I was listening to the radio in the car the other day and “The Streak” came over the air. That novelty song by Ray Stevens was a big hit in the 1970s. It was 1974 when I was in high school.
Streaking was the act of running naked through a public area for publicity as a prank or a big dare. Streaking was often associated with sporting events but occurred in more venues.
It got me thinking about other fads in the 1960s and 1970s.
Fads by their very nature, are short-lived. Many are associated with toys or other items.
Off the top of my head, I remember the “toy” called clackers, which consisted of two glass balls held together by a huge string. You banged the two glass balls together as fast as you can. They swung up and down, banging against each other with a lot of force, making a loud “clacking” sound. Talk about something dangerous! I’m sure there were some injuries and I’ve heard they were soon taken off the market. And yes, I had a setback in the day.
Do you remember people spending money on pet rocks?
That fad lasted a few months, ending after a short increase in sales during the Christmas season of December 1975. However, by February 1976, they were discounted due to lower sales. But it just goes to show you that you can sell anything with good marketing and the right commercial. The “inventor” sold over 1 million Pet Rocks for $4 each and became a quick millionaire.
We had hula hoops and Frisbees in the mid and late 1950s and again in the 1960s. Of course, Frisbees are still popular. There is even a sport called disc golf.
I had heard once that the Frisbee came from a pie pan where workers at the factory began whizzing the metal pans around. The rest, I guess, is history.
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. It can be a good way to exercise. You still see these around a few discount stores.
The birth or invention of a doll in 1978 caused a big commotion. It was those cute Cabbage Patch Kids, and I think many are still with us. They were hard to get, and I remember trying to get one for my daughter for Christmas one year. I heard they were so hard to get at one time they were sold on the black market or out of the back of pickup trucks in parking lots.
One of our later and still popular fad collectibles is the Beanie Babies. First offered in 1983, Beanie Babies became famous in 1993 and are still very profitable as collectibles.
Of course, even some TV shows can become a fad. I remember, as a youngster in grade school, kids hurrying home to watch “Dark Shadows” – a late daytime soap opera featuring the vampire Barnabas Collins. My wife Vicki loved this show and I bought her the DVDs one year for Christmas.
As a very young kid, I loved the old Batman television series. When I see it now, I think it was cheesy and the special effects were cheap. But as youngsters, me and my friends loved watching it and talking about it at school. We even played it at recess. My friend, who was taller and heavier, was Batman; the skinny, shorter me was Robin, his sidekick. Yes, I know it’s laughable now to think about. But kids with imaginations can have so much fun.
Other TV shows or movies can help promote toys, clothing, music or other crazes.
Of course, clothing has had many fads and fashions. Those who grew up in the late 1960s and early 1970s can relate to some old fads. Bell bottom pants and platform shoes, and we loved it when the girls wore mini-skirts, halter tops and tube tops!
In every era there have been different clothing fads. Many of them make a return.
Hairstyles are also important to most of us. We went from short hair to letting our hair grow long in the 1970s. Over the years we’ve had flattops, crew cuts and the mullet (think Billy Ray Cyrus). The ladies in the 1980s probably damaged the ozone layer with all the hairspray they used on their big, teased hair. Perms were also a fad in other eras. A lot of people had the curly hairdos.
Both guys and gals want to fit in and usually will change their hairstyle to fit it. I was one of the last to let my hair grow out. I grew up with a crew cut. My dad was dead set against me letting it grow out until I rebelled in high school. I didn’t want to be the only guy with short hair left in school!
Types of music can be considered a fad and many songs had dances to go with them: the jitterbug, the twist, the electric or cha-cha slide, the hustle, the dougie and so many more. Of course country line dancing was a big fad and is still popular.
The hippie era gave us lava lamps, black lights, the peace sign and related posters and love beads.
No matter what decade you grew up in, you probably had certain fashions, toys or other crazy fads like streaking. I’m sure many of these fads or fashions bring back fond memories for you.
(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)