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What is the Deal with Fads?

By Jan A. Larson

Fads have probably been around as long as humans have roamed the Earth. Someone comes up with an idea, sometimes good, sometimes not, and others imitate, all chasing the elusive goal to be "different" and stand out from the crowd.

Ironically, it is the goal to be different that leads so many to do exactly the same thing. In other words, those that wish to be different end up alike.

Fads generally originate with teenagers or young adults as a way to break away from the so-called establishment and demonstrate their independence. I cannot argue with the fact that fads generally do demonstrate independent thought, but would quibble with the notion that fads demonstrate intelligent thought. Witness, the greasy, spiked Mohawk hairdos that were popular a few years ago among young men. Yeah, that one will get you a long way in life.

Remember leg warmers? Funny how no one seemed to need their legs warmed before the 80's and it seems that no one needs warm legs now. Maybe global warming is starting to really kick in. But then, how would we explain their sudden appearance?

As a teenager in the 70's, I all too well remember the outlandish clothes and hairstyles of that decade. It all seemed so fashionable at the time, but now serves as nothing but fodder for television comedies. Somehow I suspect that the baggy pants worn around the thighs that are often seen on young people today will somehow end up being similarly scorned in a couple of decades and those wearing them now will cover their faces in
shame when their children point out how dumb they looked.

Of course fads are not confined to teens. Many adults get caught up in crazes that are not only impractical for the most part, but are mostly designed to separate one from his or her money.

Take Hummers, for instance. Rarely does a day pass when I don't see someone barreling down the highway in his or her huge, gas-guzzling Hummer. Even more rare is the day when I don't see someone stuck in a traffic jam in his or her huge, gas-guzzling Hummer.
I really wonder just how many Hummer owners ever drive off the pavement? Is that a practical vehicle? Not by any stretch of the imagination for the vast majority of owners, but credit must go to the advertisers who have succeeded in convincing a large number of people that the thing to do is to pay an exorbitant amount for an inefficient vehicle that can do things that you don't need.

Will owning a Hummer be viewed as a fad in years to come? Maybe, but probably not in the same way as other fads, since some Hummer owners may very well be still trying to pay it off.

Hairstyles, clothing styles, leg warmers and such are, for the most part, harmless fads that once the craze comes to an end, are easily discarded. Not so for tattoos.

Tattoos used to be reserved for military personnel and carnival workers. Not so anymore. As has been the case for several years now, there are tattoos for everyone, including children! I have actually seen young children with real tattoos. The only thing that can eventually come of that is some sort of shouting match between parent and child once the child realizes what has been done.

My personal choice is to not subscribe to every "fad of the month" or really any fads at all, for that matter. I find this works to my benefit in three ways: (1) I save a lot of money, (2) I don't end up throwing out a lot of strange clothes, and (3) I'm the one that is truly different from all those fad followers who look and act exactly the same.

Jan A. Larson publishes a weekly commentary, "What is the Deal?" at the Pie of Knowledge. His work also appears from time to time on NewsBull, OpinionEditorials, the Washington Dispatch and American Daily.

 

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