'Authentic' Is 2023's Word of the Year. You Read That Right

At first it looked unbelievable, but Henry Kissinger had died. At 100 years old, news outlets--and the world--had been preparing for the passing of President Nixon's secretary of state for a while. Still, when people were finding out via emoji-filled chain texts, it seemed unreal. Deepfakes, the metaverse, Elon Musk telling advertisers to fuck themselves at a time when X could probably use the money. Perhaps this is why there is a premium on genuineness these days.