Remember all the popular kids at school when you were growing up? At that age, it seemed like they could do no wrong. They had all the friends and all the status. They would have had to do something really terrible to lose those privileges. (But not always––teenagers are fickle.)
After Redditor jelleturtle asked the online community, "What made the popular boy or girl lose their popularity?" people shared their stories.
"She started a fight..."
She started a fight with another popular girl over something petty. The other popular girl, unbeknownst to us all, practiced martial arts and delivered with one hand the most beautiful, graceful punch that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing whilst pulling out a chunk of hair with the other. The other girl was suspended and skyrocketed higher than ever while the popular girl who started the fight became little more than a laughing stock with a temporary bald spot.
"Meghan ended up..."
They were brother and sister, let's call them Eric and Meghan.
Eric was in his senior year and a couple of months from graduating. He was a jock, an idiot, and an absolute tool. Meghan was a sophomore. She was actually nice. They were both very popular and reasonably attractive. Their friends would make comments about how hot their sibling was etc.
The two of them, for some reason, made a porno together and showed it to their friends. Somehow they were surprised when this led to being socially exiled.
Meghan ended up being sent to live with her grandparents about 1,000 miles away.
This kind of stuff was not uncommon in the area I grew up in. Meth and incest are quite rampant in rural Vermont, but no one wants to acknowledge that. Also, this was only a few years ago.
"I went to the same school..."
I went to the same school as the kids of the prime minister of my country at the time. I didn't know the daughter too well but apparently, she went from being popular to being bullied out of the school when her dad lost the election. It was pretty sad that people starting hating on her for something she had no control over.
That's just sad.
But as we mentioned above, kids are fickle––and petty. Lashing out at a kid whose parent lost the election sounds like a thing teenagers would do.
"She got pregnant..."
She got pregnant and had to quit cheerleading. The football players didn't want her anymore and her popularity took a hit, plus the other girls were very judgemental.
"They lost their place..."
They lost their place to a kind and warmhearted sweet girl with a very sunny and positive vibe. Suddenly everyone was around her and not around the popular kid/bully.
It's nice to see a story with a happy ending.
Teens do have a conscience, you know.
"He was a new kid..."
He was a new kid but due to his looks, parents' wealth, and sports aptitude he quickly became popular. Then he made the mistake of bullying a harmless kid who was on the spectrum and was basically the football team's lucky charm. They did not take kindly to that and he went from being the next big thing to being that kid no one wanted to talk to and he had to basically bribe people to keep them around.
"I actually met her..."
She was a bit of a b!tch. Pretty as a picture but dim as a dark room. Once people saw how she really was as a person, i.e. using her looks to get what she wanted and throwing a hissy fit once she didn't get it, caused people to lose interest real quick.
I actually met her about a decade after we graduated and she was a completely different person. Really humble and gentle. Actually a lot more clever than she appeared. No idea what she's doing now.
"Everyone thought..."
He was in my grade. We were seniors and it was the last few days of school. He and some of his buddies (who were also popular but not nearly as much) decided to vandalize the school. At night they spray-painted penises and stuff all over the outside of the place. They also sprayed the words "could have done worse" on the big entryway doors in the front. Well, they got caught. Their punishment? None of them graduated. They all had to repeat the year.
Everyone thought they were idiots after that. According to one of my friends who was a grade younger many people would say "could have done better" to them in passing.
Here's a fun fact:
Popularity won't mean much after high school. This devastates some people, and they crash and burn. Others come into their own as they grow older and truly blossom.
Have some of your own stories about popular kids who fell from grace? Were you one of them? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments below!
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Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
