If you’ve spent even a little time on TikTok or Instagram Reels as of late, you’re probably familiar with a little kid named “The Rizzler.” He’s an eight-year-old from New Jersey who, if we’re being honest, is only famous for making a somewhat funny and unique expression on his face. Some members of Generation Z will tell you that “The Rizzler” is a comedic genius, or that he’s the funniest, coolest guy ever. 

These expressions are all part of my generation’s obsession with the type of humor found in ironic enjoyment. That is, engaging with content on a level unintended by the creator in a serious way to deride the actual motivation behind the content. I don’t think anybody truly thinks “The Rizzler” is some mega-talented star in the making, but pretending that he is provides us with a level of unique enjoyment. 

This ultimately reflects our outlook on the world and could shape the way that younger people consume media in the future.

“The Rizzler” isn’t the only figure experiencing this phenomenon. “Hawk Tuah Girl,” “WorldofTshirts,” and many others are becoming internet sensations. I could continue forever to name people whose popularity would confuse anyone over the age of 25. Had they gotten famous in the past, they might have had their fifteen minutes of fame before fading from public memory forever. 

Yet, currently, the cultural trends are allowing these D-tier internet celebrities to flourish,  presenting them with greater opportunities and extending their time in the spotlight. Never would this have happened without a very new, interesting type of behavior from Gen Z. 

For example, look at the “Talk Tuah” podcast; most people are watching her conversations to laugh at her, but pretend to engage with the podcast seriously. People are making memes, analyzing every word of Hailey Welch, the “Hawk Tuah Girl,”  in an attempt to discover the philosophical implications behind them. There is another podcast called “Talking Talk Tuah,” where the hosts pick over every sentence she says to find meaning. 

But that is the point: the meaning doesn’t matter. The popularity of the trend comes from Gen Z making the meaning for themselves. In an age of increasing consumerism and fake personalities on social media, we find a sort of cathartic rebellion in dissecting the motivations behind who is marketing to us. 

Similarly, Warner Bros. Pictures released “A Minecraft Movie,” starring Jack Black, and so far it has one of the highest-grossing openings ever. However, the reason people are coming to see it is not because they think it will be good. Instead, people (myself included) are going to see the movie to mock it. 

Although this ironic enjoyment has paid off for the studio, any meaning or cultural value the movie intended to have is now erased. Instead, it is only a hollow, personality-lacking film designed to make money. By ironically enjoying it, we are, in a way, subtly rebelling. 

By favoring this behavior from internet personalities and media creators, Gen Z is saying, ‘we want things to be farcical, over the top and idiotic because we’re ultimately going to criticize and ridicule it anyway.’ 

Scarily, I fear this implies a complete rejection of genuine art in the future. Why make anything from the heart if it is going to be mocked anyway? That is why I think the trend of ironic enjoyment, which started with lighthearted intentions, may harm us long-term. 

Instead, we should stop enabling marketers to present us with cheap and empty media. Hailey Welch, “The Rizzler” and the Minecraft movie aren’t exceptional; they’re talentless. Funny, yes, but talentless nonetheless. I am not trying to say we cannot laugh at them, and that you can’t think the memes are funny.  But perhaps we should also focus on encouraging real, personal works of art. 

In a world of increasing superficiality, Generation Z should engage with genuineness rather than irony.