I think that some of it is that many people who identify with these characters are themselves deeply unhappy and don't believe that there is no hope for them to

I think that some of it is that many people who identify with these characters are themselves deeply unhappy and don't believe that there is no hope for them to ever be happy. From that perspective, it is logical to conclude that if you are going to be unhappy either way then you might as well be cool/tough/glamorous/rich.