This month: Corporate Fetishism rises in times of crisis; Eater at Home relaunches to celebrate the art of dining in; Gen Z falls in platonic love at first sight; McDonald’s brings its anime alter ego to market; and who (or what) to blame for the Loneliness Epidemic.
Athletic-Maxxing
Sports
Any Olympics year is a year of great anticipation in the sporting calendar, but this time Alex is wondering if attention could be shifting towards releasing the limits of human capabilities? The Enhanced Games threatens to upend the conventional norms of athletics. It promises to allow athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs in competitive events if its billionaire investor, Peter Thiel, can successfully launch the Games in December this year. Why is this interesting? Standard codes of sport like integrity and ‘the love of the game’ are being overturned, in favour of maximising the audience spectacle, expanding the prize pot for athletes, and marrying the best of human and scientific capabilities.
The Professional Fan
Fandom
In today’s music industry, where touring, merch and brand deals are the big money-spinners, the artists with the biggest fans are making record-breaking profits – the most obvious example being Taylor Swift, whose impact on cities she visits on tour has been called ‘the Taylor Swift economy.’ Jess is interested in how fans themselves can now profit and turn their knowledge into a job. USA Today hired fans to cover Taylor and Beyoncé during their hotly anticipated tours, while the V&A is recruiting Taylor and David Bowie fans to consult on upcoming exhibits. Only a select few will secure these viral jobs, but many more will be able to use the valuable skills they gain through being a fan in careers such as social media, digital journalism and research.
Creator Burnout
Social Media
Could the glory days of content creators be coming to an end, Marina asks? Emerging signals are suggesting so. Many prominent online voices are reporting burnout, driven by ever-more uncertain algorithms toying with their monetisation strategies. Some, like Zoe Sugg, Lilly Singh, and Corpse Husband are diversifying their skillset into comedy, business, or music to prolong their careers. Others, like Ana Wolfermann, have turned their backs on million-plus TikTok followings for the relative simplicity and stability of a conventional 9-to-5. Whilst this hasn’t stopped the popularisation of ‘creator camps’ popping up in the US and beyond for those who pin their hopes on a life on YouTube, the allure may wear off as the pressures of the public eye fully sink in.