Hey Fellow Kids, Let’s Discuss the Dangers of Inauthenticity!

Can you use “on fleek” in a sentence? How about “yeet,” or “stan,” or “lit?” More importantly, should you actually use those phrases in your business?

In a 2012 episode of 30 Rock, a detective played by Steve Buscemi recounts his attempt to infiltrate a high school. Flashback to the middle-aged Buscemi in a t-shirt emblazoned with “Music (lightning bolt) Band” carrying a skateboard over his shoulder as he greets some students with, “How do you do, fellow kids?”

This moment was quickly memed as the perfect illustration of clueless inauthenticity. 

Now, every time some corporate ad clumsily uses teen slang to try and sell something (“Acme paper towels; the groovy way to wipe up spills!”), or an astroturfed political movement claims to speak for anyone other than its shadowy funders, someone is sure to reply with, “How do you do, fellow kids?”

Using a false persona to connect with potential customers is tempting

It’s understandable that businesses want to pretend to be someone their customers can identify with. If you can speak the language of people of different ages and different cultures then you might win their business. Right?

However, such attempts have been backfiring for decades. This was beautifully illustrated in the 1964 Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night when an ad guy tries to convince George Harrison that a pretty model is the symbol of his generation. “Oh,” George replies. “You mean that posh bird that gets everything wrong. She’s a drag. A well-known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things.”

Why You Can’t Fake It

Much of the problem with using language outside of your own experience is that language is constantly changing and evolving, and by the time most of us hear a phrase it’s already obsolete. Use “on fleek” and you’ll probably use it wrong, and if you use it correctly it will turn out that it’s been officially retired in favor of something new and still unknown to you.

There are two ways to get around this. One is to simply hire people who can translate to your target. This is the appeal of influencers; find a teenager or rapper or an actor with a large following and pay them to plug your product or service. 

But for most businesses, the best approach is to be who you are and speak how you speak. Remember that a teenager would rather deal with someone who’s middle-aged than someone who is middle-aged AND LYING TO THEM. 

What everyone really wants is to be able to trust you, believe what you’re saying, and understand what you are offering. And you can do that without pretending to be someone else.

In 2021, Steve Buscemi dressed up as his “fellow kids” character for Halloween. If you want to get your own Buscemi costume next Halloween, go for it. Just don’t wear it the rest of the year.

We will never say anything is “on fleek”

As content writers, our goal has never been to create a convincing false front for a business. Our goal is always to find your authentic voice. We strive to understand what you want to say and how you say it, and distill the best of that into something that connects with others with integrity and authenticity. If finding your authentic voice sounds like something that could help your business, contact us.