Hi again, it’s Folklifeandme. If you’ve been following my journey so far, you know that I’ve been exploring into some heavy ideas surrounding digitization and commercialization—topics that impact how we understand culture today. But before we dive into the details of today’s post, let’s take a moment to reflect on why this is so crucial.
We live in a world where influence is power. From movie stars to TikTok creators, whoever captures the most attention wields the most authority. And here's the kicker—this influence often has little to do with truth or authenticity, especially when it comes to cultural expression. The rise of social media influencers has blurred the line between what’s genuine and what’s manufactured, and this confusion has serious implications for the world of folklore.
Today, we’ll dig deeper into this phenomenon by taking a closer look at how corporate influence shapes what we see, hear, and believe—and how that has sparked a modern-day crisis in the way we view culture and truth.
The Viral Economy: Where Fame Equals Influence
Let’s start with a simple, eye-opening question: If a movie star can earn millions to promote a sportswear brand, why can’t someone who made a funny viral video be paid to act like a movie star at a film festival? The answer is both simple and complex—influence sells. In today’s viral economy, it doesn’t matter where the influence comes from; what matters is how many eyeballs it captures.
Corporate brands were the first to recognize this power shift, and they capitalized on it by hiring influencers to act as spokespeople. At first glance, it seemed like an authentic approach—real people using real products. But the catch is that these influencers are often paid to endorse products, creating a veneer of authenticity that is anything but real. This disconnects between truth and influence reflects a growing problem that extends beyond consumer goods and into the realm of culture.
The Commercialization of Culture
This shift from truth to profit-driven authenticity is where we begin to see parallels with the concept of fakelore. In my previous blog, we talked about how Richard Dorson coined the term fakelore to describe artificially manufactured traditions presented as genuine. What’s happening today is a similar process, only on a much larger scale and driven by the forces of digitization and social media.
Corporations aren’t just selling products anymore—they’re selling cultural experiences. Think about how brands tap into folklore and cultural imagery to sell anything from sneakers to fast food. These brands hire influencers, package tradition in a digestible format, and sell it back to us as something authentic. But just like in Dorson’s time, we’re being fed an altered version of culture—one that’s tailored to fit corporate interests rather than the truth of the tradition itself.
The rise of this manufactured culture is creating a scenario where the line between folklore and fakelore is more blurred than ever before. Digital platforms, powered by algorithms designed to keep us scrolling, are flooding us with inauthentic cultural expressions that look and feel real but have no roots in the communities or histories they claim to represent.
The Battle for Authenticity: Where Do We Stand?
And here’s the really tricky part: most of us, myself included, are often complicit in this cycle. We’ve become, whether we realize it or not, slaves to our screens. Social media feeds us a constant stream of content that claims to be authentic but is often manipulated to generate likes, shares, and profits. And in a world where eyeballs equal value, whoever can capture the most attention wins.
This raises an uncomfortable question: where does that leave those of us who genuinely care about preserving authentic culture? Anyone who stands up to question the commercialization of culture often finds themselves labeled as a "Luddite", someone who resists technological progress. But it’s not about resisting technology—it’s about resisting the erosion of truth and authenticity.
Why This Matters: The Future of Cultural Truth
So, why does all of this matter? It matters because when we stop paying attention to the difference between "authenticity" and "fakelore", we risk losing something much bigger than just traditional stories or cultural practices. We risk losing our connection to truth itself. If we allow fakelore to dominate, we not only distort the past but also shape a future where profit dictates what is remembered, celebrated, and passed down.
In many ways, what we’re witnessing today is the continuation of an age-old struggle: the fight to preserve cultural authenticity in a world that values profit over truth. Scholars like Alan Dundes and Barre Toelken have long emphasized that folklore is not a static entity—it’s an ever-evolving process. But they also warn that commercialization can disrupt the natural flow of cultural exchange, turning what should be a shared inheritance into a commodity.
This blog is part of a much larger conversation that’s been happening for centuries. From the Grimm Brothers 19th-century efforts to collect authentic folktales, to modern-day folklorists who study how digital media is reshaping culture, the question remains: how do we preserve what’s real in a world where so much is fake?
What’s Next: A Deeper Dive into Fakelore
If you’ve followed along so far, you know that we’re just scratching the surface. The influence economy, driven by digital media and corporate interests, is reshaping the way we view culture and truth. And while this post introduces the problem, there’s much more to explore.
In the upcoming series, we’ll dive deeper into how fakelore spreads in the digital age, the role of influencers in perpetuating these narratives, and what we can do to protect the authenticity of our cultural heritage.
Stay tuned—because the story of fakelore is far from over, and there’s much more to uncover. In a world where influence is king, learning to recognize the difference between what’s real and what’s fabricated is more important than ever. Let's continue this journey together.
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This blog post sets the stage for a deeper understanding of fakelore, linking today’s influencer-driven culture with historical concerns about authenticity. By continuing this conversation, we’ll keep peeling back the layers of this critical topic.
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