The Era of Genuine and End of Authenticity

Yes, it's a "Brat" summer . For those who are familiar with the term, "Brat" is Charli XCX's new album featuring perfectly imperfect songs and a viral dance for her hit "Apple" (which I can do, but it doesn't appear on TikTok).

Charli defines brat as, “me, my flaws, my f--- ups, my ego all rolled into one.” And when I look around at culture and when a movement like this strikes, it usually means a few things are working together to create the spark.

Charli timed her release right with something happening in culture, especially as it seems to close the era of perfectly crafted and calculated music (no this isn't a Taylor diss, I love her). What I believe we are in is now the Era of Genuine and Charli timed this just right with her music.

And bear with me, as I first explain culture and then why I think culture is shifting right now and Charli is an indicator that this is just the start. In 1924, in the American Journal of Sociology, E.Sapir studied culture and concluded,??"Every profound change in civilization, particularly changes in economic bases, tends to bring about an unsettling adjustment of cultural values."

I believe we are in that moment, as we have been spurred on with two years of economic uncertainty, post-pandemic life adjustments, housing challenges, the gaping divide of have and have not and a slow end to the "it is all about me" with a hyper focus around self-identity, self-care and self-obsession.

Let's dig into culture. Many sociologists and experts have studied culture, including the famous Robert Kohl. He wrote, "Culture is an integrated system of learned behaviour patterns that are characteristic of the members of any given society. ?Culture is?the total way of life of particular groups of people. ?It includes everything that a group of people thinks, says, does and makes — its systems, attitudes and feelings. ?Culture is learned and transmitted from generation to generation." The only thing that I would modify in Kohl's definition is that the way culture is transmitted today isn't just generational it is light speed across the world, otherwise, I think he is spot on.??

Okay, so why is this the Era of Genuine? First, I think authenticity is dead. It jumped from permitting people to be themselves over to a new level of fakery into a realm of well jerks. When I use the word "genuine" here, I'm not referring to authenticity, which is more self-focused and about living according to your own values and sense of self. Genuine, on the other hand, involves others in your honesty and connection to community. A good dictionary definition of "genuine" is "honest, truthful, and sincere in the way they live and in their relationships with other people."

Let's talk about Charli XCX for a moment. She, much like Chappel Roan, is well-known for being an artist's artist. Both of them have a deep appreciation for the communities they are a part of, such as LGBTQ, music, art, and fashion. A recent reporter mentioned that Charli's authenticity is what makes her cool. I believe that her coolness comes from her genuineness.

Now let's look at the U.S. election. Kamala has momentum and a new running mate in Govoner Tim Walz. And you can say they have connected to the meme culture, jumping on the Apple mixed with Coconut bandwagon, but I argue think it is because they are genuine that this starts to resonate with the public (especially when so many lies come out of the other candidate). This video is a great example of what a Genuine person is like versus what an Authentic person is like. The world is responding to Genuine people. When listening to the Ezra Klein Show, podcast at the NYTimes, he said this week that Tim Walz was in his top 5 interviews of all time for politicians because he was genuine.

Other moments that have percolated to show Genuine realness over the past few years that show this trend moving along (also note the compassion and the lack of being fake or PR):

• Taylor Swift stopping concerts to help fans
• Simone and Jordan Bowing down to Rebecca
• Hunter Schafer on her life as a Transwoman on Call Me Daddy
• In the Kitchen with Kamala Harris
• Chapell Roan
• Ilona Maher on Cellulite
• Celine Dion in her recent documentary

(yes, it is mostly women that I see this trend with).

As someone who works in advertising, I believe it's important to understand how cultural trends impact advertising and brands. We are currently in an era where genuine behaviors and storytelling are crucial, just as they have always been. It's a good time to truly embody what is professed because it's real, honest, and beneficial for more than just you. This means the truth goes beyond a purpose that pokes up from time to time in a stunt and into a genuine relationship with communities and people.

Do you see these moments of genuine? If you are seeing things that speak to this share in the comments below!