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The Virtuous Ones: A Dark Satire of the Advertising Industry
Meet the Mad Men of the 21st Century!
In this work of fiction, Pure Creative, an ad agency, has set its sights on rap star Markus in hopes of cinching one of the most profitable collaborations turning the viral music video for his number-one song “Holy War”—in which he ventures into poor neighborhoods to make broad gestures of generosity—into an ad campaign for their most lucrative client, the telecommunications giant Telco.
Pure’s client services lead, Ella, is dealing with other challenges. She's struggling with deteriorating judgment and frayed nerves caused not only by work overload but by several traumatic events in her past. As a result, she's mismanaging the Telco account, putting her career, and the entire Holy War project, at risk. As if that weren’t enough, an onslaught of bad press about Markus’s very politically incorrect private life will begin to threaten Pure's squeaky clean image as the “woke-est” agency in the world. Despite these hurdles standing between Pure Creative and success, its creative director, Link, has convinced himself that this campaign will finally give him a chance to do some real good in the world. Why, then, can’t he shake the nagging feeling of being an imposter?
In this Swiftian, often comical narrative, Stoddard satirizes the newest and perhaps most manipulative weapon of today’s advertising branded content that promotes progressive social values—and all for the “pure” and unadulterated goal of… sheer profit.
In this work of fiction, Pure Creative, an ad agency, has set its sights on rap star Markus in hopes of cinching one of the most profitable collaborations turning the viral music video for his number-one song “Holy War”—in which he ventures into poor neighborhoods to make broad gestures of generosity—into an ad campaign for their most lucrative client, the telecommunications giant Telco.
Pure’s client services lead, Ella, is dealing with other challenges. She's struggling with deteriorating judgment and frayed nerves caused not only by work overload but by several traumatic events in her past. As a result, she's mismanaging the Telco account, putting her career, and the entire Holy War project, at risk. As if that weren’t enough, an onslaught of bad press about Markus’s very politically incorrect private life will begin to threaten Pure's squeaky clean image as the “woke-est” agency in the world. Despite these hurdles standing between Pure Creative and success, its creative director, Link, has convinced himself that this campaign will finally give him a chance to do some real good in the world. Why, then, can’t he shake the nagging feeling of being an imposter?
In this Swiftian, often comical narrative, Stoddard satirizes the newest and perhaps most manipulative weapon of today’s advertising branded content that promotes progressive social values—and all for the “pure” and unadulterated goal of… sheer profit.
- GenresLGBT
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2022
1 person is currently reading
1440 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Stoddard
7 books22 followersCHRISTOPHER STODDARD is the author of four novels: The Virtuous Ones (ITNA, 2022), At Night Only (ITNA, 2018), Limiters (ITNA, 2014), and White, Christian (Spuyten Duyvil, 2010). His most recent book, At Night Only, was praised by PEN award-winning author Edmund White, and was a staff pick in The Paris Review. For more than a decade, he worked at various ad agencies in New York City. He lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 1, 2022
I’m the first to rate and review this book. Nice. Or noooice. So here we go…
The Virtuous Ones are anything but. That’s the satire of it, presumably. They are vain, vapid, vile, vicious, and venomous.
They are also a very specific class of people – famous and fame-adjacent, moneys, groomed to the nines, and career-driven.
And yes, none of the fame is deserved and none of their careers really matter in the grand scheme of things, but hey, that’s modern fame-obsessed, social media-addled world for you.
There’s a rapey (and not even the only rapey character in here) rapper and his posse and a PRM firm hired to manage him and his new charity-base show.
Chapter by chapter the narrative alternates to feature different players in this elaborate and ultimately vacuous performance. So it’s mostly one of those terrible people doing terrible things to each other sort of satires. But it does a good job of reflecting many aspects of a current zeitgeist, mainly that of the undeserved fame and its repercussions.
Sex scandals, race scandals, social media scandals - all sorts of things this story doesn’t shy away from.
And, because it has to deal with a PR firm and moral ambiguity, the comparisons to Mad Men are inevitable. Although the two are really very different beasts.
This book isn’t a sort of LOL satire, it’s subtler, darker. Lots of ugliness here you can’t joke away. So maybe not for everyone, but an interesting and a well-written book. And such a quick read. I went through it in one sitting 1:30 to 4:30 or so. This may not be a book to love per se, since it is so unlovely by design, but it's certainly a sort of thing one can appreciate. Thanks Netgalley.
The Virtuous Ones are anything but. That’s the satire of it, presumably. They are vain, vapid, vile, vicious, and venomous.
They are also a very specific class of people – famous and fame-adjacent, moneys, groomed to the nines, and career-driven.
