Anya Mocciolo ’27
Contributor
A Thankful Time Travel

This Thanksgiving is a great time to remember the gifts we have all received from the past decades. Join me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, beginning in the 1950s and ending in the present day. While you are chewing your turkey or tofurkey, let these facts be the gravy for your soul.

Hula Hoops (1950s). We are thankful for hula hoops, which have provided kids with endless hours of enjoyment, giving caregivers and teachers much needed breaks every day. Over 100 million hula hoops were sold in the first two years they were introduced, and the world record for hula hoop spinning is 100 hours.
Mom Jeans (1960s). We are thankful that high waisted “Mom Jeans” were invented. Without them, we wouldn’t have had the invention of their questionable counterpart: “Dad Jeans”. Dad Jeans gained popularity in 2009 when president Barack Obama wore them during a Major League baseball game.
Muscle Cars (1960s). We are grateful for gas-guzzling muscle cars. Without these beauties, we wouldn’t have known the true effects of burning that much fossil fuel. Fun fact: the 1986 Lamborghini LM002 got a whopping 7.8 miles per gallon.
Music (1970s). We are so thankful for music from the 1970s. Without today’s pop artists ripping it off, we’d have no current hits. Think (About It) by Lyn Collins has been sampled over 3000 times by artists including Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Katy Perry and Beyonce.
New Coke (1980s). We are thankful that “New Coke” was invented and totally bombed. Without that complete failure, they would not have brought back “Coke Classic” which is way better. The Coca-Cola company reintroduced Coke Classic just three months after the failure of New Coke. This immediately boosted their sales, but New Coke was not discontinued until 2002.
The Macarena Dance (1990s). We are grateful for the Macarena for all kinds of reasons, including the fact that it allowed those with no dance skills to crush it on the dance floor. We all needed a break from the Chicken Dance. The Macarena was ranked the number one Greatest One-Hit Wonder of all time in 2002.
The Harry Potter Franchise (2000s). We are thankful for the Harry Potter franchise, which has created a whole community of Potterheads around the world. And don’t try to throw shade on the movies — they made a profit of 5.6 billion.
Smartphones (2000s). We are thankful for smartphones, because without these chaotic devices, we wouldn’t collide into one another while walking head-down on campus. The average American spends at least 15 hours on their smartphone a day.
The Dress (2010s). We are thankful for the viral social media post “The Dress” which sparked a world-wide debate on whether the dress was white and gold, blue and black, or some other funky combination. While family dinners were ruined and friendships ended over this simple photo, it also inspired some pretty awesome studies.
And for the present day, we are thankful for the staff and faculty at Loomis Chaffee for all the amazing work they do. They are simply incredible.