For instance.. why did everyone all of a sudden care so much about the price of eggs during the last election? There's no way that was entirely organic.
[0]https://trends.google.com/trends/explore/TIMESERIES/17492196...
In this particular case, it is a very unique word. I don't know of any that even come close to meaning the same thing. People with a desire to express their observations may find only a single word to do so. FWIW, I was familiar with the word already and I've similarly notice a seeming uptick in use on this site.
> For instance.. why did everyone all of a sudden care so much about the price of eggs during the last election? There's no way that was entirely organic.
I see your point and I think you're on the right track. It's memetics. Egg prices being high is a meme. The public spat between Donald Trump and Elon Musk being a kayfabe performance is a meme. Neither is necessarily an engineered meme.
That seems like a prime example of a small-talk item that many people could relate to, and it just happens to reach viral proportions. I'd say it would be similar to "Polar Vortex":
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=P...
The outcomes of the matches are scripted, and so is the story leading up to the match, but "kayfabe" is about what the wrestler does any time they're in public. It refers specifically to the fact that they always practice it in public, and never drop the character.
As it applies to this... there are accusations that this is being plotted out by various nefarious actors, but I don't think so. We have comically oversized, outlandish performances -- possibly different from who they are when the cameras aren't on them, but the cameras are always on these two. People want the kayfabe, and they seem happy to provide it.
They act like two little kids. "Did you say thank you today?"
Why don't they do a cage fight challenge? Would be even better for TV ratings.
Legally too, Trump can absolutely hammer even someone as rich as Musk with all kinds of tools through his FCC, FTC, AG's office and Justice Department. Musk can... tweet about how angry he is and share a document or two. Hardly a good balance of competing powers. There are the vital SpaceX tech contracts working in Musk's favor, but they're not an insurmountable problem for the notably reckless Trump admin.
Uh, we are almost certainly already in a recession. The tariffs will almost certainly exacerbate it, but just the fear of them is reducing GDP right now.
belter•8mo ago