Do some people only "like" pop culture, to fit in?

[Vindicator Phoenix]

Many popular songs, music artists, movies, and TV shows get circulated throughout the mainstream, becoming "viral."

I believe that many people don't actually appreciate the artistic quality of such media (if you could call some of it artistic, at all), and care only for how trendy they'll appear to be, in following pop culture. I find that many will tastelessly choose their "favorites," fixating on whatever trendy motifs will get them liked, or make them publicly relatable.

Do you believe that most popular media followers prioritize "fitting in" over "tasting" the beauty of the arts?

 

[Autistamatic]

Some do without doubt. The desire to follow the crowd is very powerful in many, perhaps most people. The stigma of being honest that they don't like, or even don't understand is too much for them to bear.

 

[Progster]

Yes, I think that some do. Not everybody, of course. Especially younger people who are still trying to find their identity and where they fit in. As people get older, they usually begin to assert their individuality a bit more, or perhaps they no longer see it as a big deal to fit in and are more likely to like things according to their personality.

I have never liked things just because everyone else likes them - I like them because I like them, and whether other people like them or not has no bearing on my preferences. I have always had my own individual taste and done my own thing, but for most people, social standing, fitting in and projecting a public image are very important, so they might base their preferences on where they want to fit in, or what self image they want to project, what statement they want to make about themselves, suppressing whatever natural preferences they might have. Liking something different might be giving a wrong signal to the group, that they are not a part of the group - every group has its own culture; it's own rules. So they are afraid to admit that they don't really like something because they are afraid of rejection.

I'm sure it's the case with many of these hyped-up movies such as the Star Wars series - there are some who go because their friends have gone or are going, and not because they particularly like Star Wars or because they appreciate the artistic merit of the movie.

 

[shysnail]

I think it's exposure too. The most popular things are the things you're most likely to be exposed to, and familiarity often breeds fondness. I don't think it's just about popular things though. People claim to like things for all sorts of reasons. They might say they like "hard" literature so they seem smart, for example. When I was a teenager, and probably still now, the coolest thing you could do was say you hated mainstream music and only listened to "real" music. That's part of the same thing, projecting an image and saying something about your identity through your likes/dislikes in the arts.

 

[BraidedPony]

I used to watch a popular tv series just so i could join in on banter about it the next day at work.
I didnt say i liked the stupid show, but it would be assumed, so I could sort of fit in.
Waste of time in hindsight.
When I was a teen and in my early 20's i would of course like what everyone else my age liked, but i still like the music from that time.

 

[Mia]

Popular media is interesting, in that it reflects certain social interests. It's usually fleeting, short on substance, quickly consumed and often forgotten for the next trend. It's been variously described as 'manna' for the masses. It's purpose is mainly now to sell music, people, talent, product, ideas, in a way that amuses or upsets or arrests the attention of people. To get them to look, listen, to interest for a few moments.

Much of it is the advertising of something, if they can get your attention for a few seconds, they can then plant something; an idea, a name, a popular tune or image. It's a process of indoctrination, as a child I memorized hundreds of product jingles when first learning to speak. To this day I can still sing the stupid things, fifty something years later. If those jingles had served some intellectual purpose, like scientific notation, or historical dates, or the periodic table, they may have mattered to me. As it is they are dross, useless to me, and didn't aid me literally in much of any way. So something so easily consumed is in fact trash to most people eventually, it's of little importance in the scheme of things.

I do at times come across things in popular media, that give me ideas. That if I consider the idea it might lead to something of actual value or worth.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I can't remember ever pretending to like something just to fit in.
In fact, if I did like something that a lot of other people liked when I was younger, it became "wrong" for me but still acceptable for everyone else.

 

[Kyou Nukui]

Don't forget sports! How can anyone choose one football team over another? They're all exactly the same aren't they??
Especially when it's not even the team that is based in their home town. Do people just pick the one who wears their favourite colour or the one that's currently winning?
But even if "their" team is based in their home town, that's just fitting in, isn't it?
Idk.. I can't speak for anyone else, certainly not anyone "normal" lol! XD

 

[Judge]

It's reasonable to make such a nebulous assumption, but an assumption that likely applies to some- not many.

