flâneur

The Performative Epidemic: Why Everything Feels Fake Now

ixcarus.substack.com · 1,964 words · saved by 1 readers

i happened to pass this guy on my route. looked to be about early twenties, walking slow with this oversized beige cardigan, tote bag on his shoulder, iced matcha latte in hand at 7am. stopping every few steps to take a photo of the sunrise with his film camera. literally as i was approaching he was taking a picture, and when i turned back he was taking another one. and i could just tell. nothing about him looked natural. he walked like he was uncomfortable in his own skin and nothing looked like it fit. the thing is i’ve seen a thousand guys like this. same aesthetic. same careful curation. same performance. the cardigan. the tote had some obscure indie brand logo. the matcha was from the most aesthetic coffee shop in the area, not the closest one. he wasn’t experiencing the morning. he was curating it. constructing a version of himself that would look good in a grid. that would signal the right things to the right people. performative authenticity. which is the most inauthentic thing

just finished a 14km run. endorphins flooding my system, everything feels clearer, sharper. legs burning, but in that good way that reminds you you’re alive. i happened to pass this guy on my route. looked to be about early twenties, walking slow with this oversized beige cardigan, tote bag on his shoulder, iced matcha latte in hand at 7am. stopping every few steps to take a photo of the sunrise with his film camera. literally as i was approaching he was taking a picture, and when i turned back he was taking another one. and i could just tell. nothing about him looked natural. he…

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