Her paper Hypocritical Bullsh*t Performed Through Gritted Teeth: Authenticity Discourses in Nickelback's Album Reviews in Finnish Media finds that negative feedback directed towards the band has risen as they've become more commercially successful. Anttonen tells Buzzfeed: "They were a good case in point because they are so widely accused of lacking authenticity.

She adds that critiques were "not about the sound, but what values are attached to the sounds." She wrote that "by nullifying Nickelback's authenticity, critics are actually authenticating themselves."

Anttonen also says that critics seek to assert their authority by ridiculing Nickelback in the media as they see themselves as protectors of authenticity and originality in rock music.