Now, a lot of these fads can be interesting, unique, and even original if used in the right fashion (although some are just plain stupid). However, for the purposes of this editorial, I’ll primarily be attacking the “mainstream” aspects of these fads. Below are the fads arranged into order from least annoying/ridiculous to most.
#10: Wayfarers
I own a pair of (fake) Ray Ban Wayfarers myself, and will be the first to admit that they are often an attractive addition to any ensemble. Yet, when every single person on the street has some variation of the Wayfarers, it gets old. What categorizes the usually cool Wayfarers ridiculous is the fact that every 14 year-old that thinks they are “mature” and/or “popular”, owns a pair of bright neon ones, and thinks they’re unique.
#9: Skulls
Skulls aren’t necessarily bad, even though they can be somewhat depressing and are obviously rather morbid. However, it is when they are plastered over every shirt, bag, accessory, and random whatever in existence that they become annoying. Some skulls are truly unique, thought-provoking, and artistically appealing, but the cartoony, childish ones tailored to pre-teens, or the overly intense, grimacing objects adorning slightly emo male t-shirts give all skulls a bad name.
#8: Animal Print
Again, I like animal print as much as anyone, particularly leopard print. But there comes a point when it is a) too much and b) tacky. Also, it is usually utilized by anyone that is striving to be popular, or is trying to affirm their popularity. In fact, it is, in general, unoriginal, although I do think zebra print rugs in random places are somewhat awesome.
#7: MySpace
This is where everyone says “Duh.” Not to be ineloquent, but really, that sums up the general feelings about MySpace, at least among the older set. MySpace has exploded into a corporate empire of tackyness, pre-teen angst, and general idiocy. Yes, making your own profile is amusing, and comments/messages/bulletins are nice ways to keep in touch with people, but all the ads and ridiculousness aren’t worth it. Facebook is the way to go, people.
#6: Vans
As in, the shoes. I admit, some are cool. But they have gotten WAY too out of hand. There’s no way I’m going to waste forty bucks on something unoriginal that half my school has. Honestly, the artwork of Vans only manages to be unique on rare occasions, and their sheer popularity makes any sort of Vans undesirable to those who want to be distinctive.
#5: Twilight/Vampires
Even disregarding the whole “vampires aren’t real and why for the sake of humanity are we obsessed with them” argument, way too many people have jumped on the undead bandwagon. Granted, the author of Twilight (Stephanie Meyer, for those of you who haven’t been living under a rock) is a truly impressive writer, but her twisting of vampirism into something sexy and exotic has led to a mind-boggling explosion in vampire paraphernalia. This fad is mostly just annoying due to the sheer quantity of vampire stuff.
#4: iPods
My issues with iPods are manifold. First, every single person on the planet, except for me and maybe one other person, has one. Second, they are über expensive yet break constantly and are often temperamental. Third, the quality doesn’t compare to other brands, like Creative, that make excellent products with the same capabilities for half the price of iPods. Granted, iPods are cool-looking and pretty schnazzy. But really, they aren’t worth it.
#3: Energy Drinks
If I’m not careful I might start going into a rant about these, because I literally think they are like legal drugs, only more dangerous since they are legal for any age. They are spiked with unhealthy amounts of caffeine, are subtly addicting, and obviously designed for the sole purpose of drawing children (and especially teenagers) in. The point is, they are ridiculously bad for anyone’s health and should all be thrown away/set on fire.
#2: Ugg Boots
I have to admit, I have never, ever understood the point of these. Sure, I hear they are comfy. And I think they are totally fine for wearing around the house, and maybe, MAYBE with some skinny jeans if you have no other shoes or outfit choices or something. But wearing Uggs with short skirts/shorts? I can appreciate the irony, but that doesn’t make this fad look any less ridiculous.
#1: Rastafarianism/Drug Scene
First of all, let me explain that Bob Marley, and Rastafarianism in general, was not all about marijuana. It drives me crazy to see all of the people sporting the Rasta colors/lion/trendy Bob Marley t-shirts purely because they smoke a bit of weed and think he’s cool because he did too. What Rastafarianism is really about, and what Bob Marley lived and made incredible music for, is peace, love, and brotherhood. Marijuana is only a small part of it and not at all what Bob Marley truly fought for. So, if you sport Rasta and have no idea what Rastafarianism actually is, and I ever have the pleasure to meet you, I will literally smack you in the face for being both a poser AND a druggie.
