Popular is bad?

I've had a thought pinging around inside my head recently and I can't quite...think it through. So, here I am, putting fingers to keyboard.

It seems to me, that when something becomes wildly popular, there are certain people (a certain group, type, mindset?) that feel the need to ridicule it. Several things come to mind. I have always been confused by the hatred of Nickleback. Typically, you either like or dislike music. Buy it or not. But there seems to be a group of people that feel the need to express their hatred of the band...vehemently. And as best as I can tell, it isn't based on anything.

Next is the Twilight series. Yes, I read them. All four of them, back to back, in 11 days. They are fluff. Easy reads, written for adolescent girls. I do not like the idea of sparkly vampires, it goes against everything I think of when it comes to a vampire. There were times when Bella became so needy and annoying I wanted to strangle her. And I actually threw one of the books down with annoyance...but I finished it. I have even watched the movies, even after how horrible the first one was. Twilight is not the only fluff books I have read...nor has it been the worst movies. Twilight has a huge following and therefore it has haters. Again, I don't quite understand the vehemence. Nobody is making you read the books or watch the movies. Do you feel smarter because you have not succumbed to the fluff? Do you need to take a stand to prove you are smarter than the average teenage girl?

There are others, but I think you get my point.

You know, if you feel the need to climb up on a soap box to declare your outrage, to prove your intellect or to redirect society, I think you could find a more suitable topic to expend your energy on.

It's all about focus.

I feel better.