Wordless (WTF) Wednesday: inexplicable fads

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Permalink

Fashions come and go. In fact, despite my paltry years *cough cough* I have seen things like platform shoes appear in fashion magazines at least three times. I have to admit, it scares me a little when some hipster Gen Yer calls anything circa the 1990s retro, but… hey, I guess in the 1970s previous generations gasped at similar discussions about the 1950s.

What astonishes me, however is how ‘things’ come into fashion at all. I’m sure there are (however) entire ‘marketing’ text books on the notion of trends and going viral is much easier in an age where everyone’s connected. Constantly.

And because my taste is so exquisite and evolved (!) I thought I’d bestow upon you a few of my: “WTF, how are these even a thing?” thoughts today.

Macaroons

Four or five years ago I worked in an agency with government-appointed Commissioners. They were all lovely people, but also all quite well off and well… people-who-know-people. At the very first Commission meeting one of the Commissioners arrived (as she often did) with coffee for everyone (from the French restaurant downstairs) and a bag of macaroons.

I thought the macaroon thing was kinda weird but who was I to judge, as the brightly coloured treats appeared. Little did I know that they were to become a HUGE friggin’ ‘thing’ and be a regular at high teas, fancy pâtisseries and the like.

macarons-colours

source: vohnmcg.com

Personally I don’t really get the allure. They’re often gluten-free however, so… at least edible.

Cupcakes

When I was little they were called patty cakes but they were a bit of a poor-man’s cake or something that parents allowed their kids to make rather than letting them loose with a large cake tin. However… over the past half a dozen or so years, cupcakes have become a HUGE thing. I don’t get why they’re suddenly so trendy. I’m not a big cake eater but can appreciate the notion as a good form of portion control. One can splurge on a treat without having to buy the whole cake and … you know… eat it too! 😉

cupcake

Mason Jars

The mason jar fad came upon me suddenly. I suspect it was because I’d been lurking in regional Queensland and not exposed to as many cafes or homewares stores…. however, when I attended the Problogger conference at the QT on the Gold Coast I was one of many people agog with the hotel’s delights. From cute carts of homemade lemonade served in cute bottles, to the mason jars and other ‘retro’ offerings… it was a delight. Since then mason jars have bloody been everywhere. They’ve even made it to Hervey Bay.

PicMonkey Collage2

I have to admit I haven’t been in ‘buying homewares’ mode (or mood) so have avoided stocking up on the craze which… I heard recently, is on its way ‘out’.

Fancy chocolate stores

When we were visiting Melbourne a few years ago my niece was adamant that we had to eat at one of the chocolate cafes. As a lover of chocolate I was excited but a bit confused. Of course, she is (nowadays anyway) far more travelled than me and can walk into a Haigh’s Chocolate store and identify what she wants in a millisecond, whereas I am bewildered with the choices on offer – not to mention the price. Of course a Max Bremer popped up near my place in Brisbane just before I moved. I ventured in one day… asking about gluten-free options, only to be told that they weren’t really sure they had anything to offer me. Hmph! Of course I have to confess, I’m just as happy with Red Tulip easter egg chocolate which metaphorically melts in my mouth.

image-tools.php

Owls and Pineapples

I still remember when owl ‘things’ first appeared. “How weird,” I thought. “How cute,” I thought. It kinda shocks me that the owls have hung around this long. Of course a year or two ago we saw the rise of the pineapple and suddenly THEY were everywhere. Indeed, my old school friend and blogging doyenne Nikki from Styling You loves her pineapples!

PicMonkey Collage

Again this is something I don’t get. Why owls and pineapples? Why not bats and lemons? #justsayin

What comes next?

PicMonkey CollagemelA friend, Mel was in Melbourne recently and shared this pic (right) via instagram. Will ‘enamel’ be the next big thing?

Hmmm… I’m thinking back to both of my grandfathers who had a hefty supply of enamel mugs – perfect for camping. Not to mention, shaving utensils.

I’m fairly sure both would roll over in their graves if they saw them appear in high-end homewares stores at exorbitant prices!

