popularity

[Ratchetandclank]

does popularity matter to you or not, because in my opinion it doesn't

[geminigirl]

To me popularity doesn't matter.

From what I have seen people in the popular groups at school well every person is the same so that means that aren't being themselves at leats with some things.

Besides the popular people at my school believe that because I am a girl I shouldn't watch anime or play yu-gi-oh the trading card game but I like doing that stuff and I am not going to stop or pretend I have stopped just to fit in. I am a loner at school (well I have 1 friend) and I am happy with that.

[darkarcher]

Popularity is overrated, definitely.

[Feball3001]

Popularity is annoying because everyone wants you to be something that you are not and pretending to be somthing that you are not just to fit in with everyone is annoying.

[HeavyDDR]

Being popular is a natural human thing.

No one wants to be unnoticed in this world.

Being popular doesn't mean you HAVE to be a cheerleader, or you HAVE to be a football player, fuck, it's not limited to anything. Being popular isn't always a good thing. Look at me, I'm popular here because I'm a jackass. More people know Hitler than they know the president at that time.

Then again being popularity is a good thing. It shows you've left a mark on this world, for better or worse. And if you go by my philosophy, to truly die is to be forgotten. The more people that know you, the more alive you'll be.

Hot damn you guys are pessimistic.

[darkarcher]

I'm not pessimistic. I'm just making the point that being popular isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. There's also a difference in making an impact and being popular.

[lukeh]

I hate the popularity at our school. Most of the other people are just asses.

[GcarOatmealRaisinCookies]

people suck, why do you want them to like you?

[Tatterdemalion]

There is no such thing as popularity. That is to say, the concept that somehow humans can be measured in a social setting by their "popularity" is an illusion.

Human beings are not popular. Products are popular. Consumer goods are populare. Television programs are popular, music albums are populare. Popularity is a measurement of how much consumer demand there is for a product, and how much interest people have in consuming it.

A society which commends popularity is a society in which the members of its population do not see themselves as individuals, but see themselves as products. In the marketplace people connect consumer demand with the quality of a product, and this market mentality ends up spilling over into other aspects of society, to the extent that people see the demand for them, not as individual human beings but as commodities, being marketed and advertized in an appealing way, as a measurement of their self worth.

It al starts when people start making an emotional investment in their products, which is something that is encouraged by marketing firms, because it's good for business. Now, in the world of mass media, many products are represented by people (or rather, many brands are people). So let's make an example, and say that the product in question is an album, and the person representing the product is a particular musician. Now, if this album is "popular", meaning that there are a lot of sales, then the musician will be popular as well, something that is generally achieved by millions of dollars worth of marketing, public relations, promotional material, and all that good stuff, all geared towards making the musician/album seem attractive. Now, when a particular product is promoted this way, the consumer is led to feel some sort of emotional connection to the product, not because such a connection actually exists, but because, like everything else in the world of sales, it's good for business.

So what you end up with is a musician/album/product that everyone commends, not because this product has actually done anything commendable, but because it has sold well, and anything that sells well is good for the economy, and thus commended in a consumer society. At the same time, you have millions of people who get a sort of warm fuzzy feeling in association with this product (which has been engineered by a marketing team), that takes the place of actual emotional and interpersonal relationships with other people. Therefore, when people start to seek out real interpersonal relationships, they either try to market themselves, or respond to the marketing of others, because they have come to identify emotionally with such methods of advertising.

So yeah, that's pretty much what it comes down to. To be attracted to a particular person, or to seek out relationships withother people, is completely natural. However, to start to measure who has how many relationships with who else, and how many people, and how in what way, then use this as a way to assign someone some sort of social status is by no means natural, and is simply the side effect of a consumer culture.

[Henriksson]

Popularity is pretty overrated. Since I am an independant individual, the amount of people that know me isn't quite important in the broad scheme.

[CELTIC]

I'm not bothered about being popular but I like to hang out with the cool guys

[lukeh]

Most "cool guys" are the ones who ridicule others to make them seem higher. Hasn't really happened yet though.

[lilliejean]

I don't think there is a popular group at my school. Well, there aren't any exclusive cliques that some would do anything to join. But there are louder groups and some people/ groups are more well known than others.
I'm not bothered about it. I have friends (we're probably all in the unknown ones category) and I'm very happy as I am, I wouldn't change anything.

[HeavyDDR]

Again guys, popularity is FAR from being limited to being cool in school... You have a pretty narrow vision of popularity.

[Tatterdemalion]

To the contrary, I think you're applying a rather wide interpretation of popularity. Popularity is, applying the broadest definition, the quality of being well liked by a large group of people. So while this may be a bit broad when applied to, say for example, public figures, in an everyday social setting, popularity would generally refer to being "cool in school" (although I wouldn't exactly use those words)...or you could replace the word "school" with some other location.