And yes, none of the fame is deserved and none of their careers really matter in the grand scheme of things, but hey, that’s modern fame-obsessed, social media-addled world for you.
There’s a rapey (and not even the only rapey character in here) rapper and his posse and a PRM firm hired to manage him and his new charity-base show.
Chapter by chapter the narrative alternates to feature different players in this elaborate and ultimately vacuous performance. So it’s mostly one of those terrible people doing terrible things to each other sort of satires. But it does a good job of reflecting many aspects of a current zeitgeist, mainly that of the undeserved fame and its repercussions.
Sex scandals, race scandals, social media scandals - all sorts of things this story doesn’t shy away from.
And, because it has to deal with a PR firm and moral ambiguity, the comparisons to Mad Men are inevitable. Although the two are really very different beasts.
This book isn’t a sort of LOL satire, it’s subtler, darker. Lots of ugliness here you can’t joke away. So maybe not for everyone, but an interesting and a well-written book. And such a quick read. I went through it in one sitting 1:30 to 4:30 or so. This may not be a book to love per se, since it is so unlovely by design, but it's certainly a sort of thing one can appreciate. Thanks Netgalley.
January 1, 2023
I enjoyed the writing, but this book just wasn’t for me. I struggled to get through it and found it hard to connect with anyone.
did-not-finish
September 20, 2022DNF at 33%
I love the concept of satirizing the shallowness and ridicule of the advertisement industry, this is a very solid take on ultra-capitalism and I appreciate the intention behind it, especially as someone who works on the field. But an important part of satire, for me, is that even when critiquing it should still be entertaining. This wasn't entertaining.
The writing is too on the nose, too heavy-handed. I completely understand that it's the point, that these people ARE supposed to be annoying, but there should be a balance to help me care about what I was reading.
I think a more solid plot would've done wonders here, instead of just following scene after scene of characters being extremely obnoxious and out of touch just for the sake of showing they were obnoxious and out of touch. (Secret History comes to mind: completely unlikable characters but the mistery keeps you interested).
It's not a bad book necessarily, it just really didn't work for me. I can't decide if someone completely disconnected from this reality would be able to enjoy the freak show, like a zoo experiment, or just be confused by the references to advertisment in-works every other sentence.
I love the concept of satirizing the shallowness and ridicule of the advertisement industry, this is a very solid take on ultra-capitalism and I appreciate the intention behind it, especially as someone who works on the field. But an important part of satire, for me, is that even when critiquing it should still be entertaining. This wasn't entertaining.
The writing is too on the nose, too heavy-handed. I completely understand that it's the point, that these people ARE supposed to be annoying, but there should be a balance to help me care about what I was reading.
I think a more solid plot would've done wonders here, instead of just following scene after scene of characters being extremely obnoxious and out of touch just for the sake of showing they were obnoxious and out of touch. (Secret History comes to mind: completely unlikable characters but the mistery keeps you interested).
It's not a bad book necessarily, it just really didn't work for me. I can't decide if someone completely disconnected from this reality would be able to enjoy the freak show, like a zoo experiment, or just be confused by the references to advertisment in-works every other sentence.
September 26, 2022
I took me a while to process this book. The story is graphic with violence and sex, but none of it gratuitous. It’s about an industry where people are hedonistic, self centric, and are always seeking immediate gratification. The characters are more than flawed, they are broken and out of control. There is no resolution or redemption for the characters.
Yet this is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve read for a while. The words are powerful, if disturbing. It’s extremely well written and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the human condition.
Yet this is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve read for a while. The words are powerful, if disturbing. It’s extremely well written and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the human condition.
September 28, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is excellent. It's a very well done critique of performative activism and progressive branding with a cast of (mostly) awful, decadent characters in the context of an ad agency's collaboration with a celebrity during the onset of the pandemic and the protests following the murder of George Floyd. It wasn't an easy read as it covers many triggering topics (mainly sexual assault and drug use) but I love what it set out to do.
This book is excellent. It's a very well done critique of performative activism and progressive branding with a cast of (mostly) awful, decadent characters in the context of an ad agency's collaboration with a celebrity during the onset of the pandemic and the protests following the murder of George Floyd. It wasn't an easy read as it covers many triggering topics (mainly sexual assault and drug use) but I love what it set out to do.
July 23, 2022
Thank you Christopher Stoddard, ITNA Press, and NetGalley for this ARC!
If you enjoy satire that criticizes the age of social media and performative activism, this book is definitely for you.
