consider me confused

Unless you're allergic to sunshine, social interaction, oxygen, food, and information..... then you're relatively aware of the latest trends, the most talked-about movies & tv shows, and the must-have new gadgets on the market. For the most part, the hype surrounding alot of this stuff is understandable.... but for every trend in fashion / entertainment / technology, there's at least 10 more that absolutely confuse me.

Here's a few examples :

*soap operas, professional wrestling, and court-tv shows: I just don't understand how any of these types of shows are still on the air. I can go a month (or more) without hearing anyone talk about, write about, or even joke about any shows that fall under these categories. Are people too embarassed to openly proclaim their passion for Guiding Light, WWE, or Judge Joe Brown? Do networks just keep this stuff on tv to fill the air-time? Someone please explain to me this mystery if you have any insider-info that I'm unaware of.

*obsessive excitement over mediocre movies, artists, etc: Let me preface this with saying I used to be an adamant hater on all-things Harry Potter.... but was later silenced by watching some of the movies & reading one of the books. I get why that series of books/movies is so successful and why the hype & fan-base is so massive. JK Rowling is a captivating author. But the Twilight series (books or movies)? Justin Bieber? Jersey Shore? I legitimately understand why the targeted audiences would be interested & entertained by all of this..... but when the hype & excitement reaches this insane level of success that each has reached? That's when I'm confused. Guilty pleasure enjoyment? Sure why not... but when many of these fans absolutely live & breathe this stuff? That's just frightening. Is our society really that A.D.D. and needy, to where we settle for less... when a hype-worthy book series or movie trilogy is over with, or when a musical artist retires or fades from the music scene? I'm not trying to be negative, or hate on some of the stuff you may legitimately enjoy... I'm just very confused about why certain things are TOO popular in this day-and-age

*charity organizations becoming "hip": Now don't get me wrong... if anything is going to benefit from becoming a hot trend, it should be organizations focused on helping a group of people in need or a struggling country that are benefitting from charitable & excited American citizens... but none-the-less, it still kind of confuses me. I'd like to think that people, as a whole, are becoming more generous & caring for others... which many definitely do qualify as legitimately generous/caring people... but I can't help but notice how it's suddenly so cool to wear a certain brand of shoes, clothing, bracelets, etc etc. Please continue doing so, if you're actively involved with supporting such an organization, but do so for the right reasons... and do prior research on where your money is actually going, who it's helping, and so on and so forth. Show your support & keep on doing so if/when the hype train passes and you're no longer being high-fived and complimented for wearing TOMS shoes, or wearing Live Strong bracelets.... because it shouldn't be about you at all. Don't be like those celebrities seeking credibility & respect for their career by attaching their name to a charity organization.

Okay, I think I've exhausted myself & spent enough time on this particular subject.... I would really love & appreciate some feedback in the comments, in regards to your take on any of this. Rip me a new one, if you feel the need... any response is better than no response at all! 

Well.... maybe...