Let's not confuse "popularity" with "ridicule".

You're spot-on in defining a-video-that-is-popular, but that doesn't

make the content creator popular or even well liked.

It's no feat at all to make hundreds of thousands of people that you

don't know and have never met go "That guy's a fucking asshole".

I remember watching a viral video where this guy got on a rope swing

and intended to jump off over the water, but his foot got caught and

he got swung back upside-down and slammed into the rocks he had just

jumped off from like Wile E. Coyote.

Was it funny as hell?  Yes.

Did I watch it myriad times?  Yes.

Did I laugh my ass off?  Yes. Every time. :D

Is that a popular video?  Yes.

Is that particuar guy popular?  No.

Does anyone know his name?  No.

Does he have a contract to do a weekly show where he buss his azzzz?  No.

Similarly, I dont think that talking about what people are talking

about right now makes YOU popular so much as it makes you CURRENT or

RELEVANT.  The content creator's show may be seen as the source of

current information, but that doesn't make him or her "popular".

I think actual popularity's based on what Steve Garfield talks about,

which is "subscribing to people".  If people subscribe to you as a

person, whatever project you're working on is going to get attention.

 It won't be the attention of the masses, unless, as you mention, what

you naturally like to do happens to fall in line with what the masses

are consuming at this point in time.  It will, however, be a group of

much higher quality and personal value.  Not exactly "the audience of

ten", but a group that gets *you* and gets what YOU'RE doing (or

trying to do), and is interested to see how it goes.

However, yes... If you want to make "a popular video", make up a

catchy phrase, such as "DON'T TASE ME, BRO!!! :O", then head on down

to a location where you know the security carries tasers, start a

ruckus and don't comply with their orders to shut the fuck up, and

make sure someone's filming it and has a youtube account.