Posted on 10/28/2005 8:56:05 AM PDT by Cagey
When Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG bracelets appeared out of nowhere a few years ago, the campaign was a classic win-win: The Tour de France champion and testicular cancer survivor's yellow band raised tens of millions of dollars for cancer research -- while improving the karma of a nearly equal number of consumers. And then, practically overnight, charity transformed into must-have fashion accessory. Take a short walk down Market Street in San Francisco today, and you can find orange and green silicone bracelets that say SAN FRANCISCO, tie-dyed ones with the words PEACE and GROOVY and less tasteful items stamped with PLAYBOY and UP YOURS -- all of the above benefiting nothing more than the opportunistic companies that printed the 10-cent rubber bands and jacked up the price to $3. Which brings us to the following question, one that can be custom-ordered and printed at several create-your-own-wristband Web sites: IS EVERY GOOD IDEA With fads spreading faster than ever in this media-consuming culture, we've managed to screw up just about everything that was once cool. Over the years, overexposure has systematically ruined the black "in mourning" symbol on basketball jerseys, the shouting of "Free Bird" as a rock-concert request and practically every line of dialogue from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite." Even the AIDS ribbon reached the saturation point in the 1990s -- "Seinfeld" devoted an entire episode to making fun of its ubiquity. Remaining up-to-date without getting left behind has become nearly a full-time job for consumers, who never know when the latest trend will be hijacked by every middle-school kid in America. Ideas that were good for dozens of years can become passe practically overnight. The toga party was cool for more than 20 centuries, right up until "Animal House" came out in 1978. IN HISTORY DOOMED TO OVEREXPOSURE?
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Does JFK still have his on?
Never even heard of it. never owned one of those bracelets either.
Whenever I see someone with one of these wrist bands on them I immediatly think "idiot".
'Bout as silly as all those ribbons the stars wear at every Oscar ceremony.........This one's for AIDS AWARENESS, This one for Human Rights, This one's for wiping my butt properly..........
Had a co-worker show off his Livestrong band. I pulled back my sleeve, showed him the Rolex and said "Livewell."
You haven't missed a thing.
This is News?
My wife and I got two Live Strong wrist bands from a donation made as a gift in our name. We hadn't worn them, when we saw Kerry sporting his ours went in the trash.
This week was D.A.R.E week at my kids' middle school. On Monday, teachers gave these bracelets out with D.A.R.E. printed on them. The trash cans were full of red rubber bracelets. The kids don't even like them.
me too! My nephew had a half dozen on. Looked like an absolute fool.
Did you hit the abuse button?
My 9 year old daughters love them.
Do y'all remember SLimbaugh's 'solution' to the ribbons? They were presented as evidence of 'caring' so he folded a $100 as evidence that he cared more. I wore mine proudly.
I caught you a delicious bass. Wanna play me?
I was thinking about Wag the Dog - where ribbons were old news so they started the trend of throwing tennis shoes up in trees for "Old Shoe" and then got sponsorship from the shoe companies.
I think it's a very funny and very sweet movie. And besides, girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.
Have you taken it off any sweet jumps?
Vote for me...and all your wildest dreams will come true.
I went ahead and added it to my netflix list. I'm so behind the times. I just found myspace.com this week, and I got hipped to it by the friggin catholic church. I'm so ashamed.
I think your "idiot" comment zoomed over alot of heads.
Pedro: Do you think people will vote for me? Napoleon Dynamite: Heck yes! I'd vote for you. Pedro: Like what are my skills? Napoleon Dynamite: Well, you have a sweet bike. And you're really good at hooking up with chicks. Plus you're like the only guy at school who has a mustache.
Probably not, nothing to gain from it.
Club Baby Seals. ROTFLLC
I hope the fad last a few more months. I've got a bunch of them for my Cub Scouts for Christmas that say Scouting...Timeless Values
I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.
I agree, all you need to do to support any worthwhile cause is to volunteer your time or send a check. I never had patience for idiots advertising their support for one cause or another. It is very fashionable to "look" like you support something only to completly forget and move on to the next big thing once that next big thing comes along.
She says she doesn't want you here when she gets back because you've been ruining everybody's lives and eating all our steak!
Gently funny movie. No language, no violence, no sex. Rent it.
Knock it off, Napoleon! Just make yourself a dang quesa-dilluh!
Pedro offers you his protection.
You'll be glad you did. Always and forever.
Watched Napolean with my kids. It's hilarious! I bought some camouflaged "Support Our Troops" bracelets from Military.com.
I'm wearing it now. It doesn't make me feel superior or anything.
I ruined those for a strict Baptist friend when I asked him if it meant "We want Jack Daniels". He said he couldn't look at one afterwards without thinking about that.
This sort of advertisement of one's gifts to charity just strikes me as tacky.
You're just mean! ;-P
Pogs....kewl!
Good post.
Where's this author been? Those things have been overused for months now.
LOL, that fad didn't last long.
Vote for Pedro
"I'm wearing it now."
I have two of the rubber band bracelets. One camoflage one that says Victory and the other is blue and the $1 went to the Katrina relief fund through a local convience store chain. I probably won't wear the blue forever but I will wear the camo one until our soldiers all come home.
"I think your "idiot" comment zoomed over alot of heads."
No, it was just ignored, as it should be.
I thought that movie was mostly lame, until LaFawndah came to town and turned Kip into a playa.
"I have two of the rubber band bracelets. One camoflage one that says Victory and the other is blue and the $1 went to the Katrina relief fund through a local convience store chain. I probably won't wear the blue forever but I will wear the camo one until our soldiers all come home."
I'm with you, band brother :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.