# What fads in history can you name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399 "2026-09-26T12:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/61 "2026-09-27T08:39:18Z")
This may be Canada-specific, but … Stocking caps. That’s what we called them, but they were just toques (wool beanie caps) that were longer than necessary. Needed in winter. Like Santa’s headgear, just taken to an extreme. I was about 9 or 10 when they were popular. And the most popular kid in school was the one whose stocking cap dragged on the street behind him or her. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/62 "2026-09-27T13:18:58Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > “No Bozo” (a picture of the clown with the circle-and-slash superimposed) Also, “Baby onboard” signs and half of Garfield stuck in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/63 "2026-09-27T13:46:14Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I doubt any modern dance fads were as dangerous as the[St. Vitus Dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania#Outbreaks)…definitely none lasted as long. Thanks for that very interesting link. I had heard about St, Vitus Dance (“Veitstanz” in German, which is also used idiomatically for someone making a scene, acting erratically or throwing a tantrum), and also about the ergot poisoning theory, but I didn’t know how common a mass phenomenon it used to be. Seems to have been the medieval equivalent to 1990s techno raves. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/64 "2026-09-27T15:10:27Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > I never got how they sat. Did they just sit on the ball on top? Sounds unstable. And painful. > > AIUI there was usually a small platform built on top of the pole. > > Now I hate to go all Howard Stern, but the bathroom thing seems an awkward thing to deal with in that prudish era. So I did some research. Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly (he claimed to have survived the Titanic) was the guy who got the craze started. > [@](#): > > At the literal height of Kelly’s career in 1930, he set a world record by sitting atop a 225 foot tall flagpole in Atlantic City for 49 days and one hour. To keep himself from falling asleep, he would tie his ankles to the pole and was frequently pictured in the press hundreds of feet in the air brushing his teeth and shaving his face. His preferred form of nourishment was liquids (a lot of coffee) and cigarettes, which were hoisted up the pole by assistants using rope and pails. And to answer your burning question, to use the bathroom, “he turned away from the crowd and used a small tube that ran to the ground into a hole”. > **[The Mad 1920s Fad of Pole-Sitting](https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/09/25/the-mad-1920s-fad-of-pole-sitting/)** > > The Mad 1920s Fad of Pole-Sitting - Messy Nessy's Here’s a picture. You can see the small stool he was able to sit on. [![](https://i.ibb.co/cXwhtdbR/IMG-2320.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/cXwhtdbR/IMG-2320.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/65 "2026-09-27T15:36:56Z")
Drilling a hole in a ping pong ball and putting it on your car’s antenna so you can find it in the parking lot. With modern antennas it isn’t quite so effective. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/66 "2026-09-27T15:38:33Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > And to answer your burning question, to use the bathroom, “he turned away from the crowd and used a small tube that ran to the ground into a hole”. Not to brag, but a “small” tube isn’t going to cut it for me. I’m gonna guess the tube was just for number one. I suspect for other waste, the lunch pail served a dual purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/67 "2026-09-27T16:23:27Z")
There have been many fad diets: Hollywood diet - from the 1930s, lots of grapefruit, 500 calories a day Cabbage soup diet - from the 1950s High-protein, low carb diets - Atkins, paleo, keto, carnivore Raw food diet Blood type diet ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/68 "2026-09-27T16:26:44Z")
I imagine they’re still around, but **point shirts** were a big deal around 1975(?). ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/69 "2026-09-27T16:30:02Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > **point shirts** What are “point shirts”? Google didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/70 "2026-09-27T17:12:29Z")
About 20 years ago when men in their 30s all seemed to have a phase of spiking their hair ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/71 "2026-09-27T17:45:05Z")
A type of “urban cowboy” wear: long sleeves, the cuffs had snaps, ditto the front, and some contrasting fabric would come up over your shoulders from the back and come to points on both sides of your breastbone. I’ll find you a pic, shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/72 "2026-09-27T17:46:38Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Lawn Darts I feel like Lawn Darts might still be a thing had it not been made illegal (for good reason). ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/73 "2026-09-27T17:47:52Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > A type of “urban cowboy” wear: long sleeves, the cuffs had snaps, ditto the front, and some contrasting fabric would come up over your shoulders from the back and come to points on both sides of your breastbone. I’ll find you a pic, shortly. Ah, I see, that’s a fashion that never made it to Germany. Maybe among truckers, but I never moved in that circles. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/74 "2026-09-27T17:50:20Z")
Somethin’ like this, pard: > **[Google Image Result for...](https://www.google.com/share.google?q=QCz9qBIQ2BDuZj4IT)** ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/75 "2026-09-27T18:05:10Z")
Thanks, now I see, I’m a country rock fan, and many country rockers of the late 60s/early 70s wore those shirts, not only John Denver. But I really have never seen anyone wearing such a shirt in Germany. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/76 "2026-09-27T18:06:45Z")
Digital pets Baby on board signs Mickey Mouse watches were huge around here in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/77 "2026-09-27T18:38:40Z")
Speaking of fads ended by injuries and liability concerns—three wheel ATVs. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Blue_Yamaha_Tri-Moto_.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Blue_Yamaha_Tri-Moto_.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/78 "2026-09-27T19:38:29Z")
Hermit crab necklace. I think it was very short lived(heh). Hole it it’s shell add a leather thong or chain. And hope it doesn’t decide to decamp from it’s shell during math class. But there were many bug brooch fads. Iridescent beetles being popular for a time. I feel like they were killed first. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/79 "2026-09-27T19:43:41Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Beanie Babies This always reminds me of this pic of a divorcing couple trying to equitably divide their Beanie Babies in a court room: [![](https://preview.redd.it/a-divorcing-couple-splitting-up-their-beanie-babies-in-court-v0-iq4taexvvggy.jpg?auto=webp&s=61bd4c5e7c2c0afd54310888697f9976a314f628) ](https://preview.redd.it/a-divorcing-couple-splitting-up-their-beanie-babies-in-court-v0-iq4taexvvggy.jpg?auto=webp&s=61bd4c5e7c2c0afd54310888697f9976a314f628) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/80 "2026-09-27T20:23:37Z")
eugenics nazism uncountable religious “denominations” freudian analysis well mowed lawns (that has proven very resistant, still lingers) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399.md?page=5)