The cute existence

Chapter 8 examines the role of cuteness in panda fandom, analyzing how it operates as a form of biopower. The chapter explores how cuteness shapes the daily lives of panda fans, aligning with capitalism’s demands for a disciplined, well-educated workforce and cost-effective production methods. Insights from fieldwork demonstrate that the aesthetic of cuteness is expressed through the pandas’ physical presence, circulates capitalist relations via fans’ expressions and identity construction, and establishes norms that aestheticize and influence life. Panda fandom exemplifies the biopower techniques that sustain and perpetuate economic cycles. Cuteness, as rooted in biopower, stands out as one of the most influential aesthetic categories in contemporary society, dictating and beautifying experiences within the panda fandom. As a result, panda fandom flourishes as fans connect to the giant panda within the framework and mechanisms of biopower.