Money See, Monkey Do....FINAL!

Have you every questioned why fads and trends occur? Most likely you haven't bothered to worry about it. As a society, when it comes to what is the latest thing to wear or the coolest word to say, the majority of us either jump right into the loop of things or take a convicting stand as to why we choose otherwise. Surprisingly enough, there is a term for this behaviour known as the bandwagon effect. The bandwagon effect is when people choose to follow others without thinking over their actions. The bandwagon effect grows as more people join on and eventually can lead to something huge (Smith). Effects can be positive, such as a movement to stop global warming, or negative, such as the numerous people who believed in Hitler’s ideas of eradicating the Jews.

Dr. Seuss's story, “King Looie Katz”, has succeeded in demonstrating how a bandwagon effect can be started and how it can end. In the story, the King of Katzen-stein, King Looie, decided his tail was too lovely to drag on the ground. Thus he ordered another kat, Fooie, to hold up his tail. Fooie, upset with his tail dragging on the ground, ordered another cat to hold up his tail. This charade caught on and spread, until all the katz were holding onto one another’s tails. The last kat, being the only one left with his tail dragging on the ground, decided that this was very unfair and so he threw down the tail he was holding. This then continued until all the katz were no longer holding anyone's tail, other than their own. This story, regardless of being fiction or intended for children, tells a very real and common story, of how one cat carelessly following another can create a much bigger affect. It is then easy for one to see how the plot from the story can be related to many real-life situations, whether in the fashion industry, in social networks or even among children’s toys. “The bandwagon effect happens on almost every level of human interaction,” (Smith).

Looking at a very popular social-network known as Facebook, it is clear that there are many similarities between the story of “King Looie Katz” and this website. In Dr. Seuss’s story, Fooie who was the kat, told to hold Looie's tail, didn't really object or question him. Was this because of Looie's authority, his influence upon the people of his city? Avril Autopsy, a regular Facebook user says “I felt pressured into opening my Facebook account. All those invitation emails and questions from friends pushed me to set up my profile. When I didn't have my account I felt out of the loop and I wasn’t invited out as much. Facebook allows me to see what everyone is up too and to add myself into the picture.” Feelings of acceptance are vital to humans as we constantly need reminders of importance to others such as family and friends. Perhaps the reason the katz followed King Looie was because they didn't want to feel left out, or punished. But how was it that the tail-holding caught on so fast? Avril says “I first started to notice Facebook when invitation emails began filling up my inbox.” Facebook allows you to import all of the contacts in your address book into invitation emails, that way you can inform everyone you know in a matter of seconds, this being “one of the most powerful viral marketing strategies” (Newton). Similarly, the katz in Katzen-stein most likely used some form of communication to spread the word or otherwise just made the other katz aware by visual advertisement.

In fashion, the bandwagon effect is almost always present. Many fashion trends become popular after people see them on a celebrity or someone that is admired. People such as Jesse Jackson, Reggie Jackson, and Michael Jackson were well-known in the 1970's, not only being noted as media icons, but also for the fashion statement they made with their hair; the afro. The hairstyle was symbolic to the Black consciousness movement, as it represented “a shift away from the "conservative" peace movement of the civil rights era to the more aggressive, militant expression of Black power” (Badfads.com). In “King Looie Katz”, the king was the figure that every cat looked up to. If it had been an ordinary kat other than the king, that had asked Fooie to pick up his tail, chances are, the bandwagon effect would not have taken place. Usually, fashion items that begin fads are around long before they’re made well-known. The bandwagon effect allows something that would normally go unnoticed to be appreciated by all. Perhaps King Looie allowed the katz to realized the importance of taking care of their tails and therefore taking care of themselves.

Another fad, which has become popular again in today's date, is Chuck Taylor's Converse. First made in 1917, Converses only became extremely popular in the 1980s when the famous basketball player, Chuck Taylor adopted them as his preferred shoe. After this was established, billions of pairs were sold worldwide. Despite the cheap rubber and canvas material, people pay approximately $70.00 per pair, and buy many styles. This is another example of how a bandwagon effect, because people jumped on the Converse Wagon, without thinking about whether the shoes were actually worth the money.

Bandwagon phenomenons regularly occur in the toy industry. During the 1980's, Cabbage Patch Kids were immensely popular. Each doll came with their own birthday, adoption papers, and birth certificate, being unique and one of a kind. In the year of 1985, they sold over $600 million in record sales (Patten). On a smaller, but just as odd scale, Pet Rocks also seemed to hit it big with the kids in the '70s. In fact, the original rocks were just ordinary gray stones, brought from store, and marketed as live pets. Other similar phenomenons took place with Raggedy Ann Dolls (1910's), Mr. Potato Head (1950's), Beanie Babies (1990's) and Barbies (first launched in 1959) (Hoffman). But what made these toys so popular? What made each child want to have one? Similarly, what made the cats want to hold up another cat's tail?

These examples all relate to the bandwagon effect. Many times, people follow others by word of mouth. The katz in Katzen-stein held up another kat'z tail simply because someone told them to. Since everyone was doing it, they felt that they should do it too. In retrospect, parents of the 80's, or any generation for that matter, were most likely following the trend of the time by observing and listening to what other people had to say, or perhaps because someone had told them to. Most people aren't too keen to buy something, or follow something that isn't popular or valued highly by the majority. However, when people hear good things or see other people with a certain product, they feel more comfortable to jump on the bandwagon. In essence, there's a comfort in large numbers and this follows through not only with the katz in Katzen-stein, but with the toy industry as well.

The bandwagon effect is clearly displayed in Dr. Seuss’s, “King Looie Katz”. The katz in the book began the bandwagon effect by jumping on without considering their actions or the consequences. They didn’t consider that they would be holding a selfish cat’s tail in front of them, without a real fundamental purpose. Most likely the katz in the book were afraid of being singled out. They all admired their king and followed him because he was important and held authority. They saw every other cat doing it, so they did it too. The only way this bandwagon effect could end was if one person realizes the negative aspect and chooses to speak up about it. It is very easy for us to take these points and see how they are present in our everyday lives, whether it takes place in fashion, toys, or hobbies. Perhaps if we take the time to ask ourselves why it is that we are taking part in these activities or agreeing with someone or even buying that toy, we will notice how we have been absorbed into these trends and fads. The kat in Dr. Seuss’s story who chose to throw down the tail he was holding was not really important, he didn’t hold much authority and he didn’t spread the word so everyone could hear his choice. He simply did what he felt was right and what he felt would benefit him. It doesn’t take someone with power to create change, it just takes one person or one kat to choose to do something for themselves.