# Candid Culture [^note]: Author's note: [iDubbbz released an apology video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRkCfOuW_u0) shortly after this essay was published. TL;DR: **Sincerity is stylish again.** - [Example 1: Good Faith & Nurture](#nurture) - [Example 2: iDubbbz](#idubbbz) - [Example 3: The Rehearsal](#rehearsal) - [Choose Hope](#choose-hope) - [Contribute Candidness](#contribute) ## Example 1: Good Faith & Nurture {nurture} > I wanted my "joy" album. Through the process of making it, initially, it can > be a fairly superficial pursuit — just making stuff about "joy." As you start > to question where it comes from, you find the depth, the substance. It became > more meaningful to me because it became more about earning my joy rather than > just describing it. Making the album these past three years has been difficult > with some really low points. Re-earning my joy through introspection has been > a real journey. > > -- Madeon > ([interview](https://www.papermag.com/madeon-good-faith-2640981479.html)) In 2019, [Madeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeon) dropped his "joy" album, [_Good Faith_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Faith_%28Madeon_album%29). [Inspired by this change-of-pace](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/porter-robinson-second-sky-2021-festival-lineup-9566653/), [Porter Robinson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Robinson) departed from the darkness of [Virtual Self](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Self_%28EP%29) to produce [_Nurture_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurture_%28album%29). [_Nurture_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurture_%28album%29) is vulnerable art. For the first time in years, Porter Robinson reassumed his real name and real singing voice. ["mirror is a song about the costs of being hard on yourself"](https://soundcloud.com/porter-robinson/mirror). ["Get Your Wish is about finding a reason to keep moving forward, even if it's not for your own sake."](https://twitter.com/porterrobinson/status/1222580194248032258). And so on. It's real stuff. ## Example 2: iDubbbz {idubbbz} > ...that was sort of the transitional period. I was probably more unhappy with > my experience at the time making these types of videos because I didn't really > have much of a community or a friend group.... I think generally was just kind > of wanting a little bit more -- something a little bit more rewarding, > fulfilling. So that's kind of why I like started to you know move away from > it. And you've said that anyone who focuses their entire career on making edgy > content -- edgy jokes -- eventually finds themselves wanting to to do > something more fulfilling with their lives. > > -- iDubbbz ([interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Ct5nKarIU&t=387s)) In the YouTube world, [Filthy Frank](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/filthy-frank) and [iDubbbz](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/idubbbz) are pursuing redemption arcs. It's hard to believe that [Joji](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Qzzggn--s&pp=ygUEam9qaQ%3D%3D) used to be [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5WrWncDZw). And iDubbbz has set aside ["ironic slurs"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8vaJaFCFYA&pp=ygUMaWR1YmJieiBzbHVy) and [internet drama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EDiA_cHRx4&list=PLpclVninnGntY-p7ymb7-MyEUoZUicBvO&index=4&pp=iAQB) to create [heartfelt documentaries](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYk4ymtQ1WM). [_Getting Away With It_](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/sam-hyde-vs-idubbbz) is the perfect example of cynicism colliding with candid culture. iDubbbz attempts to connect with Sam Hyde, but Hyde opts for an elaborate performance. Furthermore, iDubbbz's history of shock humor casts him as a stunning foil for Sam Hyde. [Irony poisons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjSE1h_Ad9E) human communication. ## Example 3: The Rehearsal {rehearsal} > The thing about emotions, Fielder realizes, is that “they’re not easy to > engineer.” How does one not only act authentically but feel authentically? > > -- > [_Don’t Worry, Nathan Fielder Also Hates Himself_](https://web.archive.org/web/20230328224455/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/15/dont-worry-nathan-fielder-also-hates-himself) [The Rehearsal]() is a convoluted invitation to vulnerability. Nathan Fielder explores authenticity itself in a beautiful tangled mess -- a fantastic finale for [meta-irony and post-truth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsuSveDAlpI). But where do we go from here? ## Choose Hope {choose-hope} > Hope is the correct response to the strange, often terrifying miracle of > consciousness. Hope is not easy or cheap. It is true. > > -- John Green > ([_The Anthropocene Reviewed_](https://bookshop.org/a/5468/9780525556534)) Hope hides, but we can chase it and capture it and share it. Candid culture encourages everybody to choose hope, despite its difficulties. We can pursue authenticity in an age of algorithms. We can trust truth as the Turing Test deteriorates. Let's heal the Earth. Let's reclaim our attention. Let's spark contagious kindness. Sincerity surpasses cynicism. ## Contribute Candidness {contribute} > Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. > > -- Brené Brown Listen. Honesty is exploding in many mediums. Celebrate art like [GoGo Penguin](https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/gogo-penguin/everything-is-going-to-be-ok/), [Ted Lasso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lasso), and [Steven Universe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Universe). Share your story. Make things that _only you_ can make.