Pop culture is as common as dirt. So I don't see anyone's preferences in such a thing as being particularly meaningful, whether it involves a distinct social majority or not. The fact is, people can like pop culture simply because they really do like it. Though in this particular context pop culture can be a catalyst for one wanting to fit in. I think what is more important is what actually motivates a person to seek such a catalyst in the first place.

Example: In my own case, why I have spent much of my life in masking my autistic traits and behaviors? Not to fit in, but to limit scorn and being ostracized. In my heart, I never thought I have fit in much of anywhere. A consideration that remains mutually exclusive of how I do or don't relate to all kinds of manifestations of pop culture.

Humans can be pretty damn discriminating. So much so that it often involves much more than merely liking or disliking something. Just look at the social politics of any club. Usually based on a single common passion or occupation. Yet such common denominators never guarantee your social standing with other members.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I'd say some do, but not the majority. Probably a much higher proportion of teenagers do than adults.

This doesn't just apply to "pop culture" of course. When I was a teenager I pretended I was into metal music and knitting because I wanted to fit in.

 

[FreeDiver]

Just look at the social politics of any club. Usually based on a single common passion or occupation. Yet such common denominators never guarantee your social standing with other members.

Oh! I know the social dynamics of those so-called "common passion/interest" clubs all too well. They look inviting on the outside and in the brochure. But once you get in. It's nothing like you expected. Not even close. Believe me, I've been burn several times on this one before learning my lesson.

 

[tducey]

It's happened to me. Back in the day I got into liking the wrestler, Stone Cold Steve Austin, because my peer group did as well.

 

[Misery]

There's a concept called the "crab bucket" effect. Take a normal bucket, put one crab in it, and that crab can easily climb out. It's able to do it's own thing and just wander off. Put alot of crabs in the bucket, and none of them will get out. Any time one tries, the others will grab on and just yank it back in. Each individual must stick with the whole... or they get the claws.

That's how alot of popular stuff is. You're either with it, or you're against it, in the minds of many. If alot of people are doing it, are into it, it MUST be good, must be the "right" thing. Try to stay away from major things like that, and you'll just get verbally attacked, laughed at, and shoved away, in far too many cases. Everyone else is in that bucket. Therefore, you must be in that bucket too. Just because.

It's the same with things like groups of friends. They dont have to be INTO anything. They just have to be the popular people. Even if you dont like any of them, arent ACTUALLY friends with any, you dont admit to it... you hang out with them, stay around them, or else you get put into the group of weirdos or something. This is why the concept of fake friendship comes up so often. It's also a huge part of why people on sites like Facebook hace 20 zillion "friends" sorted into alot of groups. Everyone wants to be a part of that in-crowd.

Frankly, it's pathetic. Dont get me wrong: There are plenty of people who will very genuinely like pop culture things or whatever else it happens to be. But there's far too many examples of people just allowing themselves to get sucked in to something they have no interest in, simply because they dont want to be excluded from the group. People dont like to REALLY think for themselves, and will prioritize following the herd over truly being themselves.

Ridiculous. But it happens alot.

It's one of the things that actually makes me thankful for being on the spectrum: my differently-functioning mind makes me immune to that particular effect. I simply dont give a fart. If my interests just happen to align with that of others? Hey, fine. I may not actually NOTICE, but it's fine. And if it doesnt align? Sure, great. That's fine too. I aint changing what I like or dont like simply because of what the hivemind is or isnt interested in. Wish I could get more of the people around me to do the same though.

 

[Fino]

I feel unsure what "pop culture" even refers to, but I'm pretty sure whatever it refers to, it's very general.

I love popular music, some television shows, some celebrities, etc.

Is that me "liking" "pop culture"?

I think it's trendy to dislike "pop culture," and that the dislike of "pop culture" is misguided. The opponents of it fixate on whatever they can find of the lowest quality, which is easy in our technological world.

But the truth is, through the lens of music history, "pop culture" has always existed, and it has always been made up primarily of mediocrity. That's the nature of art. It's a logical impossibility to expect the majority to be quality work.

Mediums in which anyone can participate are inevitably going to spawn primarily garbage. The famous artists throughout history that we now revere were exceptions, surrounded by filth. And that hasn't changed. The human genome hasn't altered to decrease talent level. Brilliant art is being created at this very moment, and, yes, some of it is a part of "pop culture."

