Towards an Anthropology of Content
What mimetic theory and the quest for authenticity reveal about content creation in the age of extreme internet personas.
Towards an Anthropology of Content
Two Br*an Johnsons walk into a bar.
The first one (Brian with an "i") orders a glass of raw liver juice.
The other Bryan (with a "y") asks for the blood of a vital young lad, straight up. The bartender, confused, tells them he's fresh out of both.
"Well then," says the first Brian, "I guess I'll just munch on this bull testicle ceviche I brought with me. Could I get a glass of seltzer water?"
The second Bryan, not to be outdone, pulls out a syringe. "Not to worry - I also prepared," he says, as he starts to inject blood from his own son into his arm.
This may sound like the setup to a very dark joke, but it's not far from reality. In the world of Content, these two Br*ans - Brian Johnson, aka the "Liver King," and Bryan Johnson, the "Don't Die" biohacker - have become the embodiment of two extreme ideologies shaping our culture.
On the surface, they couldn't be more different. Liver King, with his meat-based diet and dark, tanned skin, represents the primal drive to return to our roots. Bryan Johnson, with his research-intensive longevity protocol and translucent-looking skin, appears to be reaching for a transhumanist future.
But dig a little deeper, and you'll find they're two sides of the same coin - a coin that many content creators and e-influencers are frantically trying to flip in their favor.
The Modern Malaise
In his treatise, The Modern Malaise, George Boreas provides a framework for making sense of the absurdity of internet subcultures in 2024.
Boreas argues that in a world where traditional markers of identity and meaning have broken down, people turn to extreme ideologies and personas in a desperate attempt to differentiate themselves.
"Nothing screams, 'I need a personality' more than people constantly talking about authenticity," he tells us.
This quest for "authenticity-through-extremity" is particularly evident in content creation, where standing out from the crowd is currency. But as Boreas points out: it's a self-defeating pursuit.
The more you try to be different, the more you end up conforming to a new set of norms. It's a paradox that René Girard - the late anthropologist and member of France's prestigious Académie française - understood well. His "mimetic theory" posits that our desires are not our own; they are borrowed from others. We want what others want.
"Internet celebrity status" is an inherently scarce commodity. You can obtain it by apparently differentiating yourself, and yet the fundamental traits driving the differentiation - the obsessiveness, the narcissism, the becoming a caricature of oneself in pursuit of fame - make those seeking it more and more similar to each other.
Navigating the Landscape of Extremes
But where does that leave the rest of us? How can we, as content creators and consumers, navigate this landscape of extremes?
Entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel, himself a student of Girard, offers insight. In his 2014 WSJ essay "Competition is for Losers," he argues that the key to building something truly innovative is to escape competition altogether. Instead of trying to beat others at their own game, the most successful founders create a game of their own. They find a niche - an undiscovered value proposition - and build a monopoly around it.
For content creators, this means carving out our own distinct space, focusing on our unique strengths and perspectives, and resisting the temptation to simply chase the latest trends or imitate the most popular influencers.
However, in a world of mimetic desire and constant comparison, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of defining ourselves against others, even as we strive to be different.
This is where Boreas' concept of "full-hearted imitation" comes in. Instead of trying to be original, per se, he suggests we should find multiple models of excellence and imitate them with all our heart. Not to become pale copies, but to learn from their example, absorb their wisdom, and let it inspire us to create something uniquely our own.
The Founder's Dilemma for Content Creators
As content creators, we face a unique version of what Thiel calls the "founder's dilemma": the challenge of creating something new and valuable without getting stuck in the "mimetic trap." We may not be building billion-dollar companies, but we are building something that will hopefully be of sufficient value to others that we can make a living from it ourselves. And we wish to do so without becoming cartoon character versions of ourselves or the "models" we're trying to imitate.
Take Steve Jobs. As Boreas points out, Jobs was fascinated by Japanese design. He didn't try to create something entirely new from scratch. Instead, he immersed himself in the aesthetics and philosophy of Japanese design, absorbing its lessons and letting them infuse his own work.
"He genuinely, with all his energies, imitated what he loved," Boreas writes. "And through that full-hearted imitation of what he loved, his unique authentic personality could not help but come out."
Full-hearted imitation is not about copying surface-level details or trying to become someone else. It's about diving deep into the models of excellence that inspire us, understanding what makes them tick, and using that understanding to fuel our own unique creations.
Authenticity Through Excellence
Let's not get carried away with talk of "being ourselves" or "unapologetic authenticity." The more we obsess over these ideas, the more elusive they become. Authenticity is not something we can claim or perform; it's something that emerges from the full-hearted pursuit of excellence.
Stop trying so hard to be "authentic," and start trying harder to be good. Find the models of excellence that inspire you, and imitate them full-heartedly. Do the work of mastering your craft, serving your audience, and building something of value, trusting that your authenticity will shine through - not as a performance or a gimmick, but as the natural outgrowth of a life well-lived and a job well-done.