Picture it: My junior high school, circa 2003. Rocawear is the "cool" clothing of the year. The more ridiculous and ostentatious their monogrammed items, the better. I even had a classmate who dubbed herself the "Fashion Police" and who took her role very seriously... she was dressed to the nines herself and she had a critical eye (and words) for everyone else. Naturally, my mother thought this fad was ridiculous. Long story short: I never owned anything from Rocawear and fast forward a year and all of those jackets were probably locked in trunks and stored in attics nationwide because I never saw another after 2004.
After Redditor melvin2898 asked the online community, "What unexpected thing became popular out of nowhere?" people took us on a trip down memory lane.
"Recently I did see..."
I remember Polly Pockets were really popular when I was a little kid, every one had at least one, and then suddenly they just vanished. Recently I did see some commercials for them though. Also, those weird little squishy animals that were in the plastic balls, me and my friends loved those things, but they also disappeared and I don't even remember what they were called. Also, LoL dolls are super popular for no reason now, my little cousin is obsessed with them.
"I didn't know what that thing was..."
Furby. The original one, not the new one with digitized eyes.
I didn't know what that thing was as a kid, but you better believe as soon as I saw it, I wanted it.
"If you could do more than one trick..."
Yo-Yos. When I was around 11/12ish they suddenly became the thing to have. The more ball bearings and flashy lights the better. If you could do more than one trick you were god of the playground. I also remember them getting banned in school.
"I walked into a store one day..."
"Timberland" work boots. I walked into a store one day to purchase a new pair of yellow boots and come to find out they're all overpriced designer fashion now. Apparently they're still good to use as work boots but I'm not that interested in paying the trend premium.
"...the whole thing sounds completely ridiculous..."
QAnon, the whole thing sounds completely ridiculous but the number of people that believe in it is even more ridiculous.
"One day life is normal."
Beanie Babies. One day life is normal. The next day they're everywhere, and people are brawling for specific ones.
"When I grew up..."
Portland, Oregon.
When I grew up, I had to explain to people outside of the West Coast where Oregon even was or how to pronounce it. Everyone said Or-EE-gone. Now Portland is a minor hipster mecca and a political lightning rod.
"So many other..."
Zoom. So many other video call/chat services out there, but as soon as quarantine starts everyone is using Zoom, which I've never heard of beforehand.
"I remember when I was growing up..."
Champion and Tommy Hillfiger. I remember when I was growing up TH and Champion were some of the cheaper and 'uglier' clothes my parents bought me. Now they are super popular and I have to say that I like what they have now.
"Nobody here really pays any attention..."
K-pop (in America). Nobody here really pays any attention to foreign music of any kind, then Psy drops Gangnam Style and suddenly Korean boy bands are outselling domestic artists in a country who's audience doesn't even speak the language they're singing in.
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