[tomc1985]

I do wonder why something so serious has turned into something so childish.

But then the other day I got a haircut and while waiting to pay spied a shelf full of beard products in that cute, hipster art style, the whole display blending in perfectly with all the other hair products. It's difficult to watch something we have defined as the apex of manliness (beards) being treated with the same tone of voice as cosmetics and children's toys.

Infantilisation is endemic at the moment, and I see it as part of a comprehensive attack on American masculinity.

[vorpalhex]

But even those cases where the beard products are on wire shelves with minimalistic old school labels, that's still just a marketing trick where someone did analysis and thought that strategy would be better for their demographic.

If you want to escape infantilisation, you need to in many ways escape consumerism and go back to the days of just whipping up your own beard oils.

[tomc1985]

Exactly. That popular, cute 'craft' style is winning out because it resonates with the target audience. (Same with that popular, functional aesthetic you describe.)

I guess I am against the softening of traditionally 'hard' things. Painful to watch our world (even software!) devolve into bright colors and cute mascots.

One could also interpret this phenomenon as young adults refusing to grow up -- hanging on to childish symbolism concomitant with the rest of millennials' (economically necessary) delayed development into adulthood.

And for the record I am (unwillingly) part of the millennial set and do not have a beard.