Pop, Plop, Rinse, Repeat: The Eternal Cycle

- Pop Culture vs Plop Culture

- Popularity vs Unpopularity

- Fascinating character study

- Pop Culture vs Plop Culture

- Popularity vs Unpopularity

- Fascinating character study

Once upon a time, in a universe parallel to our own, there emerged an odd species who elected to arbitrarily assign societal value to songs about unicorns, dances involving bird mimicking and novel ideas like using bacon as a bookmark (it’s greasy, but oh, the aroma). This species, endearingly known as homo sapiens or “humans” for short, had a dazzling knack for inanity. Thus, the phenomenon of “pop culture” was born, though whether it had to be popular was a conundrum that could cause Shakespeare to question his sanity.

What’s in the Pop that Makes Society Hop?

Beneath this dizzying kaleidoscope of pop culture, lies a universe perplexing even to Aristotle himself. What truly gives pop culture its fizzy, effervescent charm? Well, humans have an innate desire to belong, and shouting the lyrics to Bieber’s “Baby” on glorious off-key pitches is the socially acceptable version of marking your territory or, strangely, making everyone else in your territory.

Plop Culture – The Prodigious Prodigal Son?

What happens when the tide of popularity recedes? Do we term it “plop culture”, in tribute to its spectacular fall from grace? Does unpopularity thieve the “pop” from pop culture, or does it simply infuse it with a hipster-esque, vintage vibe?

Like the musty smell of old comic books, or the ‘80s mullet hairstyle refusing to fade into style oblivion, perhaps it’s not the popularity of these cultural quirks that make them appealing and tempting for a midnight dredge through internet rabbit holes. Perhaps, it’s actually the lack of trendiness that infuses them with a charm not unlike a moth-eaten Che Guevara T-shirt. They become, paradoxically, the popular unpopular.

A Cultural Tug of War

The plot thickens, the tension rises, the fat lady refuses to sing. Will popularity continue its reign over pop culture, or will the mysteries of the unpopular cast their seedy shadows? It’s a reality soap opera more gripping than televised wrestling and more unpredictable than the season finale of your favorite sitcom. Grabbing some popcorn is highly advised. You’re about to witness a cultural tug of war like no other.

Our Unconscious Love Affair with The Unpopular

The “unpopular popular” is the wildcard here. Like that quiet kid in school who paints masterpieces in secret or the hidden track on a music album that becomes a cult hit, we humans have a weird relationship with the unpopular. We say we love it, like we say we love that distant cousin who gifts ugly Christmas sweaters. In truth, we love to “love” it, perhaps to rebel against the norm or maybe to claim the title of a Treasure Hunter of Uncool!

In this tapestry of pop and plop culture, the truth that emerges is a little hard to swallow, much like that bacon bookmark (please, don’t actually swallow it). Whether it's popular or not, pop culture exists, it thrives, it evolves. The unpopular dances on the fringes, waiting for its moment under the disco ball lights. The popular revels in the limelight, until it’s time to face the shadows. It’s a beautiful, absurd dance of drama that we humans choreograph, often without even realizing it.

Does pop culture “need” to be popular? After eons of pondering, the answer finally emerges. Pop culture needs to be popular, simply because of its cyclical nature. Popularity breeds obscurity, obscurity breeds popularity, and well, you get the cycle.

So, keep on savoring that bacon bookmark and practicing the bird dance. After all, who knows when they might be the next cultural sensation? In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re pop or plop. All that matters is that you dare to be.