M
“Delightmare.”
Critic Ben Davis rounds up the art words that helped him better process 2025. I think the term “delightmare” hits the spot:
A word I latched onto in an essay thinking about the prevalence of the feeling of “being terrorized by stupid shit.” This is a horror-adjacent genre of cultural stuff linked to overconsumption and brainrot. Because it’s all about stupid trivia becoming actually sinister, it spans art and the news. It was on my mind all year with the gibbering ghoulishness of the White House’s social media feeds and its yen for A.I. art.
It’s also present at this year’s most cursed art installation in Miami. For more on that specific vibe, read this.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...
Most Popular
Most Popular
- Meta’s historic loss in court could cost a lot more than $375 million
- Apple raises the Mac Mini’s starting price
- Spirit Airlines shuts down after Trump’s war on Iran doubled jet fuel prices
- Anker’s discounted 2-in-1 USB-C cable is a great way to spend $15
- How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026
