@Hyolobrika the popularity of a thing shows us the connection between it and the people it's popular among, the values they share, it's an expression of them
good and bad is tautology, the popular things are "bland" because in the process of appealing to the most people they became homogenized to their tastes and the tastes of the masses are the norm
it also loses character because to have a character you need distinction, and the modern popular things are products that reinforce the relations between capital and consumer
@Hyolobrika novels aren't popular, cinema for example is and if I a see an advert about a new film that's like all the other adverts for films, I just don't bother wanting to go see it, well in general I don't really go to the cinema at all
Or when most pop music is played I don't bother remembering it to check out later because it's the same song almost like made for being background noise
There isn't anything to like or dislike about them, they're "bland"
It's slop and popular appeal is one of its characteristics. I don't need to force myself to not consume it, it's inaction