Urban Lifestyle
[A] These days, urban lifestyles seem to change very fast. It is more than just clothing and hairstyles that are in style one year and out of date the next; it’s a whole way of living. One year people wear sunglasses on top of their heads and wear jeans and boots; they drink white wine and eat sushi at Japanese restaurants; for exercise they jog several miles a day. However, the next year everything has changed. Women wear long skirts; people drink expensive water from France and eat pasta at Italian restaurants; everyone seems to be exercising at health clubs. Then, suddenly, it has changed again. Men shave their heads and wear earrings; people wear only natural fabrics (safe for the environment); they drink gourmet coffee and eat Thai food; for both leisure and exercise, they go inline skating.
Fads
[B] Almost nothing in modern life escapes the influences of fashion: food, sports, music, exercise, books, slang words, movies, furniture, places to visit, even names to go in and out of fashion. For a while, it seems that all new parents are naming their babies Heather, Dawn, Eric, or Adam. These names are “in”. Then, suddenly, these same names are “out”, and Tiffany, Amber, and Jason are “in”. It’s almost impossible to write about specific fads because these interests that people enthusiastically follow can change very quickly.
The Essence of a Fad
[C] This is the essence, the central quality, of a fad: it doesn’t last long. Some fads disappear before we have all even heard of them. How many people remember Green Peace swimsuits? (They changed color to indicate polluted water). And then there was “Beethoven Bread.” Popular in Japan in 1994, it was expensive - $20 for one loaf. It was made while classical music played in the kitchen. The woman who created this bread emphasized that “bread doesn’t like rock music.”
The Reason for Fads
[D] What causes such fads to come and go? And why do so many people follow them? Although clothing designers and manufacturers influence fads in fashion because they want to make a profit, this desire for money doesn’t explain fads in other areas, such as language. For example, why have English-speaking teenagers in the past twenty-five years used – at different times – the slang words groovy, boss, awesome, rad or tubular instead of simply saying “ wonderful”? According to Jack Santino, an expert in popular culture, people who follow fads are not irrational; they simply want to be part of something new and creative, and they feel good when they are part of an “in group.” Dr. Santino believes that fads are common in any country that has a strong consumer economy – for example, Britain, Japan, Germany, and the United States. However, due to TV and the Internet, fads are now common worldwide and spread very fast. Increasingly, they seem to begin in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea.
Fads and Trends
[E] Dr. Santino points that it’s sometimes difficult to see the difference between a fad and a trend. A fad, he says, lasts a very short time and it is not very important. A trend lasts much longer. A recent trend is the interest in good health, but many fads come from this trend: aerobic exercise, kickboxing, special diets, cholesterol counting, organic vegetables, and the like. A trend in the 1980s was the use of personal computers; certain computer games were fads. However, these days we can’t really continue to call computers a “trend” because now they have become an essential part of everyday life.
Trendspotting
[F] Trendspotting is the ability to identify a trend at an early stage – an extremely important skill in the business world. The first company that can correctly identify a new trend (and do something with it) has a competitive stage – an advantage – over other companies. The person who founded the Starbucks chain of coffeehouses was able to spot a trend – interest in quality and variety in coffee. Today, people buy Starbucks products in shopping centres, airports, and supermarkets everywhere. But when a development in popular culture is new, it’s difficult to distinguish between a fad and a trend. Trendspotters need to ask themselves: will this become an important global trend, or is it just a passing fad? People who invested their funds in Green Peace swimsuits probably regret their decision. Clearly, they mistook a fad for a trend.
I. Sometimes the definition is clearly stated in the reading, so it’s easy to determine. Sometimes you need to make an inference about the meaning. Look back at the reading passage to find the meaning of each of these words. Give a definition or a synonym – either one from the reading passage or in your own words. Do this exercise without a dictionary. (Letters in parenthesis indicate paragraph.)
lifestyles (A) fads (B)
essence (C) profit (D)
slang (D) trend (E)
trendspotting (F) competitive edge (F)
distinguish (F) enroll (G)
II. Say whether it is true or false:
III. Circle the number of the one main idea of the reading selection:
IV. What are some fads these days? Are these fads part of any trend? To help you answer these questions, fill in this chart. Then compare your chart in small groups and discuss your answers.
| Clothing | Hairstyles | Food | Music | Activities |
V. Answer the following questions or find the answers in the text:
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