The Authenticity Industries: Keeping it 'Real' in Media, Culture, and Politics
Michael Serazio
Associate Professor of Communication, Boston College
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
**Time: 12:30 - 1:30pm **Note time!**
Location: 24 Quincy Road, Room 101
In recent decades, authenticity has become an American obsession. It animates reality TV, fuels social media gone viral, and buttresses a multibillion-dollar industry of influencers shilling their friends. It characterizes Donald Trump's willful disregard for political correctness (and proofreading) and inspires corporations to stake activist claims like never before. Yet, ironically, authenticity is not actually real: it's as fabricated as it is ubiquitous. Drawing upon dozens of rare interviews with campaign consultants, advertising executives, tech company leadership, and entertainment industry gatekeepers, The Authenticity Industries (Stanford University Press, 2023) slyly investigates the professionals and practices that make people, products, and platforms seem "authentic" in today's media, culture, and politics. If authenticity represents the central moral framework of our time - allaying anxieties about self and society, culture and commerce, and technology and humanity - the book reveals the strategies and pretenses crafted, behind-the-scenes, to satisfy this widespread American yearning among audiences, consumers, and voters.
Michael Serazio is an associate professor of communication at Boston College who studies media production. A former journalist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, he is the author of two previous books, Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing (New York University Press, 2013) and The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture (New York University Press, 2019).
Whether in media, politics, or business, authenticity is at the forefront of contemporary American culture. In his book, The Authenticity Industries: Keeping it ‘Real” in Media, Culture, and Politics, Michael Serazio explores this trend. Several articles offer examples of the popularity of authenticity-speak: Forbes’ "5 Ways To Use PR To Showcase Your Business's Authenticity" and "Keeping It Real: The Importance Of Having An Authentic Social Media Presence"; "What Makes a Politician 'Authentic'?" from The New York Times; and Serazio's own article, "Why Elon Musk is obsessed with casting X as the most 'authentic' social media platform." These articles give readers insight into why Merriam-Webster chose "authentic" as the 2023 word of the year. These, along with Serazio’s new book, raise important questions about what authenticity looks like in today's society.
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Serazio, Michael. “Conversations with Scholars of American Popular Culture: Michael Serazio.” Americana. Hollywood, CA. 18, no. 1 (2019).
__________. “The Other ‘Fake’ News: Professional Ideals and Objectivity Ambitions in Brand Journalism.” Journalism. London, England. 22, no. 6 (2021): 1340–56.
___________. The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2019.
____________. Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2013.
Michael Serazio begins his luncheon colloquium.
Group shot during Serazio's luncheon.
Photo credits: Christopher Soldt, MTS
At the final luncheon of the semester, Michael Serazio introduced his recently published book, The Authenticity Industries: Keeping it “Real” in Media, Culture and Politics. He began by presenting the factors to consider in discussions of authenticity, which include conceptions of selfhood, the influence of capitalism, and the role of technology. Serazio offered a critical perspective, suggesting that the pursuit of authenticity in media, culture, and politics often leads to a paradox where the appearance of authenticity is prioritized over its genuine expression. Serazio describes the findings of the 79 interviews he conducted with individuals from various industries, including reality TV, social media, popular music, brand advertising, and politics. In the reality TV industry, interviewees spoke about striking the balance between capturing raw, uncensored footage and the need to hold viewers' attention. In the world of social media, Serazio described how amateur content production and lower production values increased perceptions of authenticity. Serazio also discussed the evolving ideals of authenticity within the popular music industry, noting the shift in perspectives on commercial product endorsements. In the 1990’s, engaging in product endorsements was perceived as "selling out,” but now it is an acceptable practice for pop stars. He ended by explaining the power of perceived authenticity for political campaigns, noting that voters are more likely to support the candidate they would rather have a beer with, regardless of the politician's policy ideas or political effectiveness. Mistakes (which Serazio’s research found were often planned ahead of time) and seemingly off-the-cuff statements also increased the perceived authenticity of a candidate and increased votes, something Serazio highlighted as a factor particularly in Trump's campaign.
Following the detailed presentation, the audience engaged with Serazio through a series of thought-provoking questions. They ranged from topics like self-understanding and self-fulfillment to historical perspectives on authenticity and its contemporary popularity. Serazio's reflections extended beyond his critiques of authenticity. In the context of a question about “real” authenticity, he talked about his family and cultivating genuine human relationships, concluding that relating to others without the intrusions of screens is one way to combat the inauthenticity that surrounds us.