Further Reading
Abrams, M. “Pinup Boy.”Forbes, July 6, 1992, 73.
Flora, Carlin. “Fabio on Sex Appeal.”Psychology To-
day39, no. 3 (May/June, 2006): 112.
June Harris
See also Advertising; Fads; Publishing; Television.
Fads
Definition Widely popular but short-lived
fashions, entertainments, and products
The fads of the 1990’s represented diverse groups, includ-
ing alternative subcultures. The development of new tech-
nologies and communications channels enabled increased
interactivity in popular culture and helped promote and
market new fads.
During the 1990’s, popular music trends led to fash-
ion fads. Grunge, an alternative hard rock trend, was
a commercial success for bands like Nirvana, Pearl
Jam, and Soundgarden. The clothing and unkempt
appearance of the musicians inspired the rise of the
grunge fashion style in the early 1990’s. Adopted by
the youth subculture, this style included torn
stonewashed blue jeans, plaid flannel shirts, ripped
cardigans, Doc Martens shoes or boots, long hair,
and basketball caps. Complementing the grunge
style was the neohippie style of dress, such as bell-
bottom jeans and crocheted vests. Gangsta rap, a
form of hip-hop music, entered the mainstream and
led to a fashion craze characterized by baseball caps,
brightly colored and baggy clothing often worn
backward, and platinum necklaces or rings with
large gems.
Another music craze was a cheerful, bouncy, re-
petitive tune called “Macarena.” Released by the
Spanish band Los del Rio in 1995, it became a hit
song worldwide in 1996. The song and its accompa-
nying dance were major fads through 1997.
The most popular hair fad of the decade was “the
Rachel” hairstyle, introduced by Jennifer Aniston’s
character Rachel Green in the television sitcom
Friends in 1994. Women worldwide copied this
bouncy, layered, angled shag hairstyle. In the sec-
ond half of the decade, bleached hair was pop-
ular among high school and college students.
Another trend in personal appearance was the
waiflike look embodied by fashion models such as
Kate Moss. At the same time, piercings and tattoos
were part of the counterculture image. People
pierced and wore metal rings and studs in just about
any body part, including ears, noses, lips, tongues,
eyebrows, nipples, and navels. Formerly for rebels,
gang members, and outsiders, tattoos became main-
stream in the 1990’s.
Toys, Games, and New Technology One of the
most widespread and popular fads was Ty, Inc.’s
Beanie Babies, which were first released in 1993.
These stuffed animals had tags with their names and
birth dates and started a collecting frenzy. By 1996,
over 100 million Beanie Babies had been sold, and
in 1997, McDonald’s issued over 100 million with its
Happy Meals. Polly Pockets, small plastic dolls and
accessories, were favorites among girls. Originally
played with juice bottle caps in Hawaii, Pogs was the
most popular game among schoolchildren during
the first half of the decade. Rollerblades became
widespread in the early 1990’s.
The top fad and must-have children’s toy of 1996
was Tickle Me Elmo, based on the Sesame Street
muppet. When squeezed many times, the stuffed toy
would laugh and vibrate. Demand was so high that
they sold out quickly, and resale prices reached as
high as $1,500. The live-action television show
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which ran from 1993
to 1996, and the Power Rangers toys were both very
popular.
Many electronic toys and games became fads.
Created in 1996, Tamagotchi was a handheld digital
pet in a small egg-shaped computer with buttons for
selecting activities such as feeding or playing with
the pet. Similar to the Tamagotchi, Giga Pets were
virtual pets first released in 1997. Furby, an interac-
tive, furry robot with its own language, was the must-
have toy of the 1998 holiday season. In 1996, the first
Pokémon games were released as Nintendo Game
Boy role-playing video games.
During the 1990’s, the Internet became increas-
ingly popular as a fad and revolutionized business
and communications, as well as entertainment and
popular culture. The World Wide Web became avail-
able to the public in 1991, and by 2000 there were ap-
proximately 295 million Internet users.
Impact The fads of the 1990’s expressed the excit-
ing diversity of popular culture and gave voice to al-
ternative subcultures. At the same time, profitable
businesses and industries revolved around fads.The Nineties in America Fads 319