Ordinary Banana

The tension you describe is the mainspring of advertising; cultural artifacts that don't support it are difficult to fund.

I wonder if the internet is less inherently alienating in this way because it’s so user-produced

I don’t think this is true. Basic moaning about zeitgeist is not alienation. It’s actually interestingly clear to foreigners/immigrants because any native interacting with us either goes unironic “real” American or displays true alienation by not treating us any differently.

Alienation happens when a shared identity consciousness with a group collapses and you are unable to form an “us” field against the true outsider and code-switch in true alien interactions. There’s a reason the word has “alien” in it. You become an alien.