Dengler

Middle of winter, the pandemic is not ending. Being hunkered up, waiting for the vaccine to start normal life. It has been a while, and sometimes, longer than I thought. I’m praying to the heavens it is time to start up the super scientific analysis gizmo. I sit in my office chair waiting for thirty minutes. Long time to wait for a prayer to be answered in my opinion. At minute thirty-one, down from the heavens strikes a lightning bolt and appears the special device. It is time to play FAD OR NO FAD!

Let’s go to the 1980s. The first fad is home video game systems. Specifically, the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System. Classic video game systems which in today’s world do not stand a chance. Neither game system I have played. The closest I got to these systems is the Super Nintendo. From what I remember, the graphics were decent. If I were to play the Super Nintendo and these other game systems today, it would feel worse. These systems would compete for how few of squares can be used on screen. I never got a chance to play the all-time classics like Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros, or The Legend of Zelda. While one may think since these games have been redone, they deserve to be a fad. I am an originalist so NO FAD!

Keeping with the gaming theme, the next fad is the Rubik’s Cube. I never knew this colorful cube was named after the man who invented it, Hungarian Professor, Erno Rubik. This tricky little cube is impossible to solve unless you are the one who takes the time to do it or watch a five-minute tutorial video on YouTube. In college, I saw a fellow student solve a Rubik’s Cube in twenty seconds. Truly astonishing. My attempts consist of completing one side and then my brain hurts. Leading me to quit and do something much easier like sleep. This fad has never left the world’s cultural zeitgeist. This fad is still a FAD.

Time to leave the gaming industry behind, let’s rock n’ roll! The next fad from the 1980s are hair metal bands. I could not image performing a two hour long metal set with long hair. The sweat would be disgusting. This trend is peak 1980s, a defining feature. When I think of the 1980s hands, hair metal bands are the first topic on my mind. These bands can still be heard on the radio today. Unlike the music, the hair is long gone. With that being said, NO FAD.

Kadush. The super scientific analysis gizmo has turned off. Boom! And a lightning bolt took it back to the heavens. With that, this is the end of another edition of FAD OR NO FAD! Stay safe, wear a mask, and solve a Rubik’s Cube.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, podcaster, and farmer who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.