I think what you're talking about is notability/notoriety, which although it is related, and is indeed more broad, is not synonymous with popularity.

[Ratchetandclank]

I could have a lot than 4 friends, but it's quality, not quantitity

[littlekuribohrulz20]

what is this "popularity" you speak of?

[SynaNara]

i think popularity is very annoying.
i mean it changes people
and mostly for the worse

there was this one girl who was a friend of mine(not a particualy close one but a friend none the less)
and she change compleatly when faced with the chance of being popular.
after dumping her best friend(my current best friend) to gain more popularity and trowing her dignity into the wind she became my definition to the work "bitch".

which brings me to my point.
i think that being popluar is ok
i do have friends and ppl i talk too that are considered popular
but i think that one has to be careful not to change for the worse because of it
and also not to trow everything away to chase it(like what the "bitch" did).
because if you think about it
popularity is a temporary state.
it can change as rapidly as the weather.

[Underling]

popularity should be a side-effect not a goal... :V

[Gameguy1546]

You shouldnt try to be popular, cause you should just be yourself rite?

[Chidori]

It's not my fault everyone loves me. They just do so because of how awesomely awesome I am in every way, shape and form.

[Gameguy1546]

Who are you?

[HeavyDDR]

This.

[PersianSpice]

Nope.

[viarules]

Labels suck. I know I have friends, and I am happy with them. I find no need to try to be popular if I am happy, I think that is the most important thing. Especially through high school... People can be bitches and its important to know who your real friends are.

[HeavyDDR]

Labels suck.
MEANWHILE, ON THE TOPIC OF POPULARITY...

[Chidori]

What do you mean labels suck, if there were no labels you would have no idea how much your cheerios would be before you buy them.

HOW WOULD THE SHOPPING WORLD BE RUN WITHOUT LABELS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

YOUR COMPLAINTS ARE PROPOSTEROUS.

[megabouncer]

Popularity.
That world usually sets in a steretypical thought of a blonde slut or cheerleading, a leading jock or cute boy.
However, the real meaning of popularity is - being popular. Heck, a computer geek like me can be popular, and I belive that in my previous schools I was quite popular. Yes, I was caring, kind, thoughtful and smart.
Don't get me wrong.
Popularity is good. Being popular depends, however, ENTIRELY on the PERSONALITY of the popular person. Every single popular person made them seperate because of the personality - and the looks, judging by some people.
I may sound like I am contradicting myself, so please excuse me :)
I belive that being popular CAN and WILL be decided COMPLETELY on the person. Whether they want to be popular or not is entirely up to THEM. So the poor nerds might think they might never be as popular as the jock, Steven Hibbens, but they actually can be. Being popular is completely UP TO YOU.
So make the decision. Do you want to be noticed and respected and feared (optional)? Or would you rather be a nobody wanting to take revenge on these popular kids?
Make the choice. I think I already decided.

[megabouncer]

Being popular is good! I'm afraid that your vision is stereotypical. Popularity actually means being NOTICED. Everybody wants to be noticed, unless you want to lead the boring life of a normal person, fine by me.
If you are noticed, hi-five! Being popular means standing out and being seen by other people and being idolized. Even creating an anti-popular-kids club in your school can make you become what you loathe - popular. Popularity is good!
In reality, being popular means being yourself, it means to be standing out from the herd of sheep which is your school. Dye your wool green, and face the harsh music of the real world. Your green wool - your true personality - makes you noticed, it makes you stand out, it makes you YOURSELF.
rOr oyu can dye it purple yellow black silver gray crimson cerulean azure whatever you want.

[megabouncer]

Your story ... I wonder if it is true. If it is, excuse me for my rudeness.
Being popular does not /always/ mean being snobby or snotty. Your friend, I'm afraid, has seen he stereotypical side of popularity. Perhaps she was confused and scared that if she didn't "live up to the means and definitions of popularity" then she would be considered a desperate wannabe. Human beings are like that.
The phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" also reflect, if seen into deeply enough, that popularity is bad. "Words will never hurt me": this is the stereotypical (WOW I LIKE USING THAT WORD! (: ) feeling, thought, that comes into your mind when you hear the word 'popular'. 'Words will neevr hurt me" may mean that being different is good (which it is), but being popular is 'bad' ("words will /always/ hurt my pride so I must change to be like everyone else"). However, the saying goes both ways.
The example I used above was for people who judged on a first thought or basis (stereotypes, yay, I lOVE that word). But this example proves that the old saying is true if givin enough thought and ponder:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." The last part of that phrase means that you do not care to stand out, aka you do not care to be different. You do not feel the critism that many people fear; in fact, you welcome it. You welcome the critism because it is a sign that you are being noticed.
The old saying I just posted multiple times can also be contradicted. The 2 examples I used were examples from children's dreamland; now I need to get down-to-earth:
The 'real' phrase is actually 'sticks and stones can't break my bones but words will /always/ hurt me' because we might pretend we don't care but we actually do care a /lot/ about what people think about you. Several months ago I cried because someone said something rude to me. No shit. Even people on the internet can make you run to the bathroom, sniffling. Real life is tough. Deal with it - that's my advice. Even better: stand out! That way people will actually acknowledge your existence and fear and respect you for that.
Be popular. Try, at least.

