I don’t know who anyone is, anymore

[Nobiggerthanyourhand]

Does anybody else not understand popular culture?

I do a bit of MN and I look at the Daily Mail online (please stay with me), and sometimes I watch programmes like Strictly and Masterchef and … I don’t know who any one is.

Molly-Mae
Tommy Fury
Zara McDermott
Sam
Pete from strictly with the tattoos
someone called Maud who he might have been in a relationship with

What can I do to understand this better? How do these people become so important?

It’s nothing to do with social media, really. They’re people from reality TV programmes.

You are so right @DelilahRay

So many platforms now for people to be on. At one time it was BBC/ITV who controlled who you watched. Now it's Disney/Netflix/Prime etc plus Instagram/Facebook. Doubt those older TV people you may remember would be as big now. They would be working for other channels.Also an age thing. Pop stars who can't sing? My father said that about The Beatles and Elvis (famous people a long time ago if you are 18).

What can I do to understand this better? How do these people become so important?

Never heard of any of them.

There is nothing to understand and these people really aren't important,

I'm mid 20s and I love Pam Ayres. Don't know who any of the people in the OP are though.

The point is these people have done nothing interesting apart form appear on a reality show . In themselves they are completely unremarkable. When did we start looking to talentless wannabes for inspiration? I assumed the Wicks guy was Joe Wicks brother!

You absolutely have heard of them

I absolutely haven't.

Bit OTT and weirdly over invested aren't you? Honest to God I've never heard of any of them as I never watch stuff like Love Island, EastEnders etc. I probably would have heard of them if they were rising sports people as that is something I'm interested in. Why is that so hard to believe?

As below. If they were big in politics, sport or music etc most of us would have heard of them but as they generally do or say nothing of relevance to anybody but themselves, we haven't.

I agree.

OK, so if they are important, why are they important? Why is someone who has appeared on Love Island in any way worth knowing about or following? What have they achieved that is aspirational or can teach anyone anything? Why are they of interest as people? Likewise someone who has been on a soap.

I wouldn't assume that anyone would want to read about me in a colour supplement or online, or anywhere else. I am important. to those who know me, but not to total strangers.

Well I'm not important other than to my family and I doubt most people reading this are either. This is why very few people will have heard of me.

Cool your keys Mollie Mae.

I'm sure all these people are super-lovely, but you can hardly credit them with being famous for anything important other than their click-rate.

I think we would collectively encourage our daughters and sons to do better than that, if for no other reason than a short shelf life.

Never have my eyes rolled in my head like they have after that rapier like riposte. As you say, "do better".