I actually like the ugly brown things. It's not that I would call them beautiful in an aesthetically pleasing way, but they are provocative, and I find a truth to them, in how people in the city tend to walk around, busy, clumped, but not really seeing one another. When I'm on the street, I make a point to try and make eye contact with everyone I pass and either smile at or greet in some fashion. I am always amazed at how many people either never notice anyone around them or purposefully look away. Is this a societal 'problem?' Can't say. But that is my observation.