History YMMV / FosterThePeople

* HarsherInHindsight: "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a guy who acquires a gun and plans to shoot people for it, inspired by the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} massacre. Which of course means that it gets worse with every mass shooting that happens under similar circumstances, such as the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and especially the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The song was unofficially banned from radio playlists after the latter tragedy. Even worse is when the song is taken in context with [[http://abcnews.go.com/US/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane/story?id=15799815#.T2JwJRGGp1E the shooting at Chardon High School]].

** The [[http://youtu.be/Ndzln1UEyf0 video]] for "Best Friend". Trippy visuals of the band playing, tons of BodyHorror and UncannyValley, a woman ''plunking herself'' up and it ends with her choking on a dress. Good lord, they've truly topped themselves with this one. Not to mention the whole video is about supermodels getting ''EatenAlive'' by a woman who is trying to obtain their beauty. We even see one of the supermodels getting SwallowedWhole ''with her legs sticking out of the woman's mouth and desperately kicking as she tries (and fails) to save herself.''

* ValuesResonance: It's shocking how relevant the satire of "Pumped Up Kicks" is, particularly since the number of firearms-related massacres spiked significantly in UsefulNotes/TheNewTens while little is done to prevent further incidents.

* FaceOfTheBand: Mark Foster, seeing as how the band is called ''Foster'' the People. Discussed in [[http://youtu.be/gw1ZE [''to Foster, who had answered every question thus far''] You're clearly the spokesperson for the band, [''gestures to Cubbie and Mark Pontius''] [[ThoseTwoGuys these two guys]], they do -- you ''do'' speak, from time to time?\\

* FaceOfTheBand: Mark Foster, seeing as how the band is called ''Foster'' the People. Discussed in [[http://youtu.be/gw1ZEeo67PY?t=2m31s an interview]] around the release of ''Supermodel:''
-->'''Interviewer:''' (to Foster, who had answered every question thus far) "You're clearly the spokesperson for the band," *gestures to Cubbie and Mark Pontius* "[[ThoseTwoGuys these two guys]], they do -- you ''do'' speak, from time to time?"\\
'''Mark Pontius:''' [[DeadpanSnarker "No, we don't speak."]]\\
'''Cubbie:''' "We're mute."

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: "Pumped Up Kicks" is more popular in Australia than in the United States. During the start of school holidays in Australia, it is very common for shopping malls to play the song on their radios. It also affected the band as well. One time when the band performed live without playing the song, many Australians were furious, and began swearing or chanting the song’s title repeatedly. The song is also very popular in Mexico, and there are many Latin Spanish sub translations of the song available on the Internet.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
** Their song "Pumped Up Kicks" is more popular in Australia than in the United States. During the start of school holidays in Australia, it is very common for shopping malls to play the song on their radios. It also affected the band as well. One time when the band performed live without playing the song, many Australians were furious, and began swearing or chanting "Pumped Up Kicks" repeatedly.
** The same song is also more popular in Mexico, and there are many Spanish sub translations of the song available on the Internet.

** Their song "Pumped Up Kicks" is more popular in Australia than in the United States. During the start of school holidays in Australia, it is very common for shopping malls to play the song on their radio. It also affected the band as well. One time when the band performed live without playing the song, many Australians were furious, and began swearing or chanting "Pumped Up Kicks" repeatedly.

** The song is also more popular in Mexico, and there are many Spanish sub translations of the song available on the Internet.

* HarsherInHindsight: "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a guy who acquires a gun and plans to shoot people for it, inspired by the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} massacre. Which of course means that it gets worse with every mass shooting that happens under similar circumstances, such as the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and especially the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The song unofficially banned from radio playlists after the latter tragedy. Even worse is when the song is taken in context with [[http://abcnews.go.com/US/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane/story?id=15799815#.T2JwJRGGp1E the shooting at Chardon High School]].

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* EnsembleDarkhorse: Despite not being as well-known to mainstream audiences as "Pumped Up Kicks", many fans consider "Houdini" to be the shining point of ''Torches''. "Pseudologia Fantastica" and "A Beginner's Guide To Destroying The Moon" are also considered this for ''Supermodel''.

* FollowTheLeader: "Pumped Up Kicks" was the first of many radio hits to feature a whistling melody.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Their debut album, Torches, is much more well-received than their later albums.

** There's an available [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBdgk2LEQ1s instrumental version]] of "Pumped Up Kicks". At minute 1:02, right before it gets to the chorus, you can hear a brief, distorted voice saying "''Tell me when you die.''"

* HarsherInHindsight: "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a guy who acquires a gun and plans to shoot people for it, inspired by the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} massacre. Which of course means that it gets worse with every mass shooting that happens under similar circumstances, such as the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and especially the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The song pretty much vanished from radio playlists after the latter tragedy. Even worse is when the song is taken in context with [[http://abcnews.go.com/US/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane/story?id=15799815#.T2JwJRGGp1E the shooting at Chardon High School]].

* [[MrFanservice Estrogen Brigade Bait]]: Each member of the band brings this in different flavors; Mark Foster has an {{Adorkable}} quality to him, Mark Pontius is the [[EveryoneLovesBlondes cute, blonde one]], and Cubbie Fink is the [[TallDarkAndHandsome brooding, dark haired hottie]]. Lampshaded in the "Call It What You Want" video; throughout it, Mark (Foster) is shown being stalked by a horde of rabid teenaged girls wearing shirts that spell out "Foster" collectively.

* EarWorm: Quite a few to be found on ''Torches''. Try getting the whistled hook from "Pumped Up Kicks" out of your head upon hearing it... it's not easy.