Deemed as “the Mad Men of the 21st century,” this satirical work delves into the corrupt lives of the creative leaders working for Pure Creative, an ad-agency focused on social justice and ethical branding. The work follows these creators through their tumultuous “Holy War” collaboration with a famous rapper, later meeting its chaotic demise as the rapper comes under fire with several rape allegations. They also experience the emotional ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. Harsh upbringings, drug addiction, and sexual scandals avail as we find out just how terrible these “pure” people are and the mindsets that drive these insane narratives.
This book is a great critique on using progressive branding and activism for profit. I enjoyed the subtlety of the satire and how believable the characters were. Stoddard does an excellent job weaving in contemporary brands and trends to make these characters and scenarios come to life. The “wokeness” and self-pity oozed off the pages with characters like Link and Lexi, while others showed incredible mental resilience through tragic events, such as Ella and Brandon. Ella was my favorite character because she went through so much and had the best revenge plot in the book. The book was also really fast-paced which I enjoyed a lot. So many events transpired that left my jaw on the floor, especially when it came to Ella, and I was addicted to reading more.
This book also covers very tough topics, such as sexual assault, so I definitely advise reading with caution. It was hard to read the POVs of Markus and Lexi, but in a way, they were necessary to show how shallow power gets into people’s heads nowadays. I really wish more conclusion was given for ella and brandon because they definitely deserved it.
I’m excited to read this author’s other pieces!
If you enjoy satire that criticizes the age of social media and performative activism, this book is definitely for you.
Deemed as “the Mad Men of the 21st century,” this satirical work delves into the corrupt lives of the creative leaders working for Pure Creative, an ad-agency focused on social justice and ethical branding. The work follows these creators through their tumultuous “Holy War” collaboration with a famous rapper, later meeting its chaotic demise as the rapper comes under fire with several rape allegations. They also experience the emotional ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. Harsh upbringings, drug addiction, and sexual scandals avail as we find out just how terrible these “pure” people are and the mindsets that drive these insane narratives.
This book is a great critique on using progressive branding and activism for profit. I enjoyed the subtlety of the satire and how believable the characters were. Stoddard does an excellent job weaving in contemporary brands and trends to make these characters and scenarios come to life. The “wokeness” and self-pity oozed off the pages with characters like Link and Lexi, while others showed incredible mental resilience through tragic events, such as Ella and Brandon. Ella was my favorite character because she went through so much and had the best revenge plot in the book. The book was also really fast-paced which I enjoyed a lot. So many events transpired that left my jaw on the floor, especially when it came to Ella, and I was addicted to reading more.
This book also covers very tough topics, such as sexual assault, so I definitely advise reading with caution. It was hard to read the POVs of Markus and Lexi, but in a way, they were necessary to show how shallow power gets into people’s heads nowadays. I really wish more conclusion was given for ella and brandon because they definitely deserved it.
I’m excited to read this author’s other pieces!
June 30, 2022
3.5 stars. Billed as "the Mad Men of the 21st Century," Christopher Stoddard's The Virtuous Ones follows a group of PR firm employees, celebrities, and influencers through their tumultuous lives and their desperate attempts to keep up appearances. Each chapter follows the point of view of a different character, with the first and last chapter being from that of the same character.
Stoddard doesn't shy away from revealing the ugliness underneath the sparkling veneer of these characters' lives: amid all of the namedrops of designer brands and lifestyle products, sex, drugs, crime, and a whole lot of bad behavior abound. Stoddard's blunt and to-the-point writing style does an excellent job juxtaposing the glamor with the ugly underside of these lives. In contrast with the bluntness, there is also a lot of vividly descriptive imagery, which also lends well to the narrative.
As others have mentioned, this isn't a laugh-out-loud satire; it's more subtle. Stoddard sketches out believable characters that you can imagine actually existing and actually doing the things they do, even if they seem extreme. But be warned: when I say these characters behave badly, it's a bit euphemistic. This book discusses topics that might be distressing for some readers, so proceed with caution. On the whole, The Virtuous Ones is a timely and relevant satire of the rich and famous, and a haunting look into what lies beneath the surface of all that glitz and glam. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!
Stoddard doesn't shy away from revealing the ugliness underneath the sparkling veneer of these characters' lives: amid all of the namedrops of designer brands and lifestyle products, sex, drugs, crime, and a whole lot of bad behavior abound. Stoddard's blunt and to-the-point writing style does an excellent job juxtaposing the glamor with the ugly underside of these lives. In contrast with the bluntness, there is also a lot of vividly descriptive imagery, which also lends well to the narrative.
