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Your ATTN Please || Wednesday, 23 April

Your ATTN Please || Wednesday, 23 April

April 23, 2025

If you like Nicolas Cage, McDonald’s, or Nickelback, please see yourself out.

That is, unless you like them ironically. Because in 2025, you’re not allowed to have a guilty pleasure unless you can intellectualise it. Nicolas Cage is a reflection of late-capitalist anxiety. McDonald’s is Americana. And Nickelback is a lesson in cultural scapegoating. So why, oh why, has the internet killed the simple joy of liking dumb sh*t?

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Google ruled a monopoly (again), WWE fans hate on Travis Scott & Everyone mourns Pope Francis

Google has officially been ruled an online monopoly.

Last week, a federal judge decided that Google has illegally built monopoly power with its web advertising business, violating antitrust laws for a second time in less than a year. The ruling claims the company has illegally monopolised key parts of the internet ecosystem, including online search. It’s the third such decision since a federal jury found that Google’s proprietary app store is also an illegal monopoly in December 2023.

The trio of decisions highlights the extent of the trouble Google may very well be in, the penalties of which could majorly reshape multiple aspects of the business. PLUS ongoing appeals will likely take years to finally play out. The warning here is clear: play silly games, win silly prizes. Very expensive, silly prizes.

Why does Travis Scott keep appearing at the WWE?

And why does X have such an issue with it? Over the weekend, John Cena became the world's most decorated wrestler in the WWE, winning the championship for a record-breaking 17th time. The win over Cody Rhodes came following a surprise interference from rapper Travis Scott. And the internet is PISSED, y’all. “Travis Scott belonged no where near this main event, this was absolutely horrendous," one user commented.

“this just feels like disrespect to the art of it all. It's the main event of your biggest show and one of your goat's final matches so you throw in a currently popular celebrity with a long entrance mid match,” said another. Yeowch.

Regardless, it was a historic night for WrestleMania, being the first to ever air live on Netflix. The WWE also announced it had acquired Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, one of the largest wrestling promotions in Mexico. THEN Becky Lynch, one of the most popular women to ever wrestle in the company, made a surprise return after a year out of action. Her appearance drawing tears from some in the live crowd. A goated event, if you ask me.

Pope Francis has passed away.

The Pope died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. While it feels kinda weird writing this with a marketing angle, the Pope was the most beloved we’ve ever had, changing public perception of Catholicism and the church. So, in honour of his legacy, here are some of our favourite things about Pope Francis:

A humble king, he shunned the papal limousine and insisted on sharing the bus taking other cardinals home.
He persuaded the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to join him to pray for peace.
He appealed for an end to the "absurd and cruel war" in Ukraine.
He approved church blessings for same-sex couples – the first pope to do so.
He changed the church’s position on the death penalty, declaring it inadmissible in all circumstances.

There were many more things the kind soul did during his time as the Pope, charming the world with his acts of love and kindness. May he rest in peace.

-Sophie, Writer

DEEP DIVE

The death of the guilty pleasure

Y’all remember when you could just like stuff?

Once upon a time, guilty pleasures were just that—things you secretly enjoyed without needing to defend or intellectualise them. You could devour a Big Mac without calling it “late-stage capitalist Americana.” You could binge-watch The Real Housewives without a 2,000-word essay on “female rage as catharsis.” But today? Everything needs a take. Everything needs a lens.

Welcome to the death of the guilty pleasure, where postmodern irony, internet discourse, and the rebranding of “lowbrow” have turned our simplest joys into cultural battlegrounds.

Why on earth would we do this????

The internet made taste a whole performance.

The second we started sharing every thought and preference online, we stopped just liking things and started performing our likes. Nothing can be enjoyed in a vacuum anymore. It has to be curated, defended, and, preferably, positioned as knowing rather than sincere. TikTok and X are now arenas where taste is a competitive sport. Liking something unironically feels basic, so we preemptively defend our choices:

“Yes, I love Olive Garden, but ironically.”
“I think Twilight is fascinating, but only as a study in gender dynamics.”
“Watching Love Island isn’t trashy—it’s an anthropological experience based on mediated voyeurism.”

Postmodern irony is the default mode of consumption.

