We are fast approaching the end of the “Influencer Era” where pretty know-nothings and ugly paid shills are now facing the end of their financial updraft. The days of product over prescience are over. We are through with these unknowable experts opining on their latest fire sale in the social media shop.
The thing that wizened us up against these “taste experts” is precisely what birthed them. We used to live in an Era where gatekeeping mattered in that there was at least someone, or some entity, that decided who and what was worth sharing with the world. Sure there were downfalls, and favorites-playing, but at least there was the semblance of some kind of higher arcing idea of quality content.
With the rise of the influencers over the last decade or so, gatekeeping died. While, in theory, that might be revelatory — hey, everyone can now be a writer!, or a broadcaster!, or a self-decided expert! — the very opposite of that is what happened and here’s the why, and the how…
