Oscar Wilde and Aestheticism (Bay P. and Connor L.) (you know there's gonna be a gay joke in here)

Let's begin with a definition of Aestheticism (capital A) and the Aesthetic Movement. The Aesthetic Movement was an art movement which emphasizes just what you think it would emphasis: aesthetics. This was in contrast to other movements, which had more of a focus on socio-political themes. The main pillar of this movement was for art to exist for its own sake, not to bring a message or even pleasure to its audience. Oscar Wilde was a leading member of this movement. He advocated for freedom from the restraints of both morality and society, which was in stark rebellion to Victorian convention of the time. What a Wilde rebel. This can be seen clearly in The Importance of Being Earnest, which is essentially all about mocking the upper class. Wilde in general was all about being controversial and sticking it to the man, namely in the fact that he rather publically stuck it to men. (Ba dum tsh. There’s your daily tasteless joke about gay sex, courtesy of none other than your friendly neighborhood Bay Phillips.) He was a dandy, a man who pays excessive amounts of attention to his appearance, and this self-effacing character trope shows up in many of his works. This plays in perfectly with his role in the Aesthetic Movement, since, well, the movement was all about aesthetics, and so was Wilde.