Time to be real! In episode 87 of Overthink, Ellie and David go back and forth about authenticity. They explore its deep roots in existentialist philosophy and Romanticism, and grapple with the paradoxes of being authentic in the era of reality TV, social media, and friendly-branded megacorps. They dive into philosophical critiques of authenticity, and explore how Heidegger’s writings on “Eigentlichkeit” (often translated as “authenticity” or “actuality”) stand up today. Is authenticity the same thing as sincerity? Can you be authentic and insincere, or sincere and inauthentic? Who do we try to be authentic for: ourselves or other people? And might drag queens be the greatest example of postmodern authenticity?

Check out the episode's extended cut here!

Works Discussed

Taylor Carman, "The Concept of Authenticity"Skye Cleary, How to Be AuthenticBrit Dawson, “Buying and selling authenticity: a decade of reality TV”Alessandro Ferrara, The Critique of AuthenticityMartin Heidegger, Being and TimeHans-Georg Moeller and Paul D’Ambrosio, You and Your ProfileLionel Trilling, Sincerity and AuthenticityCharles Taylor, The Ethics of AuthenticityDrag Race Spain S2The BachelorPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast 

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