But the irony is that you all seem to vehemently detest them for being the way they were. You all probably exhibited
frustration and
angst at these people. There could be a number of reasons, the foremost being that you wanted to be "in" with them as well. Perhaps not by doing the things they did, but you wanted to be recognized as someone who is also
cool in your own right.
Maybe this drive to be recognized caused you to pick up a bunch of cool hobbies, or strive for academic excellence. Maybe it became a driving force behind motivating you to do the things that got you where you are today.
Many of the people in the "in" crowd when I was in high school are still where I left them some 8 years ago. Some of them have kids and are married to each other. Some of them have little companies that they started while attending night school to get their MBA. Some of them are still living with their parents.
In general, though, the good times in their lives peaked in high school.
You shouldn't hate them or continue to exhibit frustration. Don't be bitter. In some ways, you should be happy that maybe your life won't peak in high school, but continue to have ups and downs for a long time. And remember that if they weren't who they were in high school, then you wouldn't be who you are now. It's not some ying-yang thing--you should recognize that their actions directly affected you and made you who you are today.
Personally, I feel bad for a lot of them. Their parents pushed them into football and cheerleading and such activities and impressed upon them the need to be popular and liked. Possibly continuing the cycle.