People Explain Which Unexpected Items Gained Popularity Out Of Nowhere

People Explain Which Unexpected Items Gained Popularity Out Of Nowhere
Wow Surprised Amazement - Free image on Pixabay

Picture it: My junior high school, circa 2003. Rocawear is the "cool" clothing of the year. The more ridiculous and ostentatious their monogrammed items, the better. I even had a classmate who dubbed herself the "Fashion Police" and who took her role very seriously... she was dressed to the nines herself and she had a critical eye (and words) for everyone else. Naturally, my mother thought this fad was ridiculous. Long story short: I never owned anything from Rocawear and fast forward a year and all of those jackets were probably locked in trunks and stored in attics nationwide because I never saw another after 2004.

After Redditor melvin2898 asked the online community, "What unexpected thing became popular out of nowhere?" people took us on a trip down memory lane.

"Recently I did see..."

I remember Polly Pockets were really popular when I was a little kid, every one had at least one, and then suddenly they just vanished. Recently I did see some commercials for them though. Also, those weird little squishy animals that were in the plastic balls, me and my friends loved those things, but they also disappeared and I don't even remember what they were called. Also, LoL dolls are super popular for no reason now, my little cousin is obsessed with them.

Obscurity3

"I didn't know what that thing was..."

Furby. The original one, not the new one with digitized eyes.

I didn't know what that thing was as a kid, but you better believe as soon as I saw it, I wanted it.

tamedreckless

"If you could do more than one trick..."

Yo-Yos. When I was around 11/12ish they suddenly became the thing to have. The more ball bearings and flashy lights the better. If you could do more than one trick you were god of the playground. I also remember them getting banned in school.

StarryStareyNight13

"I walked into a store one day..."

"Timberland" work boots. I walked into a store one day to purchase a new pair of yellow boots and come to find out they're all overpriced designer fashion now. Apparently they're still good to use as work boots but I'm not that interested in paying the trend premium.

Mitoria

"...the whole thing sounds completely ridiculous..."

QAnon, the whole thing sounds completely ridiculous but the number of people that believe in it is even more ridiculous.

mdoktor

"One day life is normal."

Beanie Babies. One day life is normal. The next day they're everywhere, and people are brawling for specific ones.

Coygon

"When I grew up..."

Portland, Oregon.

When I grew up, I had to explain to people outside of the West Coast where Oregon even was or how to pronounce it. Everyone said Or-EE-gone. Now Portland is a minor hipster mecca and a political lightning rod.

MonkeyCube

"So many other..."

Zoom. So many other video call/chat services out there, but as soon as quarantine starts everyone is using Zoom, which I've never heard of beforehand.

Bri_Bri_The_Guy

"I remember when I was growing up..."

Champion and Tommy Hillfiger. I remember when I was growing up TH and Champion were some of the cheaper and 'uglier' clothes my parents bought me. Now they are super popular and I have to say that I like what they have now.

SpookySandling

"Nobody here really pays any attention..."

K-pop (in America). Nobody here really pays any attention to foreign music of any kind, then Psy drops Gangnam Style and suddenly Korean boy bands are outselling domestic artists in a country who's audience doesn't even speak the language they're singing in.

Bryant-Taylor


Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

People Share Their All-Time Favorite TV Sitcom Couples

Silhouette of a couple kissing
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Among the many reasons people watch, and rewatch, sitcoms is to imagine your life was more like the one you were watching.

Being able to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village on a line cook's salary, somehow always having the comfortable sofa available at your favorite coffee shop whenever you pop in, or having your best friends always available at your beck and call whenever you need them.

For the romantics, however, it's wishing you could have a romance like you've seen on television.

True not all sitcom romances are exactly the sort that makes you go all aflutter (Were Ross and Rachel actually on a break? And don't even get me started about Ted and Robin.)

Other sitcom couples are so captivating, though, that we would have given anything to be at their wedding... or at the very least go to their home for dinner every Friday.

And this includes plutonic couples, as there is nothing more heartwarming than a lasting friendship.

Keep reading...Show less
sitcoms

People Divulge Their Biggest 'I F**ked Up' Experiences

a woman with her hands on her face
Photo by Kier in Sight on Unsplash

As an editor, I am not just in charge of proofreading and correcting style and format. I am also in charge of making sure all the contact information provided, such as phone numbers and emails, work.

After working for 10 hours straight a few months ago, I forgot to check the phone numbers and let a brochure go to publication with a phone number that did not work.

Luckily, a similar mistake had actually happened before with another editor for another client a year prior, so contact info on print materials like this brochure were checked by every department rather than just editorial, and the mistake was caught.

Since I didn't know this, when I heard the phone number was wrong, my heart dropped to my stomach and I thought I was sure fired. Luckily, I was just told to make sure this never happens again. I was relived that there was no fallout, but when I first heard what happened, my only thought was. 'I totally f**ked up!'

Redditors are no strangers to this feeling, as they've made egregious mistakes themselves. They are only too eager to share their experiences.

Keep reading...Show less
mistakes

People Break Down The Absolute Biggest Ways To Waste Your Money

A black and white photo of a seemingly distressed man holding a stack of 20s to his forehead
Travis Essinger on Unsplash

With the world's finances the way they are, it's a miracle if people can save their spare change.

Inflation has a stronghold on too many people.

Sometimes it feels like just breathing can cost you money.

It's hard to make and absurdly easy to lose.

So be vigilant with your wallet.

And try to spend on certain things in moderation.

Going out for meals three times a day adds up.

Even with Wendy's value menu.

Keep reading...Show less
money

People Debate Their All-Time Favorite Pasta Shapes

Freshly cooked rotini pasta noodles
Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov on Unsplash

We all have strong opinions about something, but when we think of opinions, we often think of hot button topics like political subjects.

But as it turns out, sometimes we can have just as strong of opinions of our preferred types of pasta.

Keep reading...Show less
favorite food