"We're off cupcakes and back to donuts."
-Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
Today's thought was inspired by my favorite comedy TV show 30 Rock. It's hilarious. It's consistently funny (not like The Office which totally went down after Jim and Pam got married) and I just love it! I own the first three seasons on DVD, and my husband I watch an episode or two every night. It's one of our quarky traditions that I've grown to love.
Anyway, during one episode Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is introducing himself to one of Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) friends (guest star Jennifer Aniston) and says:
"Welcome to New York. Ah, let's see...we're using credit cards in cabs now, all the galleries have moved to Chelsea and we're off of cupcakes and back to donuts."
I love the part about the cupcakes. I totally remember when, all of the sudden, cupcakes were the new thing. Everyone wanted to eat a gourmet cupcake (and didn't mind paying $4.00 for one) and everyone wanted to own a cupcake shop. I'll admit, I drank the cupcake kool-aid. Fortunately, for my wallet and waist line, my town didn't have any cool cupcake bakeries, so I wasn't able to fully enjoy the cupcake craze.
All this talk about cupcakes got me thinking about fads and trends. Isn't it funny how a certain gadget, restaurant, musical group, etc., can pop out of nowhere, be way popular and then disappear? I've jumped on a lot of trend trains in my day. Here are just a few examples:
- Slap braclets
- Ring Pops
- New Kids on the Block
- Girbuad jeans
- Keeping one strap on my overalls undone
- Crystal Pepsi
- Krispy Kreme Donuts
But, there are also a few trends that never interested me:
- Pokeman
- Power Rangers
- Bluetooth
- Halo
- iPhone
- Blu-Ray
- Harry Potter books
Then, there was the time I'm pretty sure I started a trend. It was while I was in junior high, and I was hanging out with a friend that I only saw once in awhile because we lived in different cities. For whatever reason, we went to Home Depot. I honestly have no idea why we were there. Anyway, we found these crown bolts and each bought one to wear as rings. I put stars on mine just to give it a little kick. I wore it to school and didn't think much about it. One day, while at school, I noticed a bunch of girls (who weren't my friends) each wearing a bolt on their finger. I was way surprised because I never thought anyone noticed my bolt.
I never talked to the girls about our "rings" so maybe I didn't start a trend. But, maybe, it wouldn't be a bad thing to think I started a trend. Who's gonna know anyway, right?
Thoughts?
So true about the cupcakes moving to donuts. Gourmet donut shops were popping up in LA before I left - there's one called Frittelli's that was to die for. I'm all about food fads. For example, Pinkberry started the frozen yogurt fad, and now there's about a million knock-offs on every corner.
ReplyDeleteI think Utah is a petri dish of people jumping on the trend bandwagon. Its amazing how fast a fad can travel and become a NEED here.
By the way, have I told you the story of how Matt thinks he brought the square-toe shoe to the UofU while he was going there? :) I think its hilarious. Apparently before him, everyone was only wearing round toes, like Doc Martens or whatever, but he busted out some new square-toes, got tons of compliments while on campus, and BAM, suddenly the whole UofU body of men are wearing square-toes and Matt thinks he's the originator.
That's funny! I never thought to wear a bolt as a ring before, so I would say you started the trend! Let's see, I jumped on the iPhone wagon and the Harry Potter one too. There's nothing wrong with a bluetooth, so yea, I have that one too. And slap braclets are still cool! But not the New Kids on the Block. I hear they are still touring.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from SITS!
Laney, that is hilarious about Matt and the UofU square shoe thing. I'm definitely going to bring that up with him the next time I see him. So great! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, the bluetooth thing is pretty much mandatory here in California. I only put mine on in the car, though. I don't walk around with it in my ear because it looks stupid.
ReplyDeleteI started a trend once. I was in high school and went to one of those seasonal stores that pops up. It was for Christmas decorations and stuff. I found these metal boxes than had this metal closure and plastic handle. They had a bunch of different designs and they weren't very big, so I bought one to use as a purse. A bunch of girls started asking me where I found it, and the next thing I knew, almost everyone had one. The store even sold out of them and couldn't get more.
That's the only time in my entire life that I've been able to claim credit for trendsetting.
I love 30 Rock!! Love it. Love. I cannot stress this enough. Every time I have a cupcake I think this quote to myself.
ReplyDeleteSo, you got me. I'm following now.
Cool runnings, mon, bobsled.
I tend to be completely oblivious to trends. Not entirely, of course, but I am just uninformed and unaware. And I tend to be the last one to conform when clothing changes fashion. Like the flare leg pants and the capris. I thought they were both LAME and then, after a while, found myself thinking they were ok, and then cool, and then wearing them. I have this image in my mind's eye of some person sitting in a control room high in the sky (or in a big city somewhere), rubbing their hands together and saying something like, "Hmmm.... what clothing should we tell them is cool next? Peg legs from the 80's? Yes! Good idea. But we can't call them Peg Legs... we'll have to call them something different so people will wear them. 'Skinny Jeans'... what a good idea! We'll put them on the runway first and regular people will think it's weird. Then the celebs will start wearing them and slowly, ever-so-slowly, it will trickle down to even the smallest towns. But by then, it will be time to tell them something else is cool... BWWAAAHAHAHAHA!!!"
ReplyDeleteWho decides these things anyway?
okay dear emily, first off the Iphone and blu ray are not trends. those are functioning ways of life that you need to jump on board with because they are NOT going away. nothing hi def or apple made is a trend!
ReplyDeleteMan, I've been missing out on these blog posts.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much to comment on but I won't to on and on...Crystal Pepsi! So funny. Every time I hear the song Right Here Right Now I think of that...we had to go to some assembly in jr high with that music video/commercial for crystal pepsi. Random. AND I don't get the cupcake thing. How on earth is it better than I slice of cake? It might be cuter, but it doesn't taste better. I recently found gluten free ones and I'm not a big fan. Oh, and I'm not a fan of Harry Potter either. What about blogging though? That's a total trend...agreed?