The Buzzfeed title for the piece is typical for the site: “15 Surreal Portraits Of A Slowly Fading American Dream.”
First of all, they’re not surreal. There are no clocks marching around on giant chopsticks while an elephant melts on a barren tree branch. Second, they have to get that shot at “the American Dream” in there and make sure everyone knows it’s Fading, because the creed of Miserabilism demands that you remind everyone at every possible opportunity that no one can get a house with a picket fence and have two kids and a yard anymore. and also you shouldn’t get a house and have more than one kid and definitely not a yard because there are all bad for the planet, not that it matters, because climate change is real and unstoppable, and species will collapse and everything will be over.
But also be nostalgic for malls because we went there when we were kids. But also hate them.
Oh it’s so confusing, when you think about it.
Best not to think too much, then. Enough to be against the Bad Thing and in favor of the Good Thing and regard the past like a book you can pick up and put down when you wish. I mean, cool story and all that, but what does it have to do with me?