“So I’m just a dad trying to find a style again, so I’ll show you my fits and I'll let you judge them,” says Dr. Deejay, or Dr. Daniel Jordan, in many of his videos on Instagram and TikTok. Jordan began working on creating his personal style nearly three years ago, and continues today.
What’s great about Jordan’s videos is that they’re warmhearted and fun, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. In his process of finding his style, creating cool outfits, and sharing them online, he has maintained a genuine voice that doesn’t conform to many of the modern standards of content creation. He’s earnest and excited, and whether he’s in cowboy boots or hoodies or both, you root for him on his style journey. Indeed, throughout the process, he has amassed a following not just from some 393K people, but from brands that will send him items to incorporate into his wardrobe, like Buck Mason, Chubbies, G-Shock, Tecovas, and, perhaps most notably as of late, The North Face.
At the end of last year, the timeless outdoor brand sent Jordan a jacket to try in his outfits and share on social media. But instead of creating typical content–where a person might model a jacket and talk about how great it is, etcetera–Jordan took the jacket out in rain and hilariously deadpanned his review, also in the video below. “I just got sent this jacket. They said, see how it works in the rain. It’s raining. The jacket’s on. It works. Go buy North Face.” In a world where social media has become known for a certain level of inauthenticity, Jordan’s video became a welcome respite. And the brand loved it, writing “10/10, no notes” on the post, which itself got over 305K likes on Instagram.
In fact, The North Face loved it so much they sent him two more jackets to wear when it’s wet, and Jordan recorded two more deadpan videos, one of which is below. Once more, the brand loved it, sharing "can’t wait to do it…again" on the second post.
And in Jordan's third and most recent North Face jacket video, one that’s since gotten over 859K views on Instagram, Jordan filmed while standing elbow-deep in water. “The brand North Face sent me a new jacket and said go get cold and go get wet,” Jordan says from inside the water. “I’m pretty cold, I’m pretty wet, go buy a North Face. What else do you need? You think I’d be out here if this thing wasn’t warm? Lost your mind. I’d sue them, that’s what would happen,” he says, walking out of the water. And the brand loved it again, commenting “you understood the assignment.” Check out the video below.
Jordan’s North Face content is a refreshing take on influencer culture that’s been increasingly met with cynicism from the public, so why not meet it with cynicism yourself? It’s a welcome satirical change, and a hilarious one.
Jordan isn’t without gratitude, either. In a video posted yesterday, in smart wide-leg pants, a patterned shirt, and matching cap, he wrote, “Little did he know his silly little outfits and goofy smile would lead to hundreds of thousands of people smiling at their phone, brand deals, gifts, and a positive spot on the internet.” Here’s to many more outfits and a style journey that never stops.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.