Let’s face it. We are living through a cultural change in America, a counter culture, and a cultural reset.

Years ago when I started this blog, people around me warned that big tech would turn into a monster. A behemoth ready to devour anything in its path. In 2010, artists demonized the major music labels, but big tech makes the major look like choir boys.

I could gather thousands of artists giving the finger to the music men in suits pulling the strings. Today, I can’t fill a room artists willing to protest against the 4 horsemen – Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. They’re too afraid. The biggest entertainers aren’t leaders, they’re followers. They’re parrots and puppets of big tech. They don’t stand for anything. For when they are told to sit, they sit. I won’t get into names, because I’ll get hate messages. You’ve lost all credibility, if you’re looking to barge the White House and snap a photo with a public official.

Elon Musk is a leader and doesn’t bow to the winds of change. When Coachella cancelled, Musk mocked the event. He pointed out that corporate sponsorship killed the vibe. A car salesman made more noise than the performers.

Today it’s all about the money. Eddie Vedder protesting Ticketmaster is a bygone.

The ones who changes their behaviour in front of the people in authority can’t be trusted. They have no spine. Their soul is for sale.

We are in a new season. A new generation sees things differently. It’s not just about making fans through music and makeup. They want to listen to artists that share their belief and value system. If they like your music, but not your belief, they’ll drop you.

A new generation has a better understanding of ‘influencer culture’. These fictional social media characters will post anything that generates money while manipulating the audience. Heck, they’ll fake mental illness just to climb the social ladder.

And here comes the shift. People aren’t looking at the influencer or celebrity (I say this loosely) as they once did. What they appear online is not who they are in real life. I can’t tell you how many teens I meet that will no longer listen to an artist or follow an influencer because they don’t align with their values.

After years of success, The Ellen Show collapsed after staffers came out detailing toxic environment. She built a career on being nice and cracking funnies, but people want shared values. Top tier laughs, pranks, and bloopers couldn’t save the show. The audience wanted authenticity.

Today, who you are when the camera is off, is more crucial than how you act when the camera is on. Don’t believe me? Ask Ellen. Hollywood was built on illusion and ‘access denied’. Today, people have access.

If your strategy is to coast, straddling the middle and act like nothing is going on, well, then the laugh is on you. People want follow those who risk their reputation, those that speak the truth and live the truth.