Worshipping the False God of Buzz

Our word for the day is “buzzy.”

You see it everywhere—mainly in connection with a book, film, or trend that has allegedly captured scads of attention and fired the imagination at a mass-market level.

I dislike this word intensely because it is based on a false premise, namely, that some “thing” has seemingly spontaneously erupted on the scene; is top of mind everywhere; and is being discussed around every proverbial water cooler.

Centuries ago, people believed in the phenomenon known as spontaneous human combustion: a human body could, for no apparent reason, burst into flames and consume itself in fire. Dickens consigned a character in Bleak House to this fate. In reality, of course, a body does not erupt in flames without a combination of external agents, such as, say, a lit cigar and an alcohol-soaked shirt.

Calling something buzzy is akin to promulgating spontaneous human combustion. As if these eruptions of viral popularity just happen for no apparent reason or without obvious explanation beyond a decision to accept the sui generis nature of the thing itself.

But buzziness is nearly always manufactured; it’s the product of hard work going on behind the scenes by publicists, publishers, filmmakers, agents, and online influencers (often paid: You’d be surprised at how many minor celebrities will endorse for a fee). Buzz cannot exist without strategic ignition—the fuel that lights fire. (I recognize there are exceptions, including self-published books organically discovered by legions of readers, but that’s a fairly rare phenomenon.)

As I write this, whowhatwear.com is running an article entitled “Every Buzzy Thing to See, Do, and Visit This Spring.” Hence, the power of anointing. And I have to believe that some, if not all, the items on this list were aggressively promoted to the article’s editor and/or the author—and some made their way onto that list in a pay-for-play situation. (I don’t mean writers were bribed; merely that advertorial is a thing.) Point being: Buzz is rarely an accident.

A few months ago, theankler.com ran a piece touting 20 buzzy new series for 2026. That same publication notes how The Devil Wears Prada 2 is generating “significant” buzz. Could the film’s massive marketing budget, endless sequence of trailers, and worldwide movie star press junkets have something to do with that?

In books, there’s a new novel or memoir that lands on the buzzy list every day, ranging from BookTok favorites (especially romantasy) to reimagined classics (James by Percival Everett) and trendy thrillers, like The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez.

Oprah, Jenna, and Rees are buzz factories unto themselves. When they anoint a book, then by definition, it becomes buzzy. When an author (even if their work is ghostwritten) shows up on a TV talk show to discuss their book, the buzz meter automatically lights up.

It takes a ton of marketing muscle to catapult all of these properties to the top of Buzz Mountain. Even if you’re an avid reader, how would you know what the next hot read is if it didn’t show up on somebody’s list, TV talk show, or NPR? Think hard about how book recommendations come your way; chances are, the recommender came across some buzz too. And that is not by chance; it’s a highly determined (mediated?) outcome.

I suppose it’s fair to note that books, films, plays, etc., are all commodities that deserve to be marketed as briskly as, say, car insurance and Viagra.

Still, assigning buzz to a book or film rubs me the wrong way. I can sense the industrial consumerist infrastructure that’s working over-time to convince me what to like (and how much)—including books. I almost never read a book or watch a film that’s generated a lot of buzz; I prefer to stumble upon something magnificent that’s slipped under the radar.

And to be completely honest, I resent the power of the established hierarchy to not simply pick winners but provide disproportionate resources to a very small number of cultural products, while everyone else fights for crumbs.

So in response to all this, and despite all my caveats, I’ve decided to pose as my own Buzz Factory.

I hereby declare that my new novel, Tent City, is buzzy and should show up on everyone’s “buzziest books of 2026” list.

How dare I?

Well, why not? The book has gotten great reviews. The subject matter is deeply topical. There’s lots to discuss and chew over.

Aren’t those ingredients for buzz?

All I’m missing is the million-dollar publicity budget and the star-making machinery.

I’ll have to scrape by without all that.

Welcome to my Stealth Buzz Marketing Campaign. Feel free to add Tent City to your buzz list any time.

Speaking of TENT CITY…How much more buzz do you need…?

“...speaks to the all-too-real world happening right now for millions of middle-class Americans who find themselves struggling to afford housing.”

“...she masterfully captures the erosion of economic security as her characters become enmeshed in both struggle and denial. Compassionate yet unsparing...”

“Bernstein’s brilliant work is as thought-provoking as it is heart-wrenching, a must-read for anyone with an ounce of compassion and a brain.”

“Captivating and horrifying, TENT CITY is everything a novel should be.”

“Thought-provoking…heart-wrenching…captivating…”