I personally think Dogecoin is pretty genius. I know I am in a big minority here, but I don't see Dogecoin as being any more of a joke than any other cryptocurrency. Every single Cryptocurrency essentially amounts to a big pyramid scheme where early adopters are the ones who stand to gain the most if their crypto currency becomes "successful".
They're not pyramid schemes, but people are treating them like they are.
If so - What incentive is there for someone new to cryptocurrencies to get into something like BTC? Mining is pretty much hopeless unless you are willing to spend tons on highly specialized mining rigs. Given the volatility in BTC value, investing USD to buy BTC is a financially dumb and risky move and pretty much amounts to gambling. So why/how should Joe Schmo get into BTC at this stage and how is it going to be in his interest to do so? From the outside looking in, it looks like all the early adopters want Joe Schmo and all his buddies to adopt BTC and invest money into it, so they can cash out and make their money.