2) Crunchy Leaf

Those who've known me for awhile will be familiar with my Crunchy Leaf theory. It all started when I came across a Facebook group in college called, "I Will Go Slightly Out of My Way To Step On A Crunchy-Looking Leaf." Back then the group boasted an already robust 1 million or so fans. As of this morning, 2,028,107 leaf crunchers have raised their hands.

In the social media world this number may not impress compared to some other Fan pages. Coca-Cola stands at 5.3 million. Starbucks, the poster child of brands using Facebook, comes in at 6.8 million. And our social media embracing president has over 8 million fans. But these are mega-brands with dedicated teams who created and maintain these pages. Each has an agenda to recruit people into fandom, to communicate with their consumers, to better their brand perception, and ultimately to sell product.

I Will Go Slightly Out of My Way To Step On A Crunchy-Looking Leaf isn't backed by a company. Though there is nothing on the Info tab that indicates who actually started the page, one can wager that it was simply someone who realized that (s)he really enjoyed stepping on crunchy leaves - so much so that they'll go out of their way to do so. I bet they had little idea that so many other people felt the exact same way.

The Crunchy Leaf theory deals with these little revelations. There are these seemingly insignificant things that we do that we don't give much thought to. But when they come up in conversation (or a Facebook page), we immediately relate. We may not even realize that other people do it too - it may seem so diminutive that we write it off as an individual quirk. But really, they are insights, however small, that have an emotional, unifying effect on people when identified.

Comedians are no stranger to the power of a Crunchy Leaf. Think about really funny stand-up you've seen. It was probably so funny because it was so true. Aziz Ansari has a great sketch about Cold Stone Creamery and their sing-for-a-tip policy (language NSFW). Jim Gaffigan's long-winded bit on cake rings true. At its core, it's funny because the audience can relate - they too have experienced the painful serenade at Cold Stone. They may not have recognized the hilarity of the situation at the time, but when a comedian points it out in a sketch, it's that much funnier.

How does one identify a Crunchy Leaf? The closest thing I've seen is a site called 1000 Awesome Things. But even then, most of their entries don't quite qualify. Most of their list deals with things that are obviously awesome, like #771 Waking up before your alarm clock and realizing you’ve got lots of sleep time left, or #734 When the free bread they bring you at the restaurant is warm, or #910 When you arrive at your destination just as a great song ends on the radio. Crunchy Leaves are a bit more subtle - it's not immediately (or ever) apparent what the appeal is (if there even is an appeal). For example, a few from 1000 Awesome Things that come close are #837 Pushing those little buttons on the soft drink cup lid, #654 Peeling that thin plastic film off new electronics, and #933 The first scoop out of a jar of peanut butter. A couple that I've come up with are that awkward dance that occurs when you pass someone in a narrow hall (the perfectly in sync back and forth shuffle as you keep getting in each other's way), and phantom phone syndrome (when you swear that your cell was just vibrating/ringing in your pocket/bag but it wasn't).

Identifying Crunchy Leaves is a matter of research. They need to be tested, put out to the masses to see how many people can relate. A weak Crunchy Leaf may indeed just be a personal eccentricity. But a strong one has the power to unite, and the potential to be leveraged.

In the time it took to write this, I Will Go Slightly Out of My Way To Step On A Crunchy-Looking Leaf gained 217 more fans.

Can you think of any Crunchy Leaves?