Okay, picture this: you’re in a suburban shopping mall in 2003. The air smells like Millie’s cookies and artificial watermelon lip gloss. There’s a Claire’s to your left, an Early Learning Centre to your right, and for some reason, an escalator that only goes halfway up before stopping. 

A Furby in a forgotten corner blinks. You hear the faint dial-up tone from a computer that isn’t there. Someone walks past you wearing those jelly sandals that should be illegal. Suddenly, Peppa Pig is there - but she’s slightly off-model, like she was animated by someone who only had a vague description of her. She whispers, "Marketing is an illusion. The only thing that’s real is the vibe." 

You drop your Paperchase notebook. The pages flutter open to reveal an ad for a limited-edition McDonald’s toy.  

That’s showbiz baby.