It seems that sometimes, the cool kids suddenly decide that something is no longer the “in” thing, and then everyone jumps on the bandwagon. I’m not necessarily defending any of the offending items or fashions, but the ostracism for wearing those looks, or owning those items confuses me.
Why, for example, did the mullet become such an object of derision? It was an interesting haircut for it’s time, and really no worse than some of the other suffering for fashion looks we have all done, but it seems to be a dividing line between the haves and the have-nots.
It seems like a not-so-subtle part of the unspoken class war in the United States. When you have a lot of disposable income, you can cycle through things, clothes and looks as easy as breathing. When you are concerned about feeding your family, you can’t worry if your sneakers aren’t up to snuff, or how people may scoff at a hairdo that is “so last week”.
Just typing that phrase kind of pissed me off. If you can afford to throw away perfectly good items because they are no longer in fashion, why not be happy for yourself instead of looking down your nose at those who can’t just remodel a kitchen because someone decided that stainless steel was the only acceptable type of appliance? Mark my words, by the way…stainless steel will one day be the avocado or harvest gold appliances of the future. And who cares? If it keeps the food cold, be happy.
The bandwagoneers, the keeping up with the Joneses folks, are the most vicious of them all. They love to point out supposed flaws in the style of those who either can’t ot simply won’t follow passing phases. And isn’t what they are saying, basically, ha ha, you have less money than me? If you still have the much- maligned mullet, you don’t have the money to be at the hairdresser or barber all the time, or worse, you aren’t caught up in the game. How dare you not keep up with what the cool kids demand?