3 Cultural Movements Redefining the Modern Consumer

In partnership with

Welcome back to FireStarters

Your weekly spark of cultural insight designed to deliver impact—and a bottom line your CFO loves.

In this edition, we’re giving you a peek behind the insights our clients are uncovering in Nichefire. Three cultural movements are consistently surfacing across dashboards—and we’re bringing them to you here.

Got any guesses?

The 3 movements:

1. “The New Famous”

2. “Embracing Bad”

3. “Masculinity in the Middle”

Movement 1: “The New Famous”

This year, Unilever announced that it will spend 50% of its media budget on social channels and will increase influencer marketing investment twentyfold. Why? The answer is simple. It’s because “famous” is a lot different now than ever before.

The new red carpet is someone’s bedroom where they broadcast their podcast. The new TV set is on the bustling street corner.

The New Famous are creators who ignite culture—not with massive budgets or movie deals—but with raw joy, authenticity, and a smartphone. Whether it’s a dance challenge in Nairobi or a beat from the Bronx, these micro-moments go global in hours, turning local flavor into shared global experience.

This is all about connection. It may be less broad, but it’s miles deep. Powered by platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and BIGO Live, this movement spreads culture through energy, not hierarchy. Instead of one celebrity endorsement, brands are faced with the possibility of multiple “New famous” creators that give them access to niche communities.

3 assumptions "The New Famous" changes:

• Old Assumption: Fame requires mass media platforms or elite industry access.

  New Reality: Cultural influence can emerge from anyone with a phone and an internet connection.

• Old Assumption: Cultural trends take time to spread globally.

  New Reality: Culture can go viral globally within minutes via live streaming and social sharing.

• Old Assumption: Language and geography are barriers to participation.

  New Reality: Fun, emotion, and rhythm transcend language—making global participation frictionless.

The new famous in action:

@therealAceGreen is redefining what cultural influence looks like—live from a barbershop in Chicago. His BIGO Live streams blend music, jokes, banter, and fresh fades into a contagious vibe that keeps viewers coming back. But it’s not just local love—people from across the world are tuning in, drawn by the raw energy and realness they can feel through the screen. He taught Michael Jackson moves to men in Pakistan while kids in Kenya shared their own dances.

He’s not performing; he’s just being himself—and that’s the magic. With nothing more than a phone and a good mood, Ace is building community across borders, showing how emotional resonance and good vibes can travel faster and farther than traditional fame ever could.

Dive deeper in “Lil’ Signals”

👉 Why not hear more from the expert? Khalil digs in deep in his newsletter.

Most political news lives in the extremes.

It’s either rage bait meant to rile you up, or echo chambers that only reinforce what you already believe. The result? More division, less understanding — and a lot of burnout.

Tangle does it differently.

We give you the full story on one major political issue a day, broken down with arguments from the left, right, and center — plus clear, independent analysis. No spin. No shouting. No bias disguised as truth.

In just 10 minutes a day, you’ll actually understand what’s happening — and how all sides see it.

Join 400,000+ readers who are skipping the noise and getting the full picture.

Start reading free today.

Movement 2: “Embracing Bad”

Ever get the sense that everyone feels a bit less bothered about things we used to be horrified by?

That’s Embracing Bad—a cultural shift where guilt is out, and unapologetic pleasure is in. After a decade of political chaos, climate anxiety, and economic instability, consumers are overplaying nice. Today’s culture is opting for indulgence over discipline, glamor over guilt, and anti-heroes over PR-friendly poster children. Whether it’s smoking again, glamorizing 90s Wall Street excess, or posting “offensive” opinions without a filter, people are leaning into what once felt wrong—and making it feel right.

This is rebellion rebranded: a celebration of flaws, flash, and full-volume self-expression. In the post-PC, post-cancel era, “bad behavior” isn’t just forgiven—it’s celebrated.

3 assumptions "Embracing Bad" changes:

• Old Assumption: Guilt keeps us in check.

  New Reality: Guilt is out—pleasure and bold self-expression are in.

• Old Assumption: Audiences want virtue, morality, and safe messaging.

  New Reality: They crave edge, chaos, and content that breaks the rules.

• Old Assumption: Success means responsibility and restraint.

  New Reality: Success now signals excess—think oysters, caviar, and fur coats on Gen Z.

👉 Uncover more about “Embracing Bad” in Nichefire’s CultureSparks Library - an anthropologist reviewed authority for cultural insight.

Chart-topping singer Benson Boone sparks conversation by blending a high-glam, flamboyant stage presence with a nostalgic Americana sound—proving that bold theatrics and traditional masculine roots can coexist , not contradict.

Movement 3: Masculinity in the Middle

Amid toxic extremes and cultural shifts, many men today are feeling stuck in a no-man’s-land—abandoned by the mainstream, alienated by the fringe, and unsure where they belong. Masculinity in the Middle captures a rising movement to redefine what it means to be a man: less about rigid roles or performative wokeness, and more about authenticity, emotional intelligence, and purpose.

This new masculinity blends strength with softness, identity with flexibility, and confidence with compassion. From emotionally engaged fatherhood to rejecting binary aesthetics, men are rebuilding their role in society with nuance—and the culture is finally starting to listen.

3 assumptions “Masculinity in the Middle" changes:

• Old Assumption: Masculinity means stoicism, dominance, and toughness.

  New Reality: Masculinity now includes emotional honesty, vulnerability, and adaptability.

• Old Assumption: Men fit neatly into "alpha" or "ally."

  New Reality: Most men are navigating a complex middle—seeking space to grow without being extreme.

• Old Assumption: Traditional manhood is outdated and should be erased.

  New Reality: Men want to evolve masculinity, not abandon it—reframing strength, fatherhood, and identity on their own terms.

👉 Uncover more about “Masculinity in the Middle” in Nichefire’s CultureSparks Library - an anthropologist reviewed authority for cultural insight.

As culture shifts faster than ever, consumers are rewriting the rules—from who holds influence, to what counts as success, to how identity shows up in public and private life.

Whether it’s the rise of real-time creators like @therealAceGreen, the unapologetic indulgence of Embracing Bad, or the evolving role of men in Masculinity in the Middle, one thing is clear: the middle ground is where the action is. It’s messy, raw, and deeply human—and brands willing to meet people there will be the ones that win.

That’s a wrap on Volume 7. We’ll see you next week with more of the same.