* PainfulRhyme:
** Their lyrics make use of oblique and assonant slant rhymes so often it's part of their signature style, but "Houdini" rhyming "stress" with "ability" is quite a stretch.
** The first couple of lines of "Are You What You Want to Be?" rhyme "Champs-Élysées" with "...from Belize said", mid-line, which would be easy enough to miss and not qualify as one if they didn't deliberately mispronounce "Champs-Élysées" to make it work.

* FandomRivalry: Defied with Music/ImagineDragons. After Mark insulted Imagine Dragons, he apologized and affirmed his respect with for the band. Dan accepting the apology, preventing things from getting ugly.

* FaceOfTheBand: Mark Foster, seeing as how the band is called [[CaptainObvious ''Foster'' the People]]. Discussed in [[http://youtu.be/gw1ZEeo67PY?t=2m31s an interview]] around the release of ''Supermodel:''

** Their lyrics make use of oblique and assonant slant rhymes so often it's part of their signature style, but "Houdini" rhyming "stress" with "ability" is... [[{{Understatement}} kind of a stretch]].

* MemeticMutation: "Pumped Up Kicks" became associated with [[BlackComedy incredibly dark jokes about school shootings]], although this didn't happen until a few years after the song had been release.

* [[MrFanservice Estrogen Brigade Bait]]: Each member of the band brings this in different flavors; Mark Foster has an {{Adorkable}} quality to him, Mark Pontius is the [[EveryoneLovesBlondes cute, blonde one]], and Cubbie Fink is the [[TallDarkAndHandsome brooding, dark haired hottie]].
** Lampshaded in the "Call It What You Want" video; throughout it, Mark (Foster) is shown being stalked by a horde of rabid teenaged girls wearing shirts that spell out "Foster" collectively.
* FaceOfTheBand: Mark Foster, seeing as how the band is called [[CaptainObvious ''Foster'' the People]].
** Discussed in [[http://youtu.be/gw1ZEeo67PY?t=2m31s an interview]] around the release of ''Supermodel:''

* HarsherInHindsight: "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a guy who acquires a gun and plans to shoot people for it, inspired by the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} massacre. Which of course means that it gets worse with every mass shooting that happens under similar circumstances, such as the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and especially the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The song pretty much vanished from radio playlists after the latter tragedy.
* MemeticMutation: Pumped Up Kicks has become a meme as of recent. Mostly because of BlackComedy.
* NightmareFuel: "Pumped Up Kicks", being known for its LyricalDissonance about gun violence, one can't help but be reminded of the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} High School massacre, because many peoples' comments wondered if this is what the song's about (among other shooting attacks); due to this, I've done a lot more of research on the massacre... and now will never be able to listen to "Pumped Up Kicks" again without picturing Eric Harris' and Dylan Klebold's school shooting taking place.
** Mark Foster was in high school when Columbine went down. Rest assured: There's no way he wasn't thinking of it when he wrote the song.
*** Even more so, since Cubbie Fink has a cousin who survived Columbine, who he flew out to see the day after it happened.
** There's an available [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBdgk2LEQ1s instrumental version]] of the song. At minute 1:02, right before it gets to the chorus, you can hear a brief, distorted voice. It's hard to understand what it says. To me, it sort of sounds a bit like, "''Leave here when you die''." What's creepier is that I - nor even many of us - noticed this bit in the original! Worse, it sounded like people were shouting during the chorus... turns out it was rhythmic clapping.
** Crosses over with HarsherInHindsight when the song is taken in context with [[http://abcnews.go.com/US/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane/story?id=15799815#.T2JwJRGGp1E the shooting at Chardon High School.]]

** The [[http://youtu.be/Ndzln1UEyf0 video]] for "Best Friend". Trippy visuals of the band playing, tons of BodyHorror and UncannyValley, a woman ''plunking herself'' up and it ends with her choking on a dress. Good lord, they've truly topped themselves with this one.
*** Not to mention the whole video is about supermodels getting ''EatenAlive'' by a woman who is trying to obtain their beauty. We even see one of the supermodels getting SwallowedWhole ''with her legs sticking out of the woman's mouth and desperately kicking as she tries (and fails) to save herself.''
* PainfulRhyme: Their lyrics make use of oblique and assonant slant rhymes so often it's part of their signature style, but "Houdini" rhyming "stress" with "ability" is... [[{{Understatement}} kind of a stretch]].

* FollowTheLeader: "Pumped Up Kicks" was the first of many radio hits to feature a whistling melody
* HarsherInHindsight: "Pumped Up Kicks" is about a guy who acquires a gun and plans to shoot people for it. This becomes much harsher in hindsight, due to the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and especially due to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The song pretty much vanished from radio playlists after the latter tragedy.
** Not really that harsher. It was written with Columbine in mind, so it's kind of Exactly As Harsh In Hindsight.

* FaceOfTheBand: Mark Foster, seeing as how the band is called [[CaptainObvious ''Foster'' The People]].

* NightmareFuel: "Pumped Up Kicks," being known for its LyricalDissonance about gun violence, one can't help but be reminded of the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} High School massacre, because many peoples' comments wondered if this is what the song's about (among other shooting attacks); due to this, I've done a lot more of research on the massacre... and now will never be able to listen to "Pumped Up Kicks" again without picturing Eric Harris' and Dylan Klebold's school shooting taking place.

** The [[LastNoteNightmare ending]] to "Goats in Trees."

** The first couple of lines of "Are You What You Want To Be?" rhyme "Champs-Élysées" with "...from Belize said," mid-line, which would be easy enough to miss and not qualify as one if they didn't deliberately mispronounce "Champs-Élysées" to make it work.
* SignatureSong: "Pumped Up Kicks," being their breakout single and their only Top 40 hit to date, is the song by which most people tend to identify the band.