Remember when ... These fads, trends and crazes were huge

Fasten your seatbelts, cats and kittens, we're about to take a ride in the way back (and not-so-way-back) time machine, looking at the fads, trends and crazes of years gone by.

Take, for example, New Kids on the Block.

Back in 1990, the group of five teenage boys from Dorchester, Massachusetts created a frenzy among young girls, the likes of which hadn't been seen since The Beatles.

Janice Murphy, then 13, of Hampton, estimated she owned 500 New Kids posters, most attached to her bedroom walls and ceiling. Murphy estimated she had spent close to $2,000 on New Kids memorabilia. At the time she was interviewed, she had collected 30 pins, eight T-shirts, two sweatshirts and ticket stubs from the five concerts she went to.

But, musical teen idols weren't confined to the '90s. Others included David Cassidy, Rick Nelson and Elvis.

And, let's not forget the aforementioned Beatles.

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On Monday, Aug. 31, 1964, the British group consisting of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon were hiding in their hotel rooms, safe from the mob of screaming young girls who jammed Convention Hall in Atlantic City and the streets around it the night before.

Those 'must-have' toys

With apologies to Lady Gaga, musicians aren't the only thing Central Jerseyans have gone gaga over.

Take, for example, toys.

In the early '80s, Cabbage Patch Kids were in high demand.

In December 1983, more than 3,000 letters poured in to the Cabbage Patch Doll contest sponsored by The Courier-News and Shepard's Department Store. Here are some of the responses to why children wanted the hot commodity:

Lindsay Marie Canvesio, then 7, of Middlesex, wrote, "Dear Cabbage Patch Kid: I have been looking for you for a long time. I can't find you. So please find me. I know you're lonely. I love you and you need me. I will give you a good home. We will be happy together because we love each other."

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It wasn't just children who wanted to get their hands on a Cabbage Patch Kid to call their own. Adults wanted them, too.

Ginger Menza, of Lebanon wrote, "I want a Cabbage Patch Kid to give to my Mom. She really wants one for Christmas. Although she tries not to feel sorry for herself or complain about not having one, I can tell she really wants one. Seriously, my mom thinks I am writing this for myself. I do like Cabbage Patch Kids, but I would rather my mom have one than me."

The buying frenzy lasted about five weeks, but the demand for the dolls produced a six-month backlog in orders worth $300 million.

Hey Macarena!

Of course, no trend story would be complete without mentioning dancing, from the Twist to the Locomotion to the Electric Slide.

And who could forget the Macarena?

Back in 1996, the new dance craze that originated in Spain and spilled over from American dance clubs into the mainstream that summer, was huge.

For weeks, record-store managers at the Bridgewater Commons mall said cassette (remember those?) singles of the Macarena song had been the single-most requested item.

"It's out of control," said Gary Z., a former DJ and manager of Alwilk Records in Bridgewater. "I think it's going to be a standard because it appeals to every age group."

Z, using the stage name from his days as a DJ, said the Macarena had surpassed the Electric Slide line dance — which gained mass appeal in 1990 with a remix by Marcia Griffiths — in popularity.

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But, not everyone was a fan of the dance steps.

"It's a girlie dance," said Jeff Schweighardt, then 16, of Bridgewater. "I don't like to shake my booty."

Streaking

Looking for another fad? Keep your shirt on. Let's talk about streaking.

A rash of streaking —  the strip-and-zip craze sweeping college campuses nationwide — broke out in the New Brunswick area on Monday, March 4, 1974, when a group of 15 to 20 Rutgers men staged an X-rated cross-country race in the vicinity of the College Avenue quad.

That display was followed on Tuesday, March 5, 1974, with a run across the Cook and Douglass campuses.

"It was great," said Maryann Angiuoli, an 18-year-old Douglass freshman at the time. "About 20 guys came in streaking by Gibbons dorm and I ran out and watched them go by."

"I just hope they move very fast," said Dr. Joseph Drew, then the executive assistant for students affairs. "Basically, we are in the same situation we were in with panty raids."

Rock on

At Christmastime in 1975, the "Pet Rock" craze brought in the big bucks. In February 1976, an article looked at how, in Hopewell, Anne Packard and Peggy Hansen, searching for job openings in a newspaper, stumbled on the idea of offering their services as babysitters of "Pet Rocks."

Packard said she had received one 30-minute call from a man "who was very concerned about his rocks." She said the caller explained that some of his "pets" needed the best of care as they were psychologically disturbed.

"I said I wasn't sure I was up to handling rocks with such troubles but that I'd do my best," she said. "I told him I was a kind but firm sitter."

The women also offered help with rock weight problems through "a gentle rock tumbler," and a party service they termed "rock and roll catering." They were also considering the idea of rock portraits.

"It's certainly provided some humor," Hansen said, "and given people, including us, a little diversion. You might call the whole thing a great lead-in to an adventure."

Who shot J.R.?

And, who found themselves waiting to find out who shot J.R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, on the CBS show, "Dallas"? That answer was revealed in the long-awaited episode that aired on Friday, Nov. 21, 1980.

The answer (I don't think I'm ruining any surprises since the episode aired almost 42 years ago) was Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s wife's sister and his jilted mistress, played by Mary Crosby.

At the time, the episode apparently drew TV's largest audience ever, with an estimated 82 million viewers tuning in.

Here are some other notable fads and crazes:

• Silly Putty was introduced in 1949. During the next five years, 32 million units of the silicone clay would be sold.

• Thirty million Beanies — bill-less caps topped by spinning propellers — were sold in 1952.

• The first documented panty raid occurred in 1952 when 2,000 University of Missouri students rampaged through dormitories. The raids would continue through 1957. Occasional resurgences were held throughout the '60s and '70s.

• A seven-month coonskin-cap craze began in 1955, with Walt Disney's version of the Davy Crockett legend, starring Fess Parker in the title role.

What do you remember about these fads, trends and crazes, and what other ones do you remember? Visit This Week in Central Jersey History/Remember When at https://bit.ly/3IyzE1G.

Be sure to "like" the page, as well as leave your memories of these events! You can also email your memories to bwadlow@gannettnj.com, or click on the Comment button and share them there.

Brad Wadlow is a staff writer for MyCentralJersey.com. 

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Remember when ... These fads, trends and crazes were huge