The Authenticity Industries: Keeping it 'Real' in Media, Culture, and Politics
Michael Serazio
Associate Professor of Communication, Boston College听
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.听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,听The Authenticity Industries听(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听is an associate professor of communication at Boston College who studies media production. A former journalist whose writing has appeared in听The New York Times,听The Washington Post, and听The Atlantic, he is the author of two previous books,听Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing听(New York University Press, 2013) and听The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture听(New York University听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 鈥楻eal鈥� in Media, Culture, and Politics, Michael Serazio explores this trend. Several articles offer examples of the popularity of authenticity-speak: and ; ; and Serazio's own article, "" These articles give readers insight into why Merriam-Webster chose "authentic" as the 2023 word of the year. These, along with Serazio鈥檚 new book, raise important questions about what authenticity looks like in today's society.听
Balkun, Mary McAleer. The American Counterfeit鈥�: Authenticity and Identity in American Literature and Culture. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 2006.
Berman, Marshall. The Politics of Authenticity; Radical Individualism and the Emergence of Modern Society. New York, NY: Atheneum, 1970.
Enli, Gunn. Mediated Authenticity鈥�: How the Media Constructs Reality. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2014.
Serazio, Michael. 鈥淐onversations with Scholars of American Popular Culture: Michael Serazio.鈥� Americana. Hollywood, CA. 18, no. 1 (2019).
__________. 鈥淭he Other 鈥楩ake鈥� News: Professional Ideals and Objectivity Ambitions in Brand Journalism.鈥� Journalism. London, England. 22, no. 6 (2021): 1340鈥�56.听
___________. 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 鈥淩eal鈥� 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鈥檚, engaging in product endorsements was perceived as "selling out,鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渞eal鈥� 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.
听