Borkowski Media Trends: Musk DOGEs Bullet, Sydney Sweeney Bath Water & #RichTok Done Right
PLUS: Mark Borkowski's thoughts on Jenrick's "viral vigilante PR Stunt" & Hailey Bieber’s billion-dollar comeback
Before we dive in, check out Mark’s latest analysis on MP and Tory leadership runner-up Robert Jenrick, now live on LinkedIn. Here’s a sneak peek (read the full article).
“Robert Jenrick’s viral vigilante PR stunt on the London Underground - chasing fare dodgers like an undernourished Batman with a Westminster lanyard - wasn't law enforcement, but rather low-rent theatre. A self-shot PR spectacle staged in the fading light of relevance.
This was really a display of political desperation to shake the nation out of its ennui. Because while Jenrick was playing Marvel cosplay on the Jubilee Line, his party has been outflanked and out-fantasised by Reform. The Conservatives aren't simply losing the argument; like an elderly walrus being shuffled off an arctic cliff edge, they're losing their place in the political spectrum.”
Did Musk DOGE a bullet?
Elon Musk’s four months in government might go down as one of the costliest ego trips in the history of consumer capitalism.
The short tenure has indelibly marked Musk’s reputation and done significant damage to his business empire.
Critics claim that Musk is not really political – some very basic leanings towards laissez-faire taxation aside - his fundamental motivation for everything, including the $250m love-bombing of Trump which landed him the job, is to be as famous as possible and for people to think that he’s cool and funny.
The mere fact that he called his government department DOGE after a meme coin, went to great lengths to draw attention to his funny hats in the Oval Office, and would glibly admit to DOGE’s errors in the hope of generating a laugh to back up this theory.
Musk is very famous but unfortunately he is neither cool nor funny and no amount of celebrity has helped shift public opinion on this matter.
And in the meantime Tesla stock tanked amid a consumer boycott, SpaceX lost lucrative deals, and X continues its Cronenbergian mutation into a mildly pornographic far-right echo chamber. Musk also disagreed with Trump’s signature tax bill, whilst being used as a scapegoat for various government funding cuts, and the cuts he did make having disastrous consequences.
So, perhaps Musk’s trip to Washington made him marginally more famous, but he’s a few billion dollars less wealthy, wasn’t having things his own way policy-wise, and -still- nobody thinks he’s funny. In this light his resignation feels inevitable.
What is less certain is what this means for Donald Trump. It’s safe to say that losing Musk won’t make anyone think less of Trump as a statesman, but if Elon’s ego is bruised enough, Trump may have just gained an enemy whose platform and whose puerile pettiness match his own. Trump vs Musk could be box office entertainment, but it probably won’t be the ordinary Americans the pair were supposed to be serving together.
Sydney Sweeney's meme marketing
Actress Sydney Sweeney has once again proven her cultural relevance with the release of her latest collaboration with Dr. Squatch: a custom bar of soap made from her very own bathwater. What initially looked like a joke turned out to be a highly effective marketing stunt. “When your fans start asking for your bathwater,” Sweeney said in a press release, “you can either ignore it or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap.” The campaign cleverly plays into her internet persona, leveraging both her allure and her ability to poke fun at it.
Sweeney has deftly managed to evolve beyond her already successful acting career, becoming an even bigger celebrity by owning her image and leaning into the conversation around it. Her sex appeal, while undeniable, is also self-aware. She's in on the joke and that’s what makes this work.
We’ve seen similar stunts before. Belle Delphine famously sold her actual bathwater to fans in 2019, blurring the line between internet trolling and performance art. Even Kevin Durant once went viral for a tweet expressing his infatuation with Scarlett Johansson, inadvertently sparking memes and media takes. These moments tap into the strange collision between celebrity worship and internet absurdity, and Sweeney’s soap fits squarely into that tradition.
What sets her apart, though, is the authenticity. There’s no desperation or cringe; she doesn't take herself too seriously, and the campaign captures that effortlessly. Turning a meme into a monetised, attention-grabbing brand moment, while keeping it funny and on-brand isn’t easy. But Sweeney pulls it off with ease.
The art of selling fantasy
In the oversaturated world of social media and the myriad of influencers that claim such titles as fitness expert, self-help guru or "looksmaxxer" extraordinaire, Becca Bloom has proven to be an interesting case study. One look at her curated feed would make her seem at first glance just another content creator showing off what is more often than not a pipedream. Unlike others who unsubtly flaunt their wealth, Becca’s secret is her girl-next-door aura. For those unfamiliar, think designer outfits, seven-star travel, and lessons in how to properly hold a champagne flute. Despite much competition in this market, this corner of the internet has fallen in love, and just like that, Becca has become the unofficial queen of #RichTok.
Becca Bloom has successfully sold an aesthetic and a fantasy. And somehow, even as she casually name-drops luxury brands you've only seen behind glass, you don’t feel excluded. She expertly "lets you in", in a way that makes you think you're her friend. She has expertly managed to rebrand the flaunting of extreme wealth into something elegant and relatable rather than the likes of Meghan Markle. Becca's world of luxury is just the set dressing for sharp insights and smart advice, all sprinkled (tastefully, of course) with Cartier and a touch of Swarovski sparkle.
How fast can the internet forget?
Only months ago, Hailey Bieber was the perennial target of relentless bad press, painted as an obsessive “stalker” of her husband Justin Bieber’s past and dismissed as little more than a gold-digging interloper. A viral 12-part TikTok series meticulously tore down her reputation, while online commentators debated her character and suitability ad nauseam.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the script has completely flipped. One moment she’s the internet’s favourite villainess; the next she’s a bona fide beauty billionaire thanks to Rhode brand deal she signed in partnership with e.l.f. Cosmetics. One minute she's dismissed as “just Justin’s wife” then flipping the script as the real financial powerhouse in the relationship. Meanwhile, Justin reportedly struggling with debt and said to have borrowed $8 million from former manager Scooter Braun is now cast as the one playing catch-up.
Last week Justin’s social media stumble being an ill-worded, self-reflective Instagram caption intended as a celebration of Hailey’s Vogue cover, wound up reigniting doubts about their relationship and her character. Yet days later, much of that scepticism has melted away. In its place is a new narrative: “Hailey can do better” and “she’s out of his league” sentiments that would have sounded ridiculous not long ago.
This whirlwind shift reveals just how mercurial, hypocritical, and malleable the court of public opinion can be, especially when good PR (and a headline-grabbing billion-dollar deal) steps in to rewrite the story. Despite the influencer era’s obsession with authenticity, it’s clear that a well-timed business coup and savvy reframing can swiftly reboot a celebrity’s image leaving yesterday’s critics eating their words.