Losing my religion

What is with the Liver King?

Cultural theorist Matt Klein suggests it is no coincidence that a guy who promotes a carnivore diet is popular now, in a time when meat alternatives are emerging. He goes a step further to argue that the Liver King (and meat consumption, in general) promises mastery over one’s world, in a time when many people feel out of control. It also suggests masculinity and virility in a moment when some people may feel threatened by world that is increasingly gender non-binary.

In short, Klein argues the Liver King is one of many emergent examples of secular religious movements. As traditional religion has slipped in power, at least in the West, something needs to take its place to give people a sense of community and order.

Some writers contend that politics are now filling this role for many people. Spectator sports do, too. Klein discusses how fan fiction, Swifties, crypto, workaholism, quiet quitting, CrossFit, and a rising belief in extra-terrestrial life are all examples of people searching for the spiritual connections they used to get from religion.

People are struggling to make real-world connections in this era – and COVID exacerbated that problem.  In 2021, 44% of Americans reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless. Twenty percent of Americans say they haven’t made a new friend in five years. People joined secular religious movements in previous decades, too, but those movements feel more pervasive and more important today. They are all that some people have.

Robert Putnam wrote a classic book, Bowling Alone, in 2000 in which he discussed the decline of face-to-face communities and the impact of those weakened ties on our society. These quasi-religions seem to be an outgrowth of that trend.

From a marketing perspective, this trend may explain the fierce loyalty some people have to certain brands. It also may open a window for a counter-trend that could lead to new ways of facilitating real, meaningful, face-to-face friendships and communities.