Webster’s Dictionary
defines fad as a temporary
fashion trend, one followed
enthusiastically by a group.
In the 1930s stamp collecting
had kids going bonkers,
in the 1920s flag pole sitting
was sweeping the nation, and
the 1960s was when every
hippie had to have a tie-dye
shirt. In the 1990s there were
those mutant creatures called
Furbies and Beanie Babies.
In an age of computer technology
and high-speed internet
the media plays a critical
role in the way we are
informed of the latest trends.
Indeed, it is a trend unto
itself.
Fifty years ago, poodle
skirts were what every girl
was wearing and every student
would have loved nothing
more than for the ‘Red
Menace’ to be gone.
The Centurion staff wanted
to get a handle on college culture
by understanding the
trends, fads and crazes that
drive most students our age.
Sending out a team of
reporters we canvassed the
campus to get a handle on the
what’s hot in 2008 among
Bucks students.
The millennium years are
no different from earlier
decades in having plenty of
fads. Low-carb diets, reality
television, Roller-shoes and
“American Idol” are all examples
of 0-something trends
and fads.
The 90s were the times
when Bucks students were
enjoying the Spice Girls and
watching their parents battle
over one of the most coveted
items on the market at that
time, the Furby.
For those who don’t know,
Furbies were one of the first
truly interactive toys. They
were released in 1998 and
sold over 27 million units,
according to CNN.com.
The main focus of this craze
in the media were the parents
trying to purchase this item
for their children, leading to
numerous fights and riots
between customers when
supplies ran low.
There are also fads in language.
Not so long ago a
common fad was the frequent
use of the word “Not.” Used
to mean “just kidding,” the
phrase was used in many sarcastic
statements or jokes.
Rewind even further and
you find yourself in the
1930s, a time of highly
advanced technology like the
radio. “The Wizard of Oz”
was the blockbuster movieand
the big fad was goldfish
eating.
This craze was started in
1939 by Harvard freshman
Lothrop Withington, who,
acting on a dare, swallowed a
living goldfish with a mash
potato chaser. This soon
became a sensation among
college men.
“I can’t believe someone
would find swallowing fish
cool!” exclaimed Stephanie
Mintz, a liberal arts major
from Yardley. “That’s just
gross.”
Forward 10 years and
people had moved on to
one of the most inventive
toys every created, the
Slinky. Invented in
Philadelphia by Richard
James, the Slinky was
basically 87-feet of flat
wire coiled into a 2-foot
spiral. With its ability to
‘walk’ down stairs it was
one of the favorite toys of
children during the 40s. It
however would lose its
hold on the top fad spot
with the invention of the
hula-hoop a few years
later.
Trends are part of what
our society and economy
are based around and
sometimes they work to
change history in ways
we could never imagine.
“We probably think it’s
strange now,” said Dean
Johnson, a biology major
from New Hope. “But
maybe in 50 years people
will think shows like
“American Idol” are just
as weird.”