often don't stick around in a

solid form because they weren't a single

moment in time but rather places habits

routines and since those memories fade

away our current reality that was shaped

by them feels incomplete and empty those

memories were crucial parts of our

identity and losing them feels like

losing a part of

yourself that is the goal of wo that is

its philosophy it's trying to make you

remember and everything that comes with

that the regret of past mistakes the

guilt of not remembering what was once

so important The Dread and knowing that

there is no stopping to this entropy the

longing for the confidence of the past

the alienation of being in a world that

also doesn't remember the dualization

that comes with understanding the

passage of time the dissociation of

trying to forget or worse of trying to

lose yourself in the

memories and that's why I love Weir call

you don't have to feel that way maybe to

you your past and present form a

coherent path that you fully understand

and embrace but for many that isn't the

case thank you for watching this video

to the end the links to the artists who

work I've been showing throughout this

video will be in the description as well

as the music I've been using if you like

this video and are interested in more

please consider subscribing and let me

know in the comments what other

Aesthetics I should cover next thank you

once more for everything and I'll see

you next week bye-bye