Poptimistic

In a recent Boing Boing interview special effects guru John Gaeta dropped a fantastic new word: Poptomistic.

Picture 47

Poptimistic is not his coinage; it seems to be circulating in the design and style world, but I think it perfectly captures the upbeat, day-glo brightness of a technicolor future. It manages to contain many of the optimistic strands of the digiterati, and the pop masses.  It says: technology that works!

The new pace-setting film Speed Racer (which Gaeta worked on) is poptomistic.

Speedracer



It is the opposite of the distopian Blade Runner, even though both are visually outrageous and seminal. The overlook sci-fi cult favorite Fifth Element was slightly poptimistic.

Fifth Element 2

The book of Japanese street fashions called Fruits is poptimistic.

Fruits

So were many of the early issues of Wired magazine.

Wiredman

And as far as I am concerned the entire instant city of Burning Man is poptimistic.

Magic Bus

Poptimistic is super-saturated richness, hyper-realism, brightly lit in even the furthest corners, up tempo, and generally positive.

What else is poptimistic?


 

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