[darkarcher]

I would recommend not triple posting.

[megabouncer]

I definitely agree with you partway. Yes, being popular is having popular demand for a product. Trends and bandwagons can also be popular. But people can also be popular, such as celebrities. Shaq and Britney are popular; they can be demanding and they stand up for themselves. Now, I'm not defending old Britney, but I respect her for her being popular. Everyone should respect everyone's wishes, but I'd rather be respected and feared than to be liked. That's what all the /rich/ people say, like Donald Trump (read his book: think big and kick ass).

[lilliejean]

Okay, I disagree with several of your points (not just from this post), particularly "Everybody wants to be noticed, unless you want to lead the boring life of a normal person, fine by me." I'm not sure if you were trying to be very persuasive or just insulting. Not everyone wants to be noticed, for some people it's a nightmare, and besides, if they are unnoticed, then who can say how they spend their lives? Maybe that's going off-topic but you can't say generalisations like unpopular=boring life. Generalisations are very similar to stereotypes, you may have a stereotypical view of unpopularity.
Next point- what would happen if everyone decided to "think big and kick ass"?
Finally, I agree with Tatterdemalion that there is a difference between notoriety and popularity. I want to be respected by my friends, I think that goes for everyone. Being feared isn't quite the same. What happens if someone refuses to be intimidated, it can't be helped, it's an unavoidable flaw.
"Make the choice. I think I already decided." I've decided too.

[SynaNara]

firstly that story was true
and i take no offence from you not beliving so
what her exact ideas to her change in attitude i will never know(she moved)
and i do agree with the whole humans need to feel some level of being noticed
but i agree with the guy above
being unoticed doesnt mean having a boring life
im not particulary noticed but my life is pretty good and im as happy as i can get with it

and if you did read the rest of my post then you would read that im not compleatly anti popularity
i think that it shouldnt matter and that people shouldnt care about popularity at all
that was the point of my last post

[Ratchetandclank]

zip it, it"s her opinion

[HeavyDDR]

Mega Bouncer has the right idea.

Being popular isn't a bad thing. God dang, it's a good thing. If you're popular, it means people notice you. Who wants to enter this world and never be noticed? You don't have to have sex with every girl to be popular, you don't have to be on the football team to be popular, you just need to be noticed. If people know your name, YOU ARE POPULAR.

You guys go by such a stereotypical meaning of popularity it's ridiculous. Even if you're popular because of something stupid, like me, who's popular because I'm the kid that eats dachshunds, just learn to laugh at yourself. I'm sure someone out there is saying, "hey, remember that kid that eats dachshunds?" I feel good knowing I've left some mark on the world.

[BoxOfFun]

Popularity, like many things in life, can be good or bad depending on the type of thereof, and/or your views on the subject.

[eaglewing]

popularity never was important. people just thought it was. it rewards the snobby and stupid and punishes the smart.

[VoodooDoll]

Some people enjoy popularity, and I do not hold it against them. Personally, it's not for me. I don't like big crowds, and I prefer to stay in on the weekends. Do I have a lot of friends? No. Am I sad about that? Not really. I think a few close friends who truly understand you are all you need in life. But Megabouncer is right. Some people need to be noticed. I simply choose not to be. I would honestly rather be blogging than going to prom. It's just not my thing.

[HeavyDDR]

Do you know who Albert Einstein is?

Pretty popular guy, right?

HEY ISN'T IS HE SMART? OH SHI--

[araharu]

My personal view is that as long as I'm confident and comfortable with who I am, I don't need to worry about popularity. The people who actually deserve my respect and friendship are the people who like me for who I really am, not where I am on the social ladder.

[Pianimae21]

I coudn't have said that better myself.

[viarules]

GOD DAMN YOU ARE RIGHT

[AllisonWalker]

I agree, hehe. Not all popular people are snobs, many of them are popular because they're nice people who do alot of activities, therefore, gain lots of friends. Its not a crime.

[PhillyEagles4Life]

It depends on your defintition of popular. I have a lot of friends and very few enemies but that doesn't neccesarily mean i'm popular. Now yea there are people at my school that everybody knows who they are and what not but really who would want to have it like that? I say as long as i have my friends, it doesn't matter if people define me as popular or not popular, I really don't care.