remove the icing to reveal the cake

…what you see is what you get (should be)

The picture used to illustrate this article depicts a 400g tub of Renshaw ready-to-use Royal Icing (priced at ￡11.57 - eBay UK), since this article is about “blanding” (and about “removing the icing to reveal the cake”).

from “show and artifice” to “blanding” and authenticity

…the quest for “genuineness”

Contemporary Health Tourism champions “blandness” – regarding it as the personification of “authenticity”.

And of course, “blanding” is part of the Contemporary Health Tourism “ethos”.

Many are (still) competing to outdo each other with “showiness”.

On the other hand, with “fake” (and “fakery”) being the “bogeyman de jour”, many are scrambling to come up with the “best” definition of “authentic” and “authenticity” (and come across as “authentic”).

In the process, "authenticity" has become a marketing buzzword, plastered across products and services, regardless of genuineness.

This creates a cynical view, seeing claims of authenticity as empty attempts to manipulate consumers.

In the context of Contemporary Health Tourism, “bland” or “blanding” is regarded as the personification of “authentic” and “authenticity” – because blanding is about removing the icing to reveal the cake (if there is “cake” under the icing).

The term “bland” refers to something without unnecessary decoration and artifice – which focuses on functionality.

And of course, the term “bland” is also used as a subtle critique of inauthenticity.

More specifically, the term "bland" is used (by those in the know) to describe minimalism, simplicity, and elegance (“simplicity is the ultimate expression of sophistication”).

The term "bland" also refers to something “highly functional” - prioritizing utility over flashy design (i.e., function over unnecessary ornamentation).

"blandness" reflects the absence of unnecessary embellishments that might distract from “core function”.

A subtle and understated aesthetic is described as "bland".

"blandness" is appreciated for its quiet elegance and focus on inherent beauty - rather than flashy additions – allowing the essential elements to shine through.

In a world saturated with manufactured images and carefully curated online personas, being “bland” implies an honest and unpretentious nature - absence of superficiality, unnecessary embellishment or manipulation.