The $19 strawberry isn't ridiculous—it's the perfect artifact for decoding our conflicted relationship with luxury, authenticity, and outrage culture.
In this episode of Follow the Rabbit, Igor and Johannes examine the viral phenomenon of the $19 strawberry sold at Erewhon, the luxury LA supermarket previously featured in their Season 3 discussions. What begins as apparent late-stage capitalism absurdity reveals itself as a complex intersection of Japanese craftsmanship, global logistics, social media dynamics, and changing luxury consumption patterns.
The conversation traces how these rare Tochigi Prefecture strawberries—requiring seven years of cross-breeding and extreme cultivation care—transform from agricultural achievement to viral content. Through examining both the supply side (Japanese dedication to craft perfection, complex air shipping logistics) and the demand side (performative consumption, health signaling), the hosts reveal how this seemingly ridiculous luxury item perfectly encapsulates numerous cultural currents.
Key themes include:
- Japan's centuries-long tradition of luxury fruit cultivation and gifting
- The logistics challenge of delivering ultra-fresh produce across continents
- How Western cultures romanticize Japanese craftsmanship as an antidote to digital disembodiment
- The psychology behind viral "I tried it so you don't have to" content
- The tension between sustainability concerns and luxury consumption
- How outrage itself becomes part of the attention economy that propels phenomena like this
The episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how a simple strawberry becomes a mirror reflecting our complicated relationship with luxury, craft, consumption, and digital performance.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Strawberry Season
01:57 - The $19 Strawberry Phenomenon
05:01 - Japanese Luxury Fruit Traditions
11:00 - Craft, Logistics, and True Costs
17:25 - Digital Culture and Performative Consumption
23:43 - Sustainability Tensions and Status Signaling
27:29 - Irrationality, Art, and Exclusivity
29:58 - Closing Thoughts
Links:
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Follow the Rabbit is a Known Unknowns production
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Follow the Rabbit is hosted by Igor Schwarzmann & Johannes Kleske
Find out more about Igor Schwarzmann
Find out moire about Johannes Kleske
