You’ve probably seen the series of Progressive Insurance commercials featuring a character named Dr. Rick, a life coach who teaches young homeowners to avoid becoming their parents. In the most noteworthy episode, Dr. Rick throws a plaque with a folksy message that is obviously loved by its young fogey owner in the trash.
Dr. Rick is an advocate for an aesthetic I call “millennial neoclassical:” a stripped-down, digitally-oriented design style which emphasizes light, open spaces, natural materials, and experiences over the accumulation and display of mediocre stuff. The series obviously urges young people to embrace that aesthetic and to reject the clutter that is characteristic of their parents.
Younger people probably find the commercials hilarious. Older people, on the other hand, undoubtedly see the enforced rejection of their values as a metaphor for “cancel culture” and fear it. What else would you expect from a company that calls itself “Progressive?”
Me? I’m indifferent. I don’t hate millennial neoclassical, but I don’t have an ideological loathing of stuff, either.