As others have mentioned, this isn't a laugh-out-loud satire; it's more subtle. Stoddard sketches out believable characters that you can imagine actually existing and actually doing the things they do, even if they seem extreme. But be warned: when I say these characters behave badly, it's a bit euphemistic. This book discusses topics that might be distressing for some readers, so proceed with caution. On the whole, The Virtuous Ones is a timely and relevant satire of the rich and famous, and a haunting look into what lies beneath the surface of all that glitz and glam. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!
November 2, 2022
*A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 STARS
warning: abuse, rape, drug use, suicide, prejudice, possibly everything under the sun that could need a warning
Only someone from an agency would write something as wild as this. It’s messy, insane, unbelievable and way too amusing to forget.
I was 22% per cent into this book until I recognised its satire and could not unsee it. Initially, the characters were strange. Familiar, but exaggerated. I didn’t really question it much as I have seen such characters in other books before. It was only when we were introduced to Axel, the eccentric new Chief Creative Officer who introduced a cultish ‘branding process’ for Pure’s new branding that made it clear. Well, it was actually the part where Axel smokes two packs a day that made me realise it was satire, because we all know they vape now, don’t we?
This book is entertaining, fast-paced and very hectic. Still, I enjoyed every moment of it because nothing, absolutely nothing was expected. This book is not meant to be taken seriously, but if you’re down for something entertaining to read, albeit dark at times, try this. There’s absolutely no way I can write a review that will do this justice, but it feels like a constant challenge of “what is the most unexpected scenario that could happen” that drives this book forwards.
From the pandemic to pop culture, society to relationships, this book is a reflection of humanity at its’ extreme. Definitely a read you can’t forget.
4.5 STARS
warning: abuse, rape, drug use, suicide, prejudice, possibly everything under the sun that could need a warning
Only someone from an agency would write something as wild as this. It’s messy, insane, unbelievable and way too amusing to forget.
I was 22% per cent into this book until I recognised its satire and could not unsee it. Initially, the characters were strange. Familiar, but exaggerated. I didn’t really question it much as I have seen such characters in other books before. It was only when we were introduced to Axel, the eccentric new Chief Creative Officer who introduced a cultish ‘branding process’ for Pure’s new branding that made it clear. Well, it was actually the part where Axel smokes two packs a day that made me realise it was satire, because we all know they vape now, don’t we?
This book is entertaining, fast-paced and very hectic. Still, I enjoyed every moment of it because nothing, absolutely nothing was expected. This book is not meant to be taken seriously, but if you’re down for something entertaining to read, albeit dark at times, try this. There’s absolutely no way I can write a review that will do this justice, but it feels like a constant challenge of “what is the most unexpected scenario that could happen” that drives this book forwards.
From the pandemic to pop culture, society to relationships, this book is a reflection of humanity at its’ extreme. Definitely a read you can’t forget.
July 20, 2022
The Virtuous Ones - the satire begins right there in the title; the characters and events depicted in this novel are far from virtuous. In fact, they're terrible people doing awful things in the pursuit of fame, fortune, notoriety, and advancing up the corporate ladder. The plot is loosely centred around the potential collaboration between seedy rap star Markus, and the employees of PR firm Pure Creative in the hopes of creating a 'do-good', charity-based branded content documentary to bolster the public image of all involved. Each chapter focuses on an individual player in this media circus, revealing the less-than-angelic reality behind their shiny public, and corporate, personas. The blunt, matter-of-fact writing style is very much in keeping with the darker satire of the novel - it is not laugh-out-loud, but subtler, allowing the reader to reflect on their own perceptions of the of-the-minute commentary surrounding the Me Too Movement, BLM protests, celebrity and social media. I did, at times, find the pacing to be a little off - there were certain moments that were portrayed in great detail, sometimes over the course of a full chapter, where other parts seemed to gloss over a character's thoughts or actions within a few sentences - particularly when a significant shift in time has occurred. Overall, I did enjoy this shorter read and would be interested in seeking out the author's previous work.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Christopher Stoddard for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Trigger Warnings: Rape, Sexual Violence, Death, Drug Use
Many thanks to Net Galley and Christopher Stoddard for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Trigger Warnings: Rape, Sexual Violence, Death, Drug Use
June 14, 2022
4.25/5
Where to begin with a novel like this; I guess I'd like to start by saying I wasn't sure at first. For the first fifty pages, I had a rough time reading the novel. Not for the writing style, because the writing and the language I loved. Some moments were too lyrical for me, but for some odd reason, I loved the lyrical moments. The purple prose was like music to my ears. Now when it comes to characters, I can't say I have a favorite; all of them were vile. However, they all fell right into the books themes and they fit perfectly. The book wouldn't work without these characters; even at moments when I wanted to give this book up; but I powered through and I'm glad I did because at the end, more themes were added. And this rather short novel became a jumble of topics and I quite enjoyed how the author handled the situations revolving around the world around us today; especially in the last couple of years. With all the heartache around us, more people need to view the articles and listen to the people. Times are changing and all people should be listened to and the old ways need to adapt. Be aweare, this novel does have topics od drug abuse and use; along with the darker parts of life lie sexual abuse. So be advised.
