Silly Bandz. These two words may elicit a number of responses which range from love to awe and amazement to disgust and absolute confusion. My response falls into the latter category. Admittedly, there are a number of things that I don't understand, such as artificial sweeteners, miniature golf, space travel or how Google always knows what I'm trying to type. But when it comes to Silly Bandz I am utterly, utterly perplexed.
We all know that one of the best things about the fall season is the establishment of a new wardrobe, the showcasing of fresh-from-the-store outfits and trends. I love it. Absolutely love it. The time of year when Grounds morphs into a walking catalogue, when I can go window-shopping between classes rather than online shopping during lecture - even though I have never done so. Now there are a number of fashion trends that I do not dare to even think about commenting on for fear of stepping on too many Ugg-clad toes. Oh, oops. I think I just went there.
My most recent fixation is wrist embellishment. I can't leave the house without at least three bracelets or I will feel naked and embarrassed all day. I'd like to think that many people share my fear of wrist exposure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that most people wear bracelets because they look good. Which they do. Some of them.
And while I'm sitting in class staring at the girl next to me, I notice a number of things. No. 1: Her handwriting makes mine look like that of a half-trained chicken. No. 2: I really like her dress and wish I hadn't worn jorts today. And No. 3: I am struck by the forcible closeness between her Chanel watch and these squiggly, brightly-colored bands - two entities never destined to be friends. I'm pretty sure quartz and synthetic rubber were never meant to be together.
After walking down the even more perplexing halls of Cabell Hall, taking in a smell that resembles the combination of cleaning supplies, lighter fluid and asbestos, I started wondering what the heck I was missing. What were these fun neon shapes that I had never seen and that I now did not understand? A friend of mine later informed me that the answer to this probing internal question was "Silly Bandz."
Let me begin my rant by noting that I am not decidedly anti-Silly Band. As a part of the Power Bead generation, I am very much in favor of multi-colored and excessive wrist embellishment. I look back on the days of wearing 12 differently hued Power Bead bracelets on my left wrist, and in spite of the perpetual tilt of my body to the left from the weight, my heart floods with fondness and nostalgia. That being said, there is a time and a place for every fad. That time is the 1990s and that place is the oversized seat in your fifth-grade homeroom.
Or maybe I'm wrong.
Primarily, I'm just confused by the role of the Silly Band in the lives of those outside middle school. Among children, Silly Bandz make more sense. In fact, they make a lot of sense. The variations in their shapes paired with the lightweight nature and portability make Silly Bandz the perfect trade-worthy collectible - and saves a substantial number of trees in comparison to Pok
Read More
Summer lovin’ had me a … blast?
By Madigan Wirkus | YesterdayJust like that, I have successfully rebooted my high school sweetheart into a seasonal sequel entitled “Summertime Fling.”
The great DoorList debate
By Charley Thomas | 3 days agoDespite its widespread use, DoorList has stirred mixed feelings among students.
‘I woke up sweating’: Sunday scaries at U.Va.
By Dana Douglas | 4 days ago"Sunday scaries" encapsulates the turmoil of waking up to a surplus of rapidly approaching due dates, weekly reset tasks and for some, debilitating “hangxiety” from a Saturday night spent on the Corner
