Popular - Comments

This is really offensive. And stereotypical. Not to mention that it only happens in cliche chick books.

Most people think 'popular' people are the bad guys so they can feel better about themselves. Mostly girls. But seriously. Everyone can be a bitch, shallow, or a whore regardless of their social standings.

Also, in my school, nobody even takes cheerleaders seriously. Get out of the 1950's.

And The Sacrifice:
Who the heck is popular in 1st grade?!

Actually in 1 grade my mom made me do cheer leading so I hung out with the populars.But we were young and didn't mean to much.Plus it was that or dance classes.
So after I quit cheer leading in 2nd,I was a normal kid.Then in 5th I got into the goth subculture.
But the the most popular girl was my friend back in 1st so she talks to me and trys to be nice.But i'm sure she talks behind my back becasue she dose that to everyone.That is something I learned by hanging with them.

So at one time I was popular but at the moment I have great friends and never want to be popular again.It isn't to hard to get on the populars good side,I leaned that too.

This is kind of refreshing--the inner image bit was actually true. But at the same time if you don't have that confidence--which not everyone does--you can still be happy. You don't have to be that mizerable over-achiever-not-going-anywhere person who's used by everyone else. The pursuit of being popular is so old, overrated and stupid. I, for one, am happy just the way I am. :]]]

I am perfectly fine with not being 'popular' because it seems hard. And plus, when you have less friends you don't have to keep in touch with so many people. xD

Thanks for your response. It sounded like you thought there was some kind of criticism about what you wrote from me and I'd just like to clarify that I wasn't criticising your piece, I was commenting on the other people who have inferred that your article refers to some sort of cliched lifestyle. Really, is there such a thing? Everyone is different and everyone has their own issues and traumas and joys and I don't think that anything you have described is cliched - it is simply a perspective and a valid one at that. Well, that's my view anyway, for what it's worth...

Wow. This is the most honest and eye opening article I've ever read. It's right, if your not yourself, you'll never be truely happy. Love it!

Being popular is not about being pretty and having all the guys like you. "Popular" is when there are people that you are surrounded with that love you to some extent and actually give a damn about what happens in your life. "Popular" is when you have friends, REAL friends, with whom you have things in common and can carry on a conversation and can empathize about half the things that happen to them.

I know that in this piece you are touching upon what most of our country sees as popular, what's portrayed in the media, what you probably see in some of your schools, but I just want to point out that you CAN in fact be popular and not seen as a slut by other people. You CAN be popular without making others feel inferior. You CAN be popular without being put up on a pedistol and having other girls or guys or whoever look at you and sigh thinking, "I wish I were them..."

I know this because I am popular. I'm loud, I'm obnoxious, I'm smart, I laugh too much, I love anime, I listen to things your stereotypical "outcast" listens to, people call me scene, people call me emo, they call me cute, they call me ugly, they make fun of my hair and the way I do my make-up (completely off topic, but four colors of lipstick on one mouth is a great way to strike up a conversation ^.^) the things I say and do, but at the end of the day, every single person is still a friend in my eyes.

The real key to being popular isn't being pretty or getting boys to beg at your beck and call or being a bitch to other people or whatever else people seem to think it is. The key is to be yourself. The only reason why everyone in the world isn't loved is because we aren't all placed around people that can accept us the way we are. I was fortunate enough to find people like that, a large group of them, and be accepted and loved by even those I think of more as aquaintences than friends.

I'll stop now. Just wanted to say that. Nice piece, by the way. xP

If you fake it enough it will overcome you

I'd just like to say that I know what you mean in this statement and I think it may previously have been misunderstood (I'm happy to be corrected if I got that wrong). I've realised lots of times that I've gotten into a habit of being negative about something and sometimes the only way to deal with that is to force yourself to behave in the opposite way until that becomes like normal behaviour - repetition is still the best way to break a bad habit and I believe that's sort of what you were meaning here. If you pretend to like yourself long enough, pretty soon you'll be so used to doing it that you won't have to pretend anymore - it will become your normality. Now whether or not your readers believe that is possible is another matter, but I know it is possible and applying repetitive positive behaviour techniques has all but cured me from agoraphobia, helps me regularly with self loathing and helps me fight appearing to be depressed. Inside I may still have to struggle with the feelings of depression but if I can improve enough to appear more stable that's a win to me - next step is believing I am actually stable - I feel another positive behavior routine coming on.... Oh and I was never popular, regularly bullied, picked on when I was clever, ridiculed when I got answers wrong, late to get a boyfriend then ridiculed cos I wouldn't 'let him'.... Pressures may have been slightly different in my teens and since, but if anyone is in the middle of suffering from that pressure, it sure doesn't feel like a cliche to them! For those to whom it does not come naturally, 'being yourself' is an artform and has to be learned, appreciated and accepted - practice makes me :-) - not perfection.

Wow, that's an amazing artical. I love how you pointed out the facts and pro's of being your self.

It's so true your artical.

wow. great article. we have widely known people but they aren't necessarily popular because not alot of people look up to the well known people. I'm well known and im a nice person. i don't do drugs or alcohol or sex or anything and i have a lot of friends. i envied the popular people back in 5th grade but i grew up. but other wise great article!

I'm kinda sad because at my school, there are no cliques and no jocks and no popular kids or any of that.

all the student in my grade get along pretty well and there are no bullies that I've ever heard of or seen.

I'd love to be bullied by a popular girl. Hopefully one day I'll find one to piss off.
:]

It was in 5th grade when I hated the 'popular' girls.
I had no reason to hate them, at all.
I'll admit, I was jealous because everything they did was 'cool'.
They were perfect, skinny girls who had everything.
It was in 6th grade and seventh when I grew up and decided to talk to them.
Now I can't say I've had friends as caring and loving as they are.
Others are too quick to judge and if we scratch out the fact that others see them as 'popular' or 'freaks' this world would be a better place.
Great article! :]

I know it's cliche, I'm sorry, but that is how I feel about it and it's my article so...
It's good you all have your own outlooks to it, as I have mine. To each their own opinion.

cat

Yeaah. . i'm a guy so my opinion is probably less than relevant... Even still, i can't help but feel your under-selling pretty much an entire generation of females... I dunno how bad it is in America, but in Australia the situation is hardly that dire, as far as i'm aware. . . I guess in some ways i've been proven wrong already, by the couple of people who've commented and thanked you for brightening their day, so i digress... your right, it's silly to be so insecure about "coolness" and cliques, especailly when they mean so little, but i think, as someone has already said, the examples you used are so cliched as to be meaningless...
Still an effort, and an effort on an issue that clearly means something to you..
gabe

I think you have really good ideas
i agree, too :)

good article. i do agree with the person below. my best friends are polar opposites. one wears mostly black, the other wears obnoxious colors and sometimes hollister. i have a varied group of friends, but dont envy the popular girls at all.

This would be good for advice if any one of us were living in a cliché, which I don't believe we are.

At my school we're all equal. One of my best friends wears hollister everyday, whist I opt for all black.

Here, here!

i've never looked at a girl and said that
besides theres hardly any girls like that anymore.
its all movieish now adays

i thought this was really good and i was really able to relate to it well
i am definitely gonna take the advice because i worry about being uncool etc way too much
but in some ways being uncool is kinda cool because at least you're not lying to yourself
really good article there
xxtorii