The Best and Worst Fads of Five Years Ago

Every single year that has existed in the modern world has at least one fad attached to it.

In 1976, for example, everyone was all about the American bicentennial, and people flaunted red, white, and blue fashions to celebrate it.  In 1986, Claymation seemed to dominate film and television.  In 1996, everyone danced to the Macarena, and it seems as though in 2016, everyone's dying their hair in neon colours, pastel colours...colours that are basically not found in nature.

But what was the biggest fad of 2011?  That's a tough one.

Truth be told...I can't really decide on just one.

So, in the spirit of everything five years old being new once more, let's take a look back at some of the crazy fads that took place in 2011.  Some of them have withstood the test of time, while others probably should have been tossed away like 2011 calendars on the first day of January 2012.

Let's begin.

SKINNY JEANS

Hey, remember back in 2011 when clothing manufacturers believed that everyone's legs were so unique and special that there should be jeans that show them off?  Enter the creation of the skinny jean.  A pair of jeans that are structured to look like leggings or yoga pants.  On one hand, the skinny jeans could really accentuate certain assets of a body.  On the other, I can't imagine how some people could squeeze into them in the first place.  I have nothing against slim-cut trousers, but I should not be able to see what denomination of coins you have in your pockets.  And all that chafing from denim rubbing against your thighs?  Pass.

We won't discuss skinny jeans for men.  That's almost as bad as bringing back the Speedo.

PLANKING

You know, of all the fads of 2011 that came out, one I can't understand was the obsession with planking.  I mean, I understood the Ice Bucket Challenge because it was raising awareness for ALS.  But the only thing that planking raised awareness for was...well...YouTube channels.  Not exactly the same thing.  Basically, planking is lying on top of an object, or suspending yourself across two objects in a pose that basically simulates a dead person in rigor mortis.  It sounds just as redundant as I think I described it.

TEBOWING

In a related note, remember football player Tim Tebow?  The guy who sold cell phones for T-Mobile and refused to strip down to his Jockeys in between games?  And you know how he would do his famous Tim Tebow pose which sort of resembled him kneeling down and praying?  I have no issue with Tebow doing that pose.  It's his own thing, and he's entitled to doing whatever he wants on the field.  I do have an issue with everyone else trying to mimic the Tebow pose.  But then again, I don't understand people jumping on bandwagons anyway - especially when it comes to miming a football player's unique stance.  It just didn't work.

FACEBOOK STATUS UPDATES FOR CANCER AWARENESS

Remember that one week on Facebook, every single woman on your Friends list posted random colours on their status updates?  Red.  White.  Lavender.  Fuchsia.  Zebra Print.  And all of us were wondering what the heck was going on.  Turns out it was a game in which women listed the colour of their underwear to raise awareness for breast cancer.  You want to know what I think would be a great way to raise awareness?  DONATE MONEY TO A BREAST CANCER AWARENESS CHARITY INSTEAD OF SHARING THE COLOUR OF YOUR UNMENTIONABLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA!  Seriously, this sort of stuff happened all throughout 2011, and it became really annoying.  I am so glad that we've evolved since then. 

Well, at least, we no longer do games like that.  Changing the colour of our profile pics doesn't annoy me nearly as much.

Grey.

CAKE POPS

Now, one might argue that the cake pop existed long before 2011.  And I would probably accept that as being the truth.  But this hybrid of a cupcake and lollipop became a 2011 food tradition that is still enjoyed in 2016.  I'll be the first to admit that this is one food fad that I'm glad has stuck around.  Seriously, with cake pops, there's less of a burden to make them perfect as you would a triple layer cake.  And there are endless possibilities for creativity as well. 

ONE DIRECTION

It seems interesting to talk about this band now, given that in 2016 they seem to have called it quits for now.  But it was five years ago that the band - which competed on and came in third place on the British talent search show "The X Factor" - released their very first album.  And what progressed afterwards was reminiscent of the impact that the New Kids on the Block had on girls all over the world circa 1990.  As the band continued to release hit after hit, girls wore One Direction T-shirts, One Direction jewelry, One Direction socks...basically they became walking billboards for One Direction.  It's hard to argue that One Direction went one direction in 2011...up, up, way up.

So, what do you think?  Have any more fads to add to this list?  What do you remember most about 2011?