Why everyone hates Nickelback, plus 5 ways to be genuine.
It's science, people. They can't help it!
Some things might always be terrible for most of us.
Like cockroaches.
Cockroaches can already fly. Dancing skills aren't allowed.
Or being within five miles of the DMV.
Even animals hate the DMV. GIF from "Zootopia."
Or getting a root canal, which would make anyone's skin crawl.
Even this GIF is giving me internal pain.
And traffic jams? Yeah, not into those.
Traffic is terrible everywhere. Literally everywhere.
Also, a little band named Nickelback.
Nickelback, pretending to not know that everyone hates them. Image by Bas Czerwinski/AFP/Getty Images.
Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me that these incredible lyrics...
"Your mom don't know that you were missing / She'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing"
...aren’t society's favorite?
Yeah. Those lyrics are kind of terrible.
But, in defense of Nickelback (kind of), it’s not totally their fault that a lot of people hate them.
In fact, there’s actually a scientific reason behind the hate.
From 2000 to 2014, University of Eastern Finland student Salli Anttonen peeled through layers of research, trying to discover just why those frosted hair tips and horrific guitar riffs weren't doing it for us.
No, just no. Photo by Michel Boutefeu/Getty Images.
What she found was pretty darn interesting.
Through her study, titled "Hypocritical bulls--t performed through gritted teeth: Authenticity discourses in Nickelback’s album reviews in Finnish media," Anttonen concluded that music critics and everyday listeners didn’t like Nickelback for a very specific reason.
Mostly, people hate Nickelback because they don't think the band seems "genuine enough."
"Nickelback is too much of everything to be enough of something," Anttonen wrote in her study, according to the BBC.
"They follow genre expectations too well, which is seen as empty imitation, but also not well enough, which is read as commercial tactics and as a lack of a stable and sincere identity."
“Look at this photograph / Every time I do it makes me laugh / How did our eyes get so red? / And what the hell is on Joey's head?”
She's got a point.
How genuine a person (or beloved Canadian band) seems can totally affect how likable they are.
In fact, Nickelback faces the same scrutiny that many of our public figures do.
Seriously, you guys aren't even trying. Photo by Getty Images.
During the 2008 and 2012 elections, transparency was one of the key areas that voters were looking at when choosing a candidate.
One of the biggest factors in Barack Obama's double victories was that many audiences were taken with his ability to relate to all kinds of people in a genuine way.
Being genuine is also something that candidates from both sides of the aisle have struggled with during this election.
So just what does it look like to be genuine (or ... not like Nickelback)?
According to science, genuine people say and do these five things:
1. Genuine people say what's on their minds.
According to Psychology Today, genuine humans take their time understanding their own opinions on life and they also have no issue sharing those opinions with others.
But here's the key: Genuine people don't expect or feel the need to convince others they're right. They share their opinions with others without railroading them into agreeing.
This is actually a GIF to make aviators come back in style. GIF from "Couch Commander" on YouTube.
2. You can spot a genuine person from a mile away.
As we've learned from Nickelback's struggles, we can usually recognize genuine people almost immediately.
How do we figure it out? According to psychologist Erin Heerey's study on being genuine, there are external signals. In fact, not all smiles are created equal: Some are clearly genuine, and others are just polite.
Don't be like this guy at brunch. GIF from "Saturday Night Live."
3. Genuine people create their own paths.
Genuine people are also able to take life realizations and turn them into goals, according to Psychology Today. By using their passions and having a sense of purpose, they're able to forge their own paths to get their goals, even with unknown outcomes.
Find your own path, lovely people! GIF from "The Hobbit."
4. Failure doesn't threaten the genuine.
Genuine people also view failure as a part of the journey, and thus they aren't afraid of it.
Instead of treating failure as the end-all, they see it as a source of learning, making the "safer" routes a bit less appealing. Instead of looking for exterior approval, they often find strength within, making them more likely to get up and try again.
If something like this hasn't happened to you yet, you haven't lived.
5. Genuine people admit their faults.
Is it too late now to say sorry? Not according to Justin Bieber, The Decemberists ... or multiple psychology studies. In fact, being able to admit and accept your faults, mistakes, and shortcomings makes you a more genuine person.
But genuine people also appear to have stable self-esteem, so they're better able to tolerate the curve balls of life, such as criticisms and failures.
All apologies should come with backup dancers. GIF from "Sorry" by Justin Bieber.
If you want to absolutely not be like Nickelback in real life, these tips are important.
And rest assured: Your hatred of Nickelback isn't just you, either...
Even these glasses don't make them cooler.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."