#TheVirtuousOnes #NetGalley
Where to begin with a novel like this; I guess I'd like to start by saying I wasn't sure at first. For the first fifty pages, I had a rough time reading the novel. Not for the writing style, because the writing and the language I loved. Some moments were too lyrical for me, but for some odd reason, I loved the lyrical moments. The purple prose was like music to my ears. Now when it comes to characters, I can't say I have a favorite; all of them were vile. However, they all fell right into the books themes and they fit perfectly. The book wouldn't work without these characters; even at moments when I wanted to give this book up; but I powered through and I'm glad I did because at the end, more themes were added. And this rather short novel became a jumble of topics and I quite enjoyed how the author handled the situations revolving around the world around us today; especially in the last couple of years. With all the heartache around us, more people need to view the articles and listen to the people. Times are changing and all people should be listened to and the old ways need to adapt. Be aweare, this novel does have topics od drug abuse and use; along with the darker parts of life lie sexual abuse. So be advised.
#TheVirtuousOnes #NetGalley
September 21, 2022
Billed as the Mad Men of the 21st Century I strapped in for a ride. I loved Mad Men. The industry. The female struggle. The clothes. The actors. The glamour. I also spent lots of my working life at ad agencies & was inspired by the passion, the madness, the people & the pace of it all.
The World has changed as this book shows. We are now in a new order where social media reigns. Enter the “wokest” PR agency you can find full of neurotic, drug dependent, money & label driven cast of characters. Stoddard’s very ironic titular virtuous ones.
A short book, it nevertheless packs a punch. Full of satire & beautifully written prose. It plays a little too much to the crowd I think. We are all shades of good & bad. It is more possible to be both than this book suggests. You can be messed up but produce excellent work. You can have a social conscience & still want to be a celebrity hanger on.
This book hits the mark more by highlighting the #metoo movement & the close ally that personal insecurity is to the whole social media evolution exploding in our lives.
As a satire it works but in delivering a cast of characters you identify with, root for or even hate but are invested in - it does this less well.
Would recommend
The World has changed as this book shows. We are now in a new order where social media reigns. Enter the “wokest” PR agency you can find full of neurotic, drug dependent, money & label driven cast of characters. Stoddard’s very ironic titular virtuous ones.
A short book, it nevertheless packs a punch. Full of satire & beautifully written prose. It plays a little too much to the crowd I think. We are all shades of good & bad. It is more possible to be both than this book suggests. You can be messed up but produce excellent work. You can have a social conscience & still want to be a celebrity hanger on.
This book hits the mark more by highlighting the #metoo movement & the close ally that personal insecurity is to the whole social media evolution exploding in our lives.
As a satire it works but in delivering a cast of characters you identify with, root for or even hate but are invested in - it does this less well.
Would recommend
September 13, 2022
3.5 stars. This story really gained momentum as it unfolded and I found the second half really page-turning. It is a satire of celebrity culture, the advertising world, the multiple ways in which society is decaying. In some ways I found it nihilistic and sad, the toxic choices made by many of the characters and the sense that whatever they did they couldn’t win. The most positive outcome arrives later in the story with Ella, who delivers sweet justice to a particularly noxious character. The narrative refers to the #MeToo movement, the long-term effects on people from trauma and abuse, and the deep insecurity driving performative social media and attention seeking. I was also amused to see a tongue-in-cheek reference to Rachel Dolezal in the story. Many thanks to NetGalley and ITNA Press for the review copy.
September 13, 2022
Shocking at times and full of vapid, unlikeable characters, this short book packs a bit of a punch.
It’s a very quick read, but it has good prose and a plot that moved along quickly, and is just filled with subtle, satirical humor.
Not my favorite read of the year but it was entertaining nonetheless and I enjoyed reading it.
Big thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Stoddard for giving this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a very quick read, but it has good prose and a plot that moved along quickly, and is just filled with subtle, satirical humor.
Not my favorite read of the year but it was entertaining nonetheless and I enjoyed reading it.
Big thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Stoddard for giving this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2022
If you like Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion, you’d probably like this book. It’s quick-paced, dark, witty, and way way way too timely. I guess that’s what you get from a book published this year. I really loved this book, though the ending felt a bit rushed.
November 12, 2022
wait... is this fucking play about us?
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