The distortion is often a quirk of geography, or taboo. There was a famous graffiti statement in a condo construction barrier growing up that was, "artists are

The distortion is often a quirk of geography, or taboo. There was a famous graffiti statement in a condo construction barrier growing up that was, "artists are the stormtroopers of gentrification." To take this further, that quality-middle is risk. It's possible that the sort of sick and uncanny aesthetics of corporate franchises are our reaction to the a disequllibrium of risk. Reacting to something that lacks skin in the game as a trap seems like a reasonable instinct. It's a representation or a simulacrum, something we recognize in nature as bait. The things we romanticize, like old cafes, are expressions of risks taken. Where there is little risk, perhaps on some animal level we expect scavengers and death. Gentrification is de-risking, as is franchising, and imho some portfolio management as well. There is probably an underlying aesthetics of risk theory in there, however, we should leave that one for Nassim Taleb.