The fixation on the lowest quality means that in order to be consistent, one should go throughout history and find the lowest quality of each century and look to that rather than the geniuses generally idolized. And then you can complain about the "pop culture" throughout all of history.

 

[tlc]

I would rather do things that are different than mainstream. I don't want to just be another number lumped into the same group as everyone else. I want to be me, something identifiable.

Maybe another reason is I don't like crowds and competition. If I want something mainstream, I will have to compete for it, pay more for it, deal with crowds of people because they all want it too. And if I want to talk about it, why would anyone want to listen? Everybody else is saying the same thing, so what sets me apart?

I might finally like these same things years down the road when the hype is over. When I can buy it in a resale shop or discount store for dirt cheap because nobody else seems to want it. When it's something that sets me apart from the crowd.

Honestly, most of this stuff that is "viral" I find painfully annoying. Even when it's yesterday's news. I go online for information, not entertainment.

Sometimes I get lucky and get to enjoy these things BEFORE they are mainstream. One example is 20 years ago, I was an advocate for disc brakes on trailers, I custom built 2 of my own setups. Most people thought they were overpriced, not worth it, weren't any better. Slowly more and more people started coming around. Looky now, they're more expensive than ever and they're all the rage.

 

[All-Rounder]

I would guess young people are more prone to stigma based action, farther from the truth of self, and this behavior may consume them and their time that they pay none to actually enjoying themselves and seeking things to like.

I lived in fear of acting, talking about my love of garlic as food, because of the reactions others would have and because I knew the way they spoke about it. Kids easily bully people based on a lot of differences from mainstream, religion, behavior, likes etc.

I think bc of this I wasn't really able to explore my likes, and it seemed to me my childhood is rather a shadow of my now emerging into the real one, when im actually an adult. Now the world has no boundaries for me to explore and I have a fairly strong understanding of my own true self and I can generally talk about it comfortably.

 

[Crossbreed]

I genuinely enjoy some features of NT society (but not enough of them to be a card-carrying member). I'll use that common ground where I can. Past that, I will go back to whatever it was that I was doing.

 

[SusanLR]

It's one of the things that actually makes me thankful for being on the spectrum: my differently-functioning mind makes me immune to that particular effect. I simply dont give a fart. If my interests just happen to align with that of others? Hey, fine. I may not actually NOTICE, but it's fine. And if it doesnt align? Sure, great. That's fine too. I aint changing what I like or dont like simply because of what the hivemind is or isnt interested in. Wish I could get more of the people around me to do the same though

How I feel also and will speak up when people try to tell me to like this but not that because this is
the style and that is what your Grandmother would like.
I'm going through this right now in particular with home remodeling.
Seems most everyone on out block has decided to update their homes this year.
Go to a showroom for flooring, cabinets, bathrooms, kitchens, you name it and there are certain
looks you will see taking over everywhere.
Then the sales people or the contractors tell you what YOU like!
This is what you WANT because everyone else does right now!
This type of hype really gets me annoyed.
I like what I like and I'm paying money for what I want. Not what you or the rest of the block wants.
I'm immune to this mentality too. And don't give a bleep what they say.

 

[Crossbreed]

Then the sales people or the contractors tell you what YOU like!
This is what you WANT because everyone else does right now!
This type of hype really gets me annoyed.
I like what I like and I'm paying money for what I want. Not what you or the rest of the block wants.
I'm immune to this mentality too. And don't give a bleep what they say.

I agree, but one of the angles that they are likely coming from are those improvements that can affect a home's resale value.

 

[All-Rounder]

How I feel also and will speak up when people try to tell me to like this but not that because this is
the style and that is what your Grandmother would like.
I'm going through this right now in particular with home remodeling.
Seems most everyone on out block has decided to update their homes this year.
Go to a showroom for flooring, cabinets, bathrooms, kitchens, you name it and there are certain
looks you will see taking over everywhere.
Then the sales people or the contractors tell you what YOU like!
This is what you WANT because everyone else does right now!
This type of hype really gets me annoyed.
I like what I like and I'm paying money for what I want. Not what you or the rest of the block wants.
I'm immune to this mentality too. And don't give a bleep what they say.

Right on! Same about fashion, some is ridiculous/unpractical and short-lived. I cant keep count of the people who laugh at me for my outfashioned clothes once I go out on the streets. Gather up, the freak's in town!