Brigid Stakelum recently made a blog post about the internet's effects on "popular culture". Her response had some good points but some of them kind of missed the target idea of the internet's affect.
Brigid made a clear distinction between what she identified as "underground" and "pop culture". She said that internet "blurr[ed] the line" between the two. But actually, internet didn't really confuse the two. The internet made it so that there was literally no distinction. There's no such thing as "underground culture" anymore-- anything can be shared at the click of a button, so anything can be found at the same click as well. So that kind of rules out that argument. Sorry Brigid.
Another thing is, if you know any "hipster", you will know that they do not try to avoid the mainstream, they swim up it and say "it's ironic". For example: Starbucks lattes, "liv[ing] while I'm young", long sweaters, and soft pop songs. "Oh, you've probably never heard of them," is a phrase associated with hipsters. But the thing is, someone has heard of the band they're referring to. It's literally impossible to be the sole audience of anything. Since everything is pop culture, the only way to avoid it is by lying about what is and isn't popular.
Also, Brigid, you said that anime is not a part of pop culture. I'd like to argue that, while it may not be what you consider pop culture in the 'States, it's majorly popular at its origin, Japan. And I'd go as far to say that anime is popular culture in the U.S. too. Many high schools (including Manual) have anime clubs. There's fandoms for it. I've drawn Hetalia fanart. Manga is available in bulk in our public libraries. If anime wasn't pop culture, this would not be so.
Your last point is a very good one, again: nothing is truly "underground". And, yeah, the "hipster" phase Americans are going through is VERY annoying. I had a lovely debate once with a store employee about which pop culture icon was worse-- mustaches or swag. In the end, it was a draw. People always come up with new stupid things to obsess over. The hipster phase is one. This too shall pass.
Except the doge meme. I will not regret the doge meme.
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