Now more than ever, the success of most modern media ventures depends on parasocial attachment and affective investment. Cultural industries have learned to adapt to the ever-changing horizon of expectations by constructing a new intimacy between spectator and performer. I am very interested in this evolution, particularly within the sphere of what could be considered “alternative” media.
In one of my earliest Substacks, I wrote about Anthony Bourdain and the establishment of his cultural credibility. Bourdain’s roots as an upper-middle-class brat born into comfort and privilege were drowned out by the likable narrative of struggle and addiction. Suddenly, he was complex and tragic and therefore Real. By focusing on struggle and hardship, no matter how doctored or embellished, he became a cultural interpreter who could be trusted.
By associating him with difficulty and triumph, the culture industry evoked classically American themes of resilience, independence; beloved cowboy folk tales, and what author David Marshall calls “myths of democratic access”. His curated explorations of the world provided a stable continuity not unlike that of the late-night talk show host or the newscaster.
Fans of Bourdain might fight against this categorization. For them, there is a distinctive purity about the man, something that differentiates him from Oprah or David Letterman. This is delusion, of course, but one that fascinates me and keeps bringing me back to this topic.
Selling authenticity to this segment of the audience requires careful ritualization of personality. This goes far beyond Bourdain, though he is one of my favorite examples.
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