The internet has brought us many things: TikTok trends, heart-warming stories, funny memes and more. But among the weirdest offerings are what's become known as cursed images.
They're unsettling. They're weird. And they often leave us feeling a bit uneasy, or even a little creeped out. Despite their off-putting nature, we can't help but stare.
"At first glance, it’s hard to pin down what makes a cursed image cursed. Often, the elements in the photo seem normal enough—a person, a place, or an object you recognize. But there’s something about the way everything comes together that feels off," notes 3D art platform ANASAEA.
"Maybe it’s the angle, the lighting, or just the strange combination of things that don’t belong together," adds the site. "It’s like your brain knows something isn’t right, but you can’t quite put your finger on it."
The platform adds that what makes cursed images impactful is the fact that they fall somewhere between normal and abnormal, and they play with your sense of reality.
"Sometimes, it’s the content that throws you off—like a familiar scene that’s just slightly distorted. Other times, it’s the poor quality of the photo, like a grainy, low-resolution image of a deserted playground or a blurry shot of a mannequin in an unsettling pose," reads the site.
In a nutshell, they leave you feeling like something’s not quite right, but you’re not exactly sure what.
According to writer and cursed images connoisseur Már Másson Maack, there are a few building blocks that make up the perfect cursed image.
One is what he calls defamiliarization. Maack explains this as "the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar."
He gives the example of putting dish soap on waffles, or locking toes together with multiple people at once.
Another thing you might notice in cursed images is high-contrast flash photography. "The lighting in the most powerful photos often has a film-like feel to it, a reminiscence of where we’ve come from but also painting our past as sordid and dirty," explains Maack.
Flash photography might also invoke a feeling of being exposed for what we really are, he says. "A bright flash of light, unveiling all the faults we’ve tucked away in the darkness — like our toes, which are universally disgusting."
Finally, says Maack, many of the greatest cursed images recast food as a reminder of mortality and lack of agency.
"Food is a common theme in DIY cursed images. The presence of unappealing food quietly reminds us of the carnal element of our existence. Food crosses the boundaries of our bodies and we’re sickeningly dependent on it, reminding us we’re never fully in control of our surroundings or an independent force in this world," writes the fan.
"[Food] also shines a light on how ashamed we are of our bodily functions (probably some Freudian s*it) as they poke a hole in the lie we constantly tell ourselves that we’re completely cerebral beings, above the filthiness surrounding the lives of animals," Maack writes.
He believes that introducing foods such as milk in new, unexpected circumstances forces us to face the fact that no matter how much we advance, we’re still fettered by our base needs.
