Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing

Reality and simulation are becoming increasingly difficult to separate. But does it really matter?

When you read that there "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," what comes to mind first? The 1968 soul song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, or Coca-Cola?

Slogans and logos are infiltrating our lives, changing the way we look at the world. Reality is mediated, spun by corporations who want us to buy from them, politicians who want us to vote for them, and celebrities who want us to worship them. To fight the phoniness, people search to find themselves, looking within or travelling abroad – but what if they come up empty handed?

In his new book, The Authenticity Hoax, author Andrew Potter argues that it's our obsession with authenticity that is the cause of our existential problems rather than the solution.

On this week's show, host Chris Mitchell interviews Andrew Potter about the ideas in his book.

You'll also hear from Peter Byrne, the former ad man who found success by marketing authenticity with his "I am Canadian" campaign for Molson beer and who has helped craft the image of politicians Paul Martin, Michael Ignatieff, and Dalton McGuinty.

The final guest is Alex Larsen, better known by his rap name, Kid Twist, talking about how to be authentic in the Canadian battle rap scene.

(Run-time: 30 minutes.)

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