Social media IS popular culture

This weekend I read on Mashable.com that Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook's CEO) will grace the cover Mad Magazine next week.

The Mashable article discusses Mad Magazine's decision to feature Zuckerberg by highlighting his  growing popularity and listing off his most recent accomplishments:

• His relationship with President Obama
• His SNL cameo
• His 60 minutes interview
• Having an Oscar nominated movie created about hm
• Comic books about him
• His own action figures
• Being ranked as the 52 among the wealthiest people in the world

Mark Zuckerberg is pop culture. He is a hot topic and a subject of interest for many people, and he's only 26.  He is the first social media creator that has become a household name. He's erasing the line that says smart nerds can't be cool. If cool means popular, intersting, and impressive, than Mark Zuckerberg is cool.

Mad Magazine claims their decision to put Zuckerberg on the cover comes from a business perspective. The infamous Winklevoss twins offered the magazine $2 million to "poke" Zuckerberg a new one. The Facebook tribute issue will highlight the 50 worst things about Facebook.

While the Facebook/Zuckerberg shout out might not be the most complimentary, it doesn't change the fact that people are still talking about Zuckerberg. The cover won't tarnish his reputation, it will just fuel the conversation more. It will be one more factor elevating Zuckerberg's popularity. It shoves more social media into popular culture.