don't be dissin' on silly bandz. remember the junk you drug home?

Chances are there has been some debate, major or minor, going around your child's school over these: What are those, you ask? Have you been living under a rock, woman? They're SILLY BANDZ! And you know they're cool since the -s in bands has been replaced with a -z. Thatz what we do to any word we want to sound frezh.

I wonder what child in what state first decided to put one of these on his or her wrist?; and what other child thought that was a good idea and did the same thing?; and what poor third child's mother came home from the store with plain old rubber bands?...which were neither silly nor cool...nor bandz?

Anyway, there is a point to this, being that: since the beginning of time, or at least the beginning of capitalism, we, the consumers, have been encouraged to believe that if ONE is good, why not lots?

I'm 35. If you're anywhere around that age, chances are you lived through these "one good, lots better" fads.

I don't know that Strawberry Shortcake figurines were meant to be marketed as a "buy them all" product, but you can't give a 6 year old girl one strawberry scented doll and not expect her to also want the one that smells like lemons, and apples, and blueberries, and potatoes. (What?! There wasn't a Potato Shortcake doll? Well, there should have been! Potatoes have a lovely, earthy smell.)

How about these?--the fad of 1985-1987 (cue Miami Vice music here):

How many of us walked around with enough plastic bling around our neck that if we fell into water, we'd drown? Seriously, just looking at this photo--I owned half the charms on there.

Then there were the gumball football helmets. Maybe this one was just a local trend, but I checked every gumball machine in town trying to round out my collection....

Remember these?....

I bet your mom wouldn't let you bring them in the house because they were so disgusting. And your school wouldn't let you have them in class because they were so disgusting. And you were left to trade them under the monkey bars at recess like they were cocaine smuggled in from Colombia.

-

And then there was the scratch and sniff sticker phase...

Which was wonderful until they started to add scents like "old shoe" and "dirty sock" to the lineup.

I was too old when these were all the rage...

But I watched my niece go through it. She was like a little crazy person when McDonalds included them in their happy meals, calling every day to see if the newest one was being handed out yet. She had an entire room devoted to her collection of Beanies. Just FYI: she got married 4 years ago, and guess what she didn't bring into her newlywed home? Uh, yeah. :)

So, relax school districts! No need to ban anything. Today's Silly Bandz are tomorrow's Furbies (or insert other once coveted now obsolete toy in that spot). In the mean time--the economy could use any boost it can get. And if that means robbing 6-12 year olds of their stash of quarters in the frenzied, peer-pressure driven pursuit of disposable junk. Well....that's not so bad, is it? :)

Be honest: What junk did you drag home?