Stealing Tide

The Times asked a bunch of "experts" why thieves are stealing so much Tide detergent that it has become a sort of currency in poor neighborhoods. Their answers boils down to:

1. For the working poor, the use of brand-name products is an important status symbol, indicating that they are keeping their heads above water;
2. Tide is known to all Americans and its packaging is instantly recognizable;
3. The same random process of memetic drift that creates all fads.

I would add that modern, high-density liquid detergent is expensive enough that a bottle small enough to carry around is worth something. How do I get to be the kind of "expert" whose opinion is sought on questions like, why are thieves stealing Tide?