my social media algorithms have been pissing off me off lately. everyone's trying to be "whimsical" by sticking rhinestones and stickers on everything, and everyone is trying to critique the so-called whimsy maxers by saying it's weird and childish or whatever. My take is that stickers are fun, and they remind me of my Rookie mag days, which makes me happy, so I will continue to put stickers on all of my belongings. To those who think it's "childish," I suggest diving into the origin story of Rookie and question who shaped your conceptions of childness and girliness. I think part of what made Rookie such a special publication was their self-referential aesthetic—they were aggressively girly and childish as a way to reclaim the idea that such kitschy or cute imagery lacked meaning or depth. It was a rebellion in the same way that Courtney Love dressing in pretty nightgowns and smeared lipstick was a rebellion, and I refuse to give in to the notion that you have to stop doing fun things once you reach a certain age or stage of life. So there.
