It’s the Authenticity, Stupid 0
Meghan Daum dissects politicians’ (and others’) attempts to appear “authentic” and finds them often so much insincere play-acting not to be authentic.
A nugget:
I exaggerate, but only slightly. Somehow authenticity has gone from a broad term about candor and genuineness to a code word for chimerical perceptions of simple American values and a simple, even rural middle-American life. Never mind that there’s nothing simple about life in rural America and never mind that concerns about authenticity are a hallmark of existentialist philosophy, which doesn’t necessarily jibe with the Wal-Mart meme. It’s still managed to become a staple of advertising and self-help discourse (Eat authentic tapas! Achieve authentic happiness!) and, especially in its aw-shucks form, a major factor in the 2012 political races.