I’m sure I’ve missed a myriad. Is there anything you don’t ‘get’ and wonder how on earth it’s a ‘thing’?
Any idea who creates these ‘things’? Magazines, stylists, celebrities, PR companies? 

I’m hooking up today for Wordless Wednesday with Trish from My Little Drummer Boys. (I’m just not very good at the wordless bit!) 😉

33 Comments
  • Vicki @ Knocked Up & Abroad
    February 19, 2014

    I am a sucker for every one of these fads! I love them all!! 🙂

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Cupcakes I kinda get and cute jars will always be cute, but as for some of the others… #hmmmm?!

  • Mel @ The cook's notebook
    February 19, 2014

    Thanks Deb! I wish I had taken a photo of the insanely expensive enamelware that was in the only shop I popped into in Melbourne (not counting the wine shop that is…). Ridiculous.

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Seriously, the only thing that comes to mind when I think of enamel are my grandfathers. And camping. 😉

  • Lee-Anne
    February 19, 2014

    Hey Deb (must stop stalking you :)) Your list made me eye roll MASSIVELY…

    1. Macaroons – I do not understand how a human being (or animal) can bite into these plastic fluoro biscuits – are they actually masquerading as food??!!
    2. Patty…err cup cakes I do like but they have lately taken over the world *big sigh*
    3. Chocolates I like, chocolate cafes I don’t.
    4. Jars used as glasses (massive eye roll). My teen daughter is SO into these we have a set *blushing with shame* and she Instagrams her drinks all the time #badparent
    5. Owls – all this exposure is bad for their wise-owl image.
    6. Pineapples – haven’t noticed these (in ornament form) or maybe just blocking them #toomuchtotake
    7. Next new fad – enamel… WTF?!

    Thanks for making me giggle again, Deb. 😀

    🙂

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      You’re welcome! Good to hear someone agree with most of my thoughts! 😉

      The chocolate cafe thing I ‘could’ understand if they had stuff I could bloody well eat!!!

  • Janet @ Middle Aged Mama
    February 19, 2014

    For a while it was birds. Now it seems like fruit (especially pineapples) and Paris are very du jour … what next?!

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Oh yes, forgot about the birds. And the eiffel tower. I have to admit I’m not a fan of the french shabby chic look – a bit too fussy for me.

      • Janet Camilleri
        April 21, 2015

        Haha seems owls pineapples and Paris are still “in” … as for patty ooops cupcakes, I love ’em coz they pile them high with icing, yummy!

        • Debbish
          April 21, 2015

          I used to love butterfly cakes. Remember those? WIth the cream and the ‘wings’?

          *sigh*

  • Char
    February 19, 2014

    I think that Pinterest is really helping spread the fads these days. I didn’t know a lot of these things existed before I got on there. I don’t get the whole macaron thing either. Why pay mega-bucks for a tiny french cookie when you can pay the same for an entire cupcake – a fad which I’ve totally embraced.

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Oh yes… you are definitely a cake queen (but not just cupcakes!) I love the pictures you share of your masterpieces.

      I’m not an overly visual person so, while I have a Pinterest account, I’m not on there much (ie. at all).

  • Trish
    February 19, 2014

    That is a funny thing about fads , everyone gets in on it as if they are missing out.
    Beautiful pics.
    I’m going to have to dig out our enamel.

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      I know. I almost bought some mason jars over Christmas and then I realised I really didn’t need them and would only be buying them cos they were ‘in’. *sigh*

  • Jess
    February 19, 2014

    Haha WTF Wednesday should become a thing, love it! I am so with you on all of those. I was just complaining about the macaroon thing yesterday.

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Actually Jess there used to be a WTF Wednesday. I’m not sure who ran it but I used to do it once upon a time… Maybe it needs to be reinstated, or become WTF Friday or something.

  • Nikki @ Styling You
    February 19, 2014

    LOL … I’ve fallen for all the above fads … pineapples at the top of the list. Macarons because they are sweet treat I can eat. And drinks in jars … because they taste better! 🙂

    • Debbish
      February 19, 2014

      Well see I’m already confused by the macaroons vs macarons thing….

