How ‘Be Authentic’ Became the Most Useless Feedback in Media

Ah yes, the pursuit of Authenticy, the gold standard.

How many times have you heard;

“It just needs to be a bit more… authentic.”

Cool. But what does that mean?
Should they cry? Whisper? Take off their makeup? Show us their fridge?
Should they sound like your best friend or your therapist?
Do we want unedited? Or edited to look unedited?

Creators say it. Talent coaches say it (guilty). Radio Networks definitely say it.

It’s the most overused feedback in the media. And the most confusing.

“Authentic” now feels like the mission statement on a coffee cup - vague, overused, and no one really believes it.

So What’s the Fix?

No idea.

But why don’t we start with;

A better word.

Or at least a better ask.
Because “authentic” is broken. It’s the IKEA furniture of feedback - everyone’s using it, and no one knows how to put it together.

So Here’s My Proposal.

Dump authentic.

Replace it with something - anything - more useful.

“Make it sound like a text you’d send at midnight.”
“Talk like you’ve got food in your teeth and you’re mid-story.”
“Say the thing we’re all thinking but too scared to admit.”

Just… be human.

Your Turn.

What should we use instead of “authentic”?

Give me your alternatives. Funny. Smart. Petty. All welcome.

Let’s build the new feedback starter pack - one post-it note cliché at a time.