Postmodernism taught us that everything is a construct, and irony became a shield against earnestness. As a result, pop culture is constantly being reclaimed through an ironic or intellectualised lens.

The rise of “camp” aesthetics? Postmodern irony.
The rediscovery of Nickelback or Nicolas Cage as “actually good”? Postmodern irony.
The corporate embrace of kitsch (McDonald’s “aesthetic,” the return of Crocs, the Grimace Shake)? You guessed it—postmodern irony.

Loving things without self-awareness feels dangerous now. Irony gives us plausible deniability: I’m not just watching this reality show—I’m studying it.

Corporations saw the trend and capitalised on it.

Brands caught on fast. When people started consuming things ironically, companies leaned in and began rebranding their own irrelevance as cool. Suddenly, lowbrow wasn’t something to be ashamed of.

Crocs went from embarrassing to a freaking Balenciaga collab.
Velveeta went from “processed cheese goop” to a high-fashion campaign.
McDonald’s transformed into a pop culture, rapper friendly content machine.

The message? If you can’t escape the cringe, monetise it. And people ate it up (sometimes literally).

What does this mean for marketers?

Not everything needs a justification. Let people enjoy things without turning them into a dissertation. Some brands (Slim Jim, Liquid Death, Duolingo) thrive because they don’t explain their own appeal. They let the absurdity be the strategy.

Embrace the uncool—without overthinking it. The reason nostalgia hits hard isn’t because we intellectualise it—it’s because it’s fun. If your brand is riding the wave of an old trend, don’t force a “deeper meaning” onto it. Some things are just cool again because people like them.

Know when to play the irony game and when to drop it. Irony works…until it doesn’t. If you lean too hard into postmodern “we know we’re cringe” branding, it can backfire (see: Burger King’s “Women belong in the kitchen” tweet). Sometimes, sincerity actually stands out more in a sea of over-the-top irony.

So like, can we just enjoy things again?

At some point, irony collapses in on itself. Eventually, things that were “ironically” loved (Shrek, Crocs, Nickelback, Monster Energy) become genuinely loved again. Maybe that’s the cycle. Maybe guilty pleasures will make a comeback once we get exhausted from having to justify everything.

-Sophie, Writer

TREND PLUG

Plan B it is!

Social media has a way of making us all feel like we're behind in life.

So today's trend is an opportunity to show how your life has turned out even though "Plan A" didn't work out for you. Because, in a lot of cases, Plan B is still a pretty great alternative. For example, Plan A could have been "married at 26, house by 28, kids by 30" but instead, you turned out to be the cool uncle.

How you can jump on this trend:

Start with some b-roll footage of you doing something mundane. Then, add the text: "Plan A: [insert your Plan A with the ages you once wanted to accomplish it]". Next, add in clips of what your life really looks like now. Overlay the second part of your OST using the format: "Plan B: [insert 1 cool thing you are doing as a result of not following Plan A]". Add the trending sound.

A few ideas to get you started:

Think about what career you once thought you'd have vs. what your current career is.
Think about where in the world you thought you'd be when you were younger vs. where you are currently.
Think about life milestones that you once dreamed you'd achieve by your current age vs. the reality of it today.

-Jony, Creative

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😲WTF: Man CLINGS on flying helicopter?!
✨Daily inspo: there is no wrong way
😊Soooo satisfying: spine cracking
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Quick Lentil & Chickpea Bowl

TODAY ON THE YAP PODCAST

Want even more “YAP”ing? Check out the full podcast here.

ASK THE EDITOR

I've been promoting my new course for accountants on my socials but I'm not getting any sign ups. What am I doing wrong? - Ervin

Hey Ervin!

If you aren't getting leads, you're likely coming across too salesy in your content. Organic content's for building a relationship with your audience, so if they feel like you're trying to sell them something, they'll tune you out.

If I were you, I'd pull back on promoting your course. Instead, create content around what the course is about. Be actually helpful, because this positions you as an expert. Then engage with your audience in the comments to keep building those relationships. Because those relationships are what will make people interested in buying from you.

You can still mention your course in your content, just don't do it in every post. Because if you're just selling in your content, no one will be interested in watching it!