You could be right, I think most people these days, especially beginners, tend to do what their favorite fitness personality does.
Moderate to advanced lifters start experimenting and eventually find something that works for them and suits their body.
In my opinion, at some point it becomes really difficult to have a gym buddy. Your training is based on your goals and starts being specific to your body type, and you also start focusing on body parts you think needs some extra attention. This can be very different to basically everyone around you.