I think high school is a perfect example, actually. High schoolers are highly influential in popular culture, and many trends bubble up from there. "Getting my ass kicked" wasn't meant to be taken literally; it was more of a rhetorical device. But my point was that, for a device to be widely accepted, it has to be appealing as an accessory. People in high school are extremely image conscious. So are most people outside of high school, for that matter.

"We're not in high school anymore..."

You and I aren't, but millions of people are -- whether literally or metaphorically.