"Normalizing"

I agree with Kelsey's previous post.  We have entirely forgotten where countless items, ideas, sentiments, etc, came from, as eventually, everything has and will become normalized in society.  I will have to admit, I am one who helps normalize certain trends, as I believe most of us our.  I subscribed to the "skinny jeans" trend when they were normalized.  Prior to the style becoming normalized, I would see a few select peers wearing them and thinking of how offset the trend was, and would have never imagined myself subscribing to the look, but as it became popular, it seemed natural and almost second nature.  We often lose focus of originality when things are normalized into society, disregarding authentic value and sentiment.

This forces many who refuse to become a norm, to constantly push the envelope to create a new version of "different" to stay ahead of the masses.  You could most definitely say that these trend setters are postmodern thinkers.

While I cannot recall the name of the program, I have seen a few episodes of a show that reveals the meaning or origin of certain object or ideals.  For example, I saw an episode where the host traveled the world to find the origins of different manners of tattoos.  There are so many different forms of tattoos and meanings behind each form and type.  Without watching that program, I may have never known the origin of such a popular trend amongst Americans.

While normalizing is not always a negative ideal, it is important that we educate ourselves on what surrounds us, and on what we choose to stand for, before we subscribe to the trend.