Authenticity is a con
On this clip from his show this weekend, Maher reports on the dinner. What it was like. What Trump was like. Turns out, in private, Trump turns it off. He was normal. Or, well, normal for Donald Trump. He wasnât what we see in public. I find that fascinating. Not exculpatory. Just interesting. Is he "Theyâre eating the dogs, theyâre eating the cats!â crazy 24 hours a day, or just when the cameras are on?
In the world, we donât really know whatâs true. Everybody has a facade. People put on airs, a performance. Or the politician talks and we donât really know who they are. They say these things that are often written for them. So thereâs this performative aspect of the wrestling world, and thatâs what the world is really like. You know wrestling is fake, but the world is fake - and wrestling is real.
When politicians wrap themselves in the mantle of authenticity, whatâs the equivalent of carbon dating? (Joe Bidenâs hair and teeth?) Can you catch them telling outright definable lies in a world where, as Reaganâs political strategist Richard B. Wirthlin said in a position paper, âPeople act on the basis of their perceptions of reality; there is, in fact, no political reality beyond what is perceived by the voters.â The crassest old fakes, like Reagan, often look charming now; theyâve transitioned to collectibles.[...] I find personal inauthenticity gives you more room to move in the real world. I donât always say what I mean. Iâm not exactly transparent â one of the most gloriously inane terms of the corporate and personal therapy age â and I think you should keep the truth for the best, for when itâs really needed.
[...] The idea of authenticity can only exist in a constant tension with the idea of inauthenticity.
None of this, of course, makes calculated inauthenticity more palatable or digestible. But it does help you sense and synthesise.