Calculated authenticity as promotion emerged in early twentieth-century America
Evidence
The contemporary emphasis on social media–enabled authenticity should not belie the historical vestiges of this ideal in Western consumer culture. Media historian Jefferson Pooley traces the development of calculated authenticity—whereby authenticity “is presented as a means to the end of promotion”—to the early decades of twentieth-century America, when a confluence of socio-cultural factors seemed to efface the Victorian ethos of self-denial. From self-improvement literature to ad pitches that promised consumers salvation through self-expression, the message of the therapeutic ethos was clear: “The best way to work on yourself is to consciously cultivate an authentic persona.” — Brooke Erin Duffy, (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love, 319
Categorization
- XREF: Pooley’s genealogy of authenticity links directly with craft-and-method, and could deepen ADDENDUM overlaps with ‘Immodesty’ piece on Victorian self-denial vs. contemporary expression. — connects to: Early advertisers explicitly targeted women as market subjects — Brooke Erin Duffy, (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love:…, 57; Social media’s democratizing tools coincided with an emphasis on authentic self-expression — Brooke Erin Duffy, (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love:…, 268; Contemporary creative identity no longer opposes commerce to art. — Brooke Erin Duffy, (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love:…, 739 (+3 more)
- DEFINE: Defines ‘calculated authenticity’ as authenticity mobilized as marketing strategy.
Broader Connections
- Early radio advertising weaponized sincerity and basic instincts for sales
#exemplifies(0.72) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 329 - Authenticity judgments are shifting from origin to method of production
#responds-to(0.70) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 274