Rethinking #thedress: On the social aesthetics of viral ambiguity illusions

Abstract

The social media phenomenon known as #thedress, a photograph of a dress that appeared to be either blue and black or white and gold, has been called one of the most viral debates of the twenty-first century. While many scientific explanations have been offered to explain the image’s mysterious color ambiguity, this article analyzes #thedress as an example of a broader genre that I call viral ambiguity illusions, images or sounds that can be perceived in two or more ways, and which invite users to share their perception through likes, comments, and hashtags. Drawing on the social dimensions of aesthetic theory (especially beauty), I argue that viral ambiguity illusions satisfy a distinctly aesthetic desire to share our diverging perceptions with others at historically unprecedented scales, forming what I call aesthetic publics. Ultimately, this aesthetic understanding of viral ambiguity illusions can help nuance assumptions about the polarizing effects of social media.