The difference is, back in the supermodel days, it was only a handful of girls, whereas now it's saturated with girls and guys and families and all different ages!Indeed. Once you take a scroll through other influenza threads, doesn't take long before realizing that people perceive them the same way. Few times I had to check whose thread I was in, since comments were literally identical, just the name in the title was different.
If you think about it, it all comes down to personal preference. Some people just don't rub you the wrong way and others do. You're right - they all give impression of being fake, it's the nature of the industry they are in. Surely, to manage well that industry, you must have certain personality traits. Yet, it would take a schizophrenic sociopath with MPD and bipolarity in order to pull off 5 different and often competing product flogging per video - in a natural, genuine appearing and authentic manner. It's simply impossible. The price virtual reality SAs have to pay.
Once upon a time, models were doing the same kind of shilling just in a more private, dignified and mystified way - their image was result of work done by teams of professionals dedicated to final result. Their job was to be young and pretty, charismatic and photogenic. We used to see perfect editorials, campaigns and cover pages and the illusion of perfection that was dream inducing used to be intact by reality - which is what we have today. Naomi and Kate were not photoshoped but everything else around them was - their lives and personalities in particular. They had privacy.
These influenza girls today don't. They are pretty much and especially at the beginning a 'one man band', living with camera glued to their hand, letting the world have a good look into their lives, homes, issues. The magic has gone with demystification. The faces are filtered, everything else isn't. If you are there long enough, it's painfully transparent. We get to see personalities which is the major potential turn off. We used to read about Naomi's or Kates' ill temper or lifestyle, but never witnessed a glimpse of that in reality. We also rationally knew that those girls back in a day made loads of money for just being pretty. We knew, theoretically that they got free designer clothes, makeup, privileges.But, it's different when you actually witness that - and there are hundreds of girls who get that now and it's their job to brag about it in your face - many of whom rub you the wrong way for some reason, or no reason at all.
At the same time, to be fair, these girls today have to be, not just pretty, but also capable to handle camera, editing, marketing, PR, business management...and bunch of other skills while keeping up with new social media platforms which are getting shorter, faster and more psychotic every day. It's long term career opportunity for very few of them, for the rest it's grab money and run. Fast.
That's their choice, of course. I have no idea how digital marketing works in reality, I've never experience anything remotely similar, but if you look beyond the bling of 'kindly gifted PR junk yards' and through filter fog, you can spot fake, shaky smiles, eyes often reflecting fear or fatigue, issues with skin, hair, mental health and health in general, sleeping issues, family or marital issues, constant stress and competition driven relations. Most of them are spending fortune in attempt to stay good looking, young, healthy and happy appearing. That's what dreams are made of and they are in a dream selling business. Not easy. At all. Again, it's their choice and it is privileged job.
Sort of an aside, but it could be seen as a negative that there used to be many large marketing and advertising companies behind the selling of products - employing thousands, maybe tens of thousands - which have all largely gone out of business due to these comparitive few social media one-man-band shillers. The same amount of money that was going to more people, is now all going to fewer.
Sure, some of those companies shifted over to social media promotions, but I think most are defunct.
Not sure if it's overall a good thing or a bad thing (those companies were of course very predatory), but it's different for sure!
And I know exactly what you mean about the looks in their eyes:
(Taken from randomly selected videos of Josie's 2-3 years apart)
Then
Now
She almost has a "save me" look in her eyes now!
oldJoho and Chav got their ‘revenge’ by telling us at every turn that Barcelona is a hot bed of crime and pickpockets !!! 
Wow, teefers is feeling daring, no 70s porn muzak tonight. 
