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Crazes, fads, phenomenons, one hit wonders, trends — throughout history humans have been seduced and lured by Slick Ricks, charlatans, P.T. Barnum humbugs, and through incredible traditional and guerrilla marketing techniques.
Pokemon Go is the latest and greatest craze to sweep, not only the Canuck-nation but the entire universe of Pokemon Go-getters of all ages.
But, many pop culture icons have marked their territory in the “craze” department way before it was a necessity to — “gotta catch ‘em all.”
Even though Pokemon has been around for quite a while and is one of Nintendo’s most popular games and tie-ins.
Pet rocks and primitive ant farms were once popular. Believe it, or not? Beatle-Mania and Elvis-itis struck the global psyche and defined generations of pop music. Slinkies, Twinkies, Smartphone apps and games, the Macarena, rainbow loom, digital pets, Rubik’s Cube, “Do the Bartman,” Cabbage Patch Kids, The Twist — the list goes on and on. But wait, there’s more.
Do you remember Jazzercise, Furby, how about McDonald’s pizzas, the Sony Walkman, digital watches with calculators, drive-in movie theatres and diners with jukeboxes and outside car-side /window service, karaoke?
Or how about Bieber-Fever, “American Bandstand” or “American Idol,” “America’s Funniest Videos” or You Tube, diet soft drinks and the diet revolution, and the word “natural”? Even recycling could be considered somewhat of a fad.
Today there’s micro-brewing and designer coffees, gluten-free and even Crystal Pepsi has made a comeback this year.
Simply put, a craze defies logic and/or understanding. What makes something popular one minute can be so passé the next. Maybe it isn’t cool or tragically hip at the moment, but was, and could be once again.
Each decade created and crafted its own brand of pop culture including Miami Vice culture with pink and orange neon clothes and white jackets.
It has always been about what’s in style or out with clothes and hairdos. It’s always been what’s trendy and hot and today’s social media has embraced pop culture and it has evolved it to the max (or should it be de-evolved?).
And, every year at Christmas, crazes are all the rage at the marketplace and the money crazes cash in on show at the tills.
Parents worry nowadays with kids getting hurt playing Pokemon Go but didn’t parents say the same thing about skateboards and BMX bikes?
And, social media itself is a craze including Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and these social media fads can cause devastating addictions, social behavioural issues, and can harm/hinder us in ways we don’t even know about as of yet but they have helped us.
Haven’t they?
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