Popularity is a finicky thing. One day, a trend is on the top of the world, but the next, it’s nothing more than a fleeting memory. Some popular trends carry on, but most get lost in the sands of time, only remembered during brief trips down memory lane.
While scrolling through the popular R/askreddit community, I stumbled upon a thread asking users to open the door to these long-forgotten memories and list some hugely popular trends in days gone by.
Here are some of the best responses.
Farmville
Remember when Facebook built its user base by offering a silly farm game?
Farmville was all the rage. Users invited everyone they knew to Facebook to get sweet farm rewards and share their harvests.
Looking back, people can’t believe they wasted so much time on it.
I” still have FB friends I made through Farmville (and Wrestler Unstoppable), but I hit a pretty abrupt wall with it when it started to feel more like a chore than a fun time waster,” shared one user. “Sometimes FB memories will show me a real gem about a friend needing a tree or something, and I wonder what I was doing with my life.”
Chuck Norris Memes
Chuck Norris became an icon in meme culture, but the joke got stale and slowly faded into obscurity, only to be occasionally resecured in niche subreddits.
The memes portrayed Chuck Norris as the ultimate superhero, able to defeat any enemy and accomplish any feat. They became increasingly ridiculous as the meme gained steam, eventually falling from popularity.
Mustaches
For a brief period, the mustache reigned supreme.
“I’ll never forget the time I genuinely wore a pair of moustache-patterned scarf and leggings as a child, thinking it was peak fashion,” replied one user.
Others said the trend started with Ron Swanson, but it quickly took on a life of its own. People got mustache tattoos, hosted mustache parties, and wore mustache clothing.
Although some users want to bring the mustache back, others said they hope to forget that phase of their life.
Flash Mobs
Remember when joining a group in a random dance-off was peak cool?
Although they were fun, flash mobs quickly lost steam. It’s hard to coordinate an extensive, choreographed dance for a group of people, and most folks don’t have the time.
One Redditor said the flash mob lost appeal when companies co-opted the idea for marketing, sucking the fun out of it.
Swing
Swing music made a spirited comeback in the 90s but quickly disappeared, never to be heard again. Bands like Cherry Poppen Daddies and Squirrel Nut Zippers took the stage with their horns and fun, and everyone relived the thirties with the fun dance style.
One user said the upbeat swing music was an overcorrection to the preceding grunge phase, a depressive era filled with dank colors and melodramatic tunes. Others said they still love swing and hope it becomes popular again.
Silly Bandz
What kid wouldn’t love rubber bands shaped like animals? Silly Bandz burst onto the scene in middle schools around the country but disappeared so fast that few remember them.
Most users said their quick disappearance was the result of schoolhouse bannings. Many schools considered the bands distracting and prevented students from wearing them in class.
“I think Schools banning them killed off the trend. Only young kids cared about them, and there parents didn’t bother fighting the ban,” said one user.
Backward Pants
Kriss Kross will make you jump, jump, and wear your pants backward. After the hip-hop duo performed on In Living Color, everyone thought it was cool to wear your pants backwards.
“They performed on In Living Color, and the next day half the boys in my fifth-grade class came to school with their clothes on backwards,” said one user of the Kriss Kross phenomena.
We quickly learned that wearing our jeans backward is uncomfortable, and we hope to forget that period of our lives.
Koosh Balls
Although they still make Koosh balls, they aren’t nearly as possible as they once were. At one point, all the cool kids had Koosh balls; some even had Koosh ball yo-yos and Koosh ball pencil toppers.
For those not in the know, Koosh balls are small toy balls with small rubber strings coming out from the center to surround them. The strings are usually multi-colored, creating fun visual effects when thrown.
“I ran across the one I got in middle school the other day while I was going through a box of old stuff. I had completely forgot about it!” exclaimed one user.
Tai Bo
Tai Bo saved workout tapes for a short while. After the 80s VHS craze with Richard Simmons, workout tapes were on the way out until Tai Bo came onto the scene.
For a short while, middle schools and living rooms nationwide were filled with Billy Blanks teaching folks accessible martial arts.
Pogs
Who knew that small cardboard circles would be so popular? Pogs were a popular toy in the 90s, and everyone got in on the action. Brands, cartoons, and personalities created collectible pogs that are now worth no more than the cardboard they’re printed on.
“I LOVED those damn things in elementary, circa 1993. My school banned them because they were a form of “gambling,” said one user. Another said they still love their pogs.
Frosted Tips
Frosted tips were the height of male fashion for young boys in the early 2000s. Kids would spike dye the tips of their hair blonde, then use gel to spike their hair, resulting in blonde tips above the darker natural color.
“I had frosted tips in the 90s. I stand by my decision,” shared one user.
What Trends Do You Remember?
Do you remember any of these forgotten trends Redditors shared? Which ones would you like to see make a comeback?