Category:
Fads

1979 Disco Riot

With these hard times, who's to say that anti-disco riots will not spontaneously break out again?

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 05, 2009 - Comments (10)
Category: Fads, History, Music, Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience, 1970s

Star Trek Convention, 1986

"Today Trekkers have appeared in Buffalo... A Trekker is almost anybody. Not only does it span all ages from 8 to 80, but all walks of life as well, all career endeavors."

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jan 17, 2009 - Comments (10)
Category: Fads, Science Fiction, 1980s

Psych-Out

Once you have experienced the 1968 film PSYCH-OUT, you will be unable to return to your square, plastic, uptight lifestyle. Just the sight of Jack Nicholson's fake ponytail alone will trip you out!



Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 16, 2009 - Comments (9)
Category: Bums, Hobos, Tramps, Beggars, Panhandlers and Other Streetpeople, Costumes and Masks, Drugs, Fads, Fashion, Hair Styling, History, Hollywood, Inebriation and Intoxicants, Movies, Music, Regionalism, Sexuality, Stereotypes and Cliches, Surrealism, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s, Posters, Dance, Body Painting, Facial Hair

Princess Girls

The latest weird Japanese fad: hime gyaru, or princess girls. They're grown women (in their 20s and 30s) who spend lots of money trying to look like fairytale princesses. They speak in soft chirpy voices, apply mascara on top of fake eyelashes, strive for "supervolume hair," and decorate their bedrooms with rococo furniture. One 36-year-old princess-girl housewife estimates she spends between $2000 to $3000 a month on dresses, which doesn't leave a lot of money for groceries. Luckily her parents help support her princess habit by sending food to her and her husband. Link: Wall Street Journal.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Nov 22, 2008 - Comments (2)
Category: Fads, Fashion, Asia

Follies of the Mad Men #46

image
[From Life magazine for March 5 1956.]

"Dig this crazy mixed-up ice cream!" "Man, it's real cool!"

Yeah, because beatniks like Maynard G. Krebs eat a lot of ice cream!

Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 20, 2008 - Comments (12)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Fads, Food, Pop Culture, 1950s

Sarah Palin Zombie

image
Wow--it didn't take long for Sarah Palin to enter rock poster iconography, did it?

Have a zombie-rific Halloween!

Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 31, 2008 - Comments (10)
Category: Celebrities, Fads, Music, Politics, Strange Candidates, Historical Figure, Posters, Fictional Monsters

Follies of the Mad Men #39

image
[From Life magazine for April 23 1971.]

The other day, watching that commercial of Lucky Strike cigarettes square-dancing, I speculated on how one could distinguish female from male cigarettes. Twenty years after that commercial, Madison Avenue had the answer! Female cigarettes are "pretty" and have decorative floral emblems on the filters!

Wasn't it wonderful that "women's lib" allowed tobacco companies to sell more cigarettes to a previously under-served population?

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 19, 2008 - Comments (3)
Category: Addictions, Business, Advertising, Death, Fads, Gender, Women, 1970s

Bacon Bloody Marys

image
After Baconhenge and Bacon Beans, what other odd bacon bits could there be?

Well, what about Bacon Bloody Marys?

For some reason I am reminded of Lisa Simpson asking Bart to please stop stirring his lemonade with a sausage.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 23, 2008 - Comments (13)
Category: Animals, Fads, Food, Inebriation and Intoxicants

Kiddie Treadmills

image
Those tykes today! if they're not wearing Baby High Heels, they're improving their lung capacity like little Wall Street "Masters of the Universe" on special kiddie treadmills. Read all about the craze here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 18, 2008 - Comments (16)
Category: Business, Products, Exercise and Fitness, Fads, Family, Children, Parents, Frauds, Cons and Scams, Technology

Li’l Castros

image
[From Life magazine for April 13 1959.]

Of course, we all recall personally or at least have heard of the Davy Crockett Craze of the mid-1950's, when Disney's promotional genius had kids everywhere running around in coonskin caps. But who among us lately has dared to summon up memories of the Castro dressup craze from a few years later?

Yes, once upon a time, at the start of his revolution, Castro was received in the USA as a hero of the oppressed peoples of Cuba, and seen as a fit role model for tykes to imitate.

Please click on the image for the full glory of this era, and excuse any flash glare from my poor photo skills. I had to photograph rather than scan, to capture the full impact of the double page spread.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 05, 2008 - Comments (8)
Category: Body Modifications, Facial Hair, Business, Products, Fads, Family, Children, Parents, Government, Military, Pop Culture, War, Weapons, 1950s

Page 8 of 9 pages ‹ First  < 6 7 8 9 > 




weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •