Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Tech Brands and Their Impact

What connects a sea of white men in bucket hats at Oasis concerts to Sam Altman's relentless narrative-building around AGI? More than you might think.

This month, we're connecting dots between two very different cultural phenomena that both reveal something fascinating about how authenticity gets manufactured—and why that matters for anyone trying to understand how culture actually moves.

The Oasis Effect: When Heritage Brands Create Belonging

Igor dives deep into the cultural archaeology of the Oasis reunion, but this isn't just about nostalgia. We're talking about how a band's deliberate uniform—parkas, trainers, and Stone Island anoraks—became a way to "assert visibility, articulate class identity, and push back against marginalization."

The genius brand activations (Aldi rebranding to "Aldeh" in Manchester and Lidl releasing an anorak with a bottle opener and cooling pocket) weren't just opportunistic marketing. They tapped into something deeper: the hunger for cultural identifiers that create actual belonging, not just identity signaling.

But here's the thing—authenticity requires effort. And in a world where you can get everything without leaving your couch, the act of showing up, physically being there, becomes a form of commitment that creates psychological investment.

The AI Empire: Stories We Tell Ourselves

Johannes breaks down Karen Hao's "Empire of AI," the definitive behind-the-scenes account of OpenAI that Sam Altman didn't want you to read. But beyond the corporate drama, there's a pattern here that connects to everything from effective altruism to the "China threat" narrative.

It's the same playbook: create a story about the future that's so compelling—or terrifying—that it justifies anything you do in the present. Whether it's "we have to get there first" or "we're preventing AI from falling into the wrong hands," these become the fictional expectations that organize entire industries around them.

The problem? As Johannes puts it, "Can you just for once ask, are we the baddies?"

The Connecting Tissue

Here's what these seemingly unrelated phenomena share: they're both about the stories we tell ourselves about authenticity, community, and the future. Oasis created belonging through shared cultural codes that required real effort to participate in. OpenAI creates buy-in through narratives about inevitable futures that suspend disbelief about their business model.

One creates genuine connection through heritage and effort. The other fosters dependency by promoting performative futures and prioritizing convenience. Both work—but they work very differently.

Chapter Marks:

00:00 - Introduction & July Monthly Review Setup

01:30 - The Oasis Phenomenon: Bucket Hats and Cultural Identity

07:28 - Fashion as Cultural Signifier

12:25 - Merchandise Culture & Belonging

23:06 - Empire of AI: Sam Altman's Story Machine

29:08 - The Stories We Tell Ourselves

35:17 - Cultural Impact vs. Critical Analysis

38:40 - Closing & Recommendations

Links mentioned:

• Karen Hao's "Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI": https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222725518-empire-of-ai
• Domus article on Oasis and clothing as cultural identity: https://www.domusweb.it/en/design/2025/07/11/oasis-anorak-lidl-ten-c-stoneisland.html

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You can also watch this episode on Youtube⁠

Follow the Rabbit feels like eavesdropping on a fascinating conversation between two well-read friends at a Berlin coffee shop—smart without being pretentious, critical without being cynical, and deeply engaged with contemporary culture while maintaining historical perspective. The podcast occupies a unique space between trend forecasting, cultural criticism, and philosophical inquiry, delivered with warmth, humor, and genuine enthusiasm for understanding how the world works.

Follow the Rabbit is hosted by Igor Schwarzmann & Johannes Kleske

Find out more about ⁠⁠Igor Schwarzmann⁠⁠ 

Find out moire about ⁠⁠Johannes Kleske⁠⁠