The 1930s were full of crazy fads. One was the zoot suite, it made the man wearing it look like a gangster. Betty Boop could be seen on pretty much anything in this time. Monopoly among other board games became very popular. Miniature golf became more modern and was very popular among celebrities. The drive-in theater started and immediately became a huge success. Wearing hats was a must for all well dressed men. Gambling became big because people were poor and needed anyway they could to make more money. People were using the zipper for the first time since it was cheaper than buttons. With the help of President Roosevelt, stamp collecting was started since people didn’t have much money to spend on more leisurely items. Stickball was played by children. It’s a game like baseball but with a stick and in the street. Stoop ball was popular before the Second World War. This was more for inner city kids and was a game where you threw a ball up the stoop or staircase from outside. Hood ornaments were little metal designs that you would place on the hood of your car. Wing tipped shoes were popular during this era. These are shoes that had a dark colored trim or wing tip. Horseracing started becoming legal in more states at this time. Interest in spectator sports such as baseball grew. The Negro League was at a high in this time too. Goldfish swallowing was a popular American school fad where the kids would swallow live goldfish. Some slang words were Boondoggle meaning a project that wastes time and money, and G-Man which was short for government man such as FBI agents.
I think these fads were pretty crazy and not something I would do today. Most of these fads were something you could get for cheap or even free because of the Great Depression. These fads didn’t seem to stick long especially once the economy recovered. You defiantly don’t see most of these fads today. The few around today would be mini golf, gambling, stamp collecting, and the zipper. Many of the fads died off like most do.
zoot suite
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864526/posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1930s_fads_and_trends
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