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From Yo-Yos To Finger Skateboards: Rubbish Fads Of The 90s
Some things never devalue in coolness. Surfing is, after all these years, still king of cool. I mean, most sports wouldn't survive songs like 'Surfin' USA' and 'Wipe Out' fully intact. Fads in kids toys are a good counterpoint to cool: the Yo-Yo made its inexplicable comeback near the end of the 20th Century, only to be swiftly shot with both barrels by 'Walk (the Dog) Like An Egyptian', a cover of a Bangles song. This featured self proclaimed Yo-Yo expert 'YO-Hans' and became a whirlwind, number 48 UK Pop hit. Put more briefly, Surf Clothing is still cool. Yo-Yos aren't.
I'm unsure whether it was my generation or just something in common with all youth, but our later 90s toy trends really blew hard. BMX Bikes are worthy of significant credibility points. Now, I may have an issue with a twenty something hoping up and down on the top of one trying to do tricks, but it won't be a punchable offence. But if you want to make a piece of sports equipment uncool, the best way to do so is to miniaturise it. I mean, what? Some of my friends at school had these things. They're so stupid that I've begun to doubt my own memories: only a quick Google search verifies that these things actually did exist. Well, kids will official buy anything, I guess? And these things were a fad among teenagers? Couldn't these things have been an accessory with your sister's Ken doll for all everyone else knew?
This all came of the ever so slightly less ridiculous finger skateboard fad. But ultimately, it's all ammunition for the day when my friends turn to their kids and claim that modern toys lack the creativity of toys 'in their day'. I will make it my mission to point out how utterly ridiculous the toy fads of the nineties were to these people. At least stuff like Skate Shoes and full-sized skateboards had some kind of real-world usage (something proven by the fact that, while they're a little less popular right now, there's still plenty of people using them). Oh, Scooters are still absolutely stupid though.
Han Solo, PI
