It’s official. Nickelback is in fact less popular than a pickle.

The battle started earlier this month when the Facebook group titled “Can this pickle get more fans than Nickelback?” (Spelled incorrectly intentionally to avoid copyright infringement) was created by user Coral Anne as a joke.

Now that the pickle has surpassed Nickelback in fans, I doubt that the Canadian band is laughing.

The page was apparently inspired by another page that set up a smackdown between an appetizer and a surprisingly popular celebrity, a growing trend on Facebook. The group called “Can this onion ring get more fans than Justin Bieber?” proved that a fried food was more popular than 15-year-old Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.

Apparently a lot of foods are more popular than a lot of Canadian celebrities.

After only about two weeks of existence, the pickle triumphantly reached its goal to get more fans than the platinum-selling band.

Even though it only took a couple of weeks for a cucumber soaked in vinegar to get more fans, the band shouldn’t take it too hard. I mean, pickles really are a deliciously irresistible snack.

Perhaps if the group was “Can this sardine get more fans than Nickelback?” the outcome may have been different. Unlikely, but possible.

Although the page attracted plenty of anti-Nickelback traffic, its creator assured in a lengthy note on the group’s page that she meant no harm to Nickelback when she created the group.

“I am not using this page to endorse any hate toward the band Nickelback … I do not wish Nickelback or any other bands any ill will and hope they would see the same humour in making this page as I have,” she wrote. “This pickle page is strictly intended for humour, and anyone else can see this how they wish to, but the whole time I was pro-pickle, more than anti-Nickelback.”

You don’t have to apologize to us, Coral Anne; it’s not your fault that Nickelback lost to a pickle.

For all those Nickelback fans out there who are sore about this loss, you need to calm down and stop preaching about the band’s record and ticket sales.

First of all, if this pickle hadn’t brought Nickelback into the spotlight, half of the world wouldn’t even remember that the band even existed. The pickle has definitely gotten Nickelback some free press.

Secondly, the band has sold millions of records (yeah, I couldn’t believe it either) and it still only took two weeks for a pickle to get more fans. I would definitely not be bragging about that.

In the band’s defense, a pickle appeals to a much broader audience than a crappy so-called rock band, so it’s really not all that surprising that the pickle came out on top.

Currently the pickle has acquired about 1.5 million fans, with Nickelback trailing at about 1.4 million.

The pickle’s overnight success leads me to believe that this is just the beginning for our juicy friend.

Maybe when the pickle goes on tour Nickelback can be the opener.

Rabab Al-Sharif is a sophomore magazine journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].