We’ve entered our ‘The Truman Show’ era

Originally written for The Weber Forecast.

Remember when consuming was for fun, not funnels? These days, every social post, TV show and even movie is wrapped in a brand deal. Bots, burnout and boredom have exposed the hollowness of performative culture. The Truman Show has become real life.

Deinfluencing has been around for a while, but mentions are up 79% this year, mirrored by the collective eye rolls at the product placement in Nobody Wants This. Audiences are growing tired of the algorithmic sameness of scrolling through feeds and being pummelled with product placement, it’s leaving them hungry for something messy and genuinely human. The lo-fi internet of the 2010s is back because it feels grimy and real (we’re currently panicking that we can’t remember our Tumblr password). Brands are picking up on this cultural itch, including Hinge’s quiet approach to social (absent from feeds but paying their community to do the storytelling) by embracing humanity, with all our quirks and imperfections.

The reaction? Suddenly, the new status symbol isn’t how many followers you have, it’s cultivating a real audience and not creating something because it will please others, or brands, but because it will please yourself.

From recording your niche hobbies to hap dash carousels that make you smile, we’re seeing culture stepping back from curation and leaning into what’s real. Audiences want emotion, not optimisation or spectacle. But, of course, even being anti-performative can become performative… and the trend cycle starts all over again.

Consumers are rejecting performative, product-heavy content. Brands should consider subtlety, vulnerability and letting users narrate experiences for themselves. Embrace humanity, and they’ll want to hug you right back.