Authenticity Optional: The Unreal Internet of 2025

Late last month, music content creator and marketing expert Finn McKenty, aka “The Punk Rock MBA” announced his retirement from YouTube in a stunning way. McKenty was known for his deep dives on punk music, which seemed very well researched and were beloved by many. Going on Jesea Lee’s podcast, he stated that he was only creating this form of content because he saw it as an easy way to get money, and now that he’s made enough money, he is quitting. Simple as that.

“I don't really have any interest in music. I was just doing it for the money, and I hit my financial goals”, said McKenty. It seems absurd that he would devote so much time to a subject matter that he had literally no interest in, clarifying in the same interview that despite having videos exclusively dedicated to bands like System of a Down, he claims to have never heard a System of a Down song; “for a lot of [the videos] I just like, literally just read Wikipedia”.

This Anthony Fantano video covers the story in depth, simmering in the irony that someone built a career commenting on punk rock, an artistic movement most known for its raw, unabashed authenticity, despite having no interest or personal connection to it. In my mind, there’s a lot to gleam from this story, the first of which being never trust a “marketing expert” to make quality content that comes from the heart.