Top all-time · #6344
Blackbird Spyplane
Personal blog · blackbirdspyplane.comculturedesign
Blackbird Spyplane is a personal blog at blackbirdspyplane.com about culture and design. Since 2022, 13 different Hacker News readers have linked it 14 times, most often “Why do new cars look like “Wet Putty”?”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-11-01, and you can follow it by feed.
Too few sampled comments (6) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN readers link this blog's style and culture posts, mainly on why new cars look alike in glossy pastel paint, plus cursed corporate merch and the sameness of coffee shop design.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 6 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Your No. 1 source for “unbeatable recon” into style, travel & culture.
Most-linked posts?
- Why do new cars look like “Wet Putty”?5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2022-12-06
- Is Ssense hurting the cool-clothes ecosystem?2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2023-06-30
- Too many places are sterile and torched – let's make them cool and funky2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2024-01-16
What Hacker News says?
> That weird glossy pastel paintwork that’s so popular all of a sudden I believe the technical term is "putty-lookin' ass whip". https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/why-do-new-cars-look-lik...
Comment linking /p/why-do-new-cars-look-like-this
on “Cars suck, man”Submitted You are not a commercial for yourself as a story · 21 points
HN discussionLike wet putty https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/why-do-new-cars-look-lik...
Comment linking /p/why-do-new-cars-look-like-this
on “Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck”Submitted Too many places are sterile and torched – let's make them cool and funky as a story · 4 points
HN discussionI'd disagree. The public is rainbows; the private is gray. Google is rainbows, and the exterior cladding of the new apartment block is not unusually rainbows. But new kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms are all gray. And I do think it connects to cars. There's been a recent trend (maybe now a year or so passe, but still relatively strong) for Nardo Grey. https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/why-do-new-cars-look-lik…
Comment linking /p/why-do-new-cars-look-like-this
on “Cars are less colorful than they were 20 years ago: study”Submitted Do good work and your fits will follow as a story · 2 points
HN discussionFor anyone who is confused or making up theories, cursed corporate swag is a bit of a fashion trend https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/the-dark-allure-of-black...
Comment linking /p/the-dark-allure-of-blackpilled-swag
on “The collapse of companies like SVB is triggering demand for corporate merch”Submitted Why do new cars look like “Wet Putty”? as a story · 2 points
HN discussionGotta look for the Ungrammable Hang Zones there are still plenty of them around. https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/un-grammable-hang-zone-m...
Comment linking /p/un-grammable-hang-zone-manifesto
on “The tyranny of the algorithm: why every coffee shop looks the same”Submitted I used to get paid to hang out with famous people as a story · 1 points
HN discussionI can second this: spend a lot of time working with subtle color variations (not just frequency, but the various matte/shiny bits). I learned I LOVE highly saturated colors. Recent car paint was also a revelation to me ( https://www.blackbirdspyplane.com/p/why-do-new-cars-look-lik... ).
Comment linking /p/why-do-new-cars-look-like-this
on “Just How White Can White Paint Get?”Submitted The end of cool small cars as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Is Ssense hurting the cool-clothes ecosystem? as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Is Ssense hurting the cool-clothes ecosystem? as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
