Small, but mighty: how cuteness has taken over the world
red panda might be throwing its paws in the air, like a furry thief being apprehended, or a kitten may sit astride a tiny motorcycle. The supply of these endearing clips is huge. On TikTok there are 65m videos tagged #cute.
The demand is even greater: those videos have been viewed more than 625bn times. Cute things are everywhere, not just online. In Japan—where appreciation for all things kawaii is especially keen—roadblocks come in the form of dolphins, ducks or frogs.
Hello Kitty, a cartoon, adorns everything from phone chargers to first-aid kits. In America a puppy has advertised beer, and an endearing gecko helps GEICO sell around $39bn in car insurance a year. In Britain a cartoon koala helps peddle toilet paper.
An interest in the adorable has long been derided as girlish and frivolous. But cuteness has recently become a subject of serious inquiry, inspiring scientific research, academic literature—dubbed “Cute Studies"—and a recent book, “Irresistible: How Cuteness Wired our Brains and Conquered the World". A new exhibition at Somerset House in London (pictured) also examines the ubiquity of cuteness in culture, bringing together art, games and toys.
Cuteness “has taken over", says Claire Catterall, the curator. “It’s infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives." What do humans consider cute? In the 1940s Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian zoologist, found that people are drawn to babies with big eyes, a small nose and mouth and round cheeks, as well as a pudgy body, short arms and legs and a wobbly gait. These traits motivated people to nurture and protect babies, helping ensure their survival.
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