Toxicity Experienced

Exploring the prevalence and plasticity of “toxicity” as a cultural and aesthetic metric, this book argues that the concept reflects deeper societal shifts, and is not only environmental, but also social and psychological.

Thorsten Botz-Bornstein analyses the rise of an aesthetic capitalism that values moods, atmospheres, and feelings as much as function. However, looking closer, this new humanism is just as functional as the high-modern functionalism it deems to have overcome. The phrase “toxic atmospheric functionalism” grasps the present situation.

Through vivid examples, the book explores the “air freshener paradox”: the idea that products designed to improve atmospheres often emit harmful chemicals. Similarly, urban designers, wellness coaches, and business consultants, who aim to create positivity, often generate toxicity instead. This is “toxic positivity,” distinct from “positive toxicity,” where toxicity itself is marketed as desirable, such as perfumes branded with the word toxic.

The book maps toxicity across a spectrum: from kitsch and air fresheners on the positive side to conspiracy theories and toxic masculinity on the negative. Both construct alternative realities. Ultimately, Botz-Bornstein shows how neoliberal culture absorbs ideals like feminism, ecology, and wokeness, transforming them into functional devices that sustain a pervasive toxic atmosphere.