What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?

What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?

Sit down with me OFF the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.   Instagram: Whatzaraloves Tiktok: whatzaraloves6 Email: charlie@84world.com [charlie@84world.com] award vote (at the bottom): https://www.bcreator.co.uk/awards/vote/   Reading list / references:   https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/]   https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640 [https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640]   https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/]   https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026 [https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026]   https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview [https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview]   https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html]   https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism [https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism]   https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf]

Let's talk about the 'dot cake' – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate? [Mini bus version]

Full deep-dive episode OFF the bus is also live! Sit with me on the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.   Instagram: Whatzaraloves Tiktok: whatzaraloves6 Email: charlie@84world.com [charlie@84world.com]   Reading list / references:   https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/]   https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640 [https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640]   https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/]   https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026 [https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026]   https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview [https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview]   https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html]   https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism [https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism]   https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf]

Social media is a breeding ground for classism [mini bus version]

[full deep-dive long episode is live] Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.    I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.   Email: charlie@84world.com [charlie@84world.com] Insta – whatzaraloves TikTok – whatzaraloves6 YouTube: Whatzaraloves Podcast: Taboo on the Bus     Kyey references:   Books: Chavs by Owen Jones   Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966] https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889 [https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889]     Articles: https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/ [https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/] https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/ [https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/] https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/ [https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/]

Social Media is Classist - why people favour the wealthy and shame the poor online

Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.    I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.   Email: charlie@84world.com [charlie@84world.com] Insta – whatzaraloves TikTok – whatzaraloves6 YouTube: Whatzaraloves Podcast: Taboo on the Bus     Kyey references:   Books: Chavs by Owen Jones   Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966] https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889 [https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889]     Articles: https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/ [https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/] https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/ [https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/] https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/ [https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/]

The girls are emotionless - discussing the politics of numbness and stoic femininity [Taboo OFF the bus]

Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, " Botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to dissect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and femininity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behaviour, or in fact just caging us further. Sit down with me to analyse the politics of numbness, the privilege of emotional suppression, and the tool of numbness.