Pandemic aesthetics: Cuteness and wholesomeness as cultural responses to COVID-19 crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, two distinct aesthetic sensibilities—cuteness and wholesomeness—emerged prominently in cultural expressions. Captain Tom Moore, a 100-year-old British army veteran, raised over £32 million for the National Health Service by walking laps in his garden, receiving a knighthood and becoming an embodiment of wartime nostalgia. Cultural theorist Sianne Ngai's concept of cuteness as 'aestheticizing powerlessness' helps explain phenomena like children's rainbow drawings in windows and daily applause for healthcare workers. Video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) and Ooblets (2020) offered wholesome virtual environments for friendship-building and self-improvement activities. Pop artist Charli XCX created her album How I'm Feeling Now (2020) entirely during lockdown, collaborating with fans on social media and featuring homemade footage in music videos. The Wholesome Direct online event showcased over 50 independent games under this aesthetic banner. These cultural responses occurred against a backdrop of NHS underfunding and inadequate protective equipment for frontline workers. While providing psychological relief, these aesthetics also risk infantilization and distraction from systemic failures during a period of profound social crisis.