  • Ruth Hillman-Booth
    February 19, 2014

    Because I’m a pedant, I feel compelled to point out the difference between coconut macaROONs and the macaRONs you have pictured (and the resultant pronuncation difference, which frequently drives me nuts).

    Macarons, when done correctly are amazing. My personal favourites are by Pierre Hermé… unfortunately they can he done ona mediocre level far too often… same can be said for cupcakes I expect.

    No idea on the home decorating front – though I love mason jars for storage, hidden away in a cupboard or the fridge.

    • Debbish
      February 20, 2014

      I did actually google the macaroons vs macarons thing before the post and gave up cos I got pictures of the coloured ones for both spelling. Very confusing!

      I think people rave about Adriano Zumbo’s macarons (my computer keeps wanting to add the extra ‘o’) as well.

      I’m still like #meh about them however…

      • @Kanga_Rue
        February 20, 2014

        Zumbo’s are supposed to be good. Unfortunately, the shop near where I was staying on my recent trip to Sydney closed a few months back. Every other macaron I’ve tried outside of Europe has been varying degrees of meh.

        Been seeing bloody owls & Eiffel Towers *everywhere* today – I blame you 😉

  • Travelling Macs
    February 19, 2014

    The fad I never got was onsies and I wrote about it once http://travellingmacs.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/onesies/ still don’t get it though the fad seems to have escalated even more. Macaroons I get ( love the salted caramel ones) 🙂

    • Debbish
      February 20, 2014

      I’ve never done the onesie thing but can imagine it’d be comfy (though probably should never be seen in public!).

  • Satu
    February 19, 2014

    Oddly enough, we have had the same fads you have had except perhaps the mason jars and owls. Or maybe I just didn’t notice the mason jar fad? It’s possible. I still haven’t eaten a single macaroon or cupcake even though I’m rather interested in cupcakes because they look so good.

    These fads are definitely global. I don’t know who creates them but the Internet certainly helps with propagating them!

    • Debbish
      February 20, 2014

      Very true. I hadn’t splurged on a housey magazine (like House & Garden etc) for ages, but bought one last weekend and remembered that they often feature apartments, houses and furnishings from other countries.

  • Carla
    February 19, 2014

    omgosh I LOVE YOU.
    we are so so very alike.

    • Debbish
      February 21, 2014

      Hee hee! By the way, I found your comment in my spam folder – I’ve been getting HEAPS of spam lately and often just dump it without checking (apologise if I’ve done that at all). Am very tired of spam about shoes, handbags and medications! Plus my Askimet filter is doing weird things!

  • Alicia
    February 20, 2014

    I hardly go near the shops, so haven’t or don’t partake in many fads that require walking into shops and spending money. I am a bit clueless. I have never eaten a macaron, am I the only one? I see lots of mason jars posted with all concoctions of smoothies in them, the smoothie being a fad in itself. I nearly fall off my chair at some of the prices people pay for stuff in flashy mags 🙂

    • Debbish
      February 21, 2014

      Oh yes… why are we willing to pay so much when something becomes trendy. I wonder if enamel mugs and the like will suddenly cost a fortune (though am sure camping stores will be happy about the increased trade!).

      I’ve only ever had a couple of macarons and they weren’t very inspiring I have to say. I’d much prefer something more substantial. Like a cupcake. 😉

  • Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me
    February 20, 2014

    Nailed it Deb, what is it with all of those things? Especially the macaroons! Those mason jars are cool but really why do we have to keep reinventing the wheel? It’s just clever marketers and PR peeps trying to flog a dead horse! xx

    • Debbish
      February 21, 2014

      True. I wonder if someone’s actually done a study of some sort where they introduce an idea to just see if it can go viral – like the movie Gossip (re gossip and tales getting out of hand). Am sure there’s a PhD thesis there for someone. Finding a new trend, working out how to grow it and who the influencers are etc.

  • Mystery Case
    April 20, 2015

    Great post. Have to agree on most things especially the mason jars.

    • Debbish
      April 20, 2015

      I know right? Although I’ve been tempted to buy them on a few occasions. Just cos. I note they’re really cheap at the big discount stores. (I just have to remind myself I really don’t need them!)

I'd love to hear your thoughts