For time immemorial, people have worn and appreciated the
fashions of their times, only to be ridiculed by successive generations for
their “awful” and “tacky” clothes, tastes, etc. This was true until recently,
when fashion designers learned they could make far more money and make far less
effort by simply tricking young people into wearing new versions of old,
recycled styles, like bell-bottoms, “skinny” jeans, etc. But up until recently,
slick swingers from any age would deck themselves out in the most fashionable
attire and accessories imaginable to look totally cool and cutting-edge, just
to be ridiculed by people in the future for how dated and ridiculous their
clothing looks.
So, given that there are fashions in clothing, accessories,
haircuts, etc., even in architecture and interior decorating and furnishings,
that always seem to go out-of-style and become passé, I was wondering if there
were natural landscapes that are tourist destinations that are fashionable for
a time, and then become gauche in successive periods. Like for example, you
know how the 1960s had many bright colors and natural, hippie fashions, only to
be succeeded and replaced by the synthetic and artificial fabrics and styles of
the 1970s? Well, what if people in the 1960s loved the open, natural,
brightly-colored expanses of the Grand Canyon, and later generations found it
to be garish and overblown and indulgent? Does this sort of thing ever occur?
I imagine people visiting the great redwood forests of Redwood
National and State Parks in California, and saying: “This is just a bunch of
big trees: who cares? Only stupid tree-huggers would be impressed by this, just
because these trees are too big to hug!” And then I imagine others saying stuff
like: “Look at all these bright, tacky colors! And it’s just a big hole in the
ground anyway. Really, what’s so special about this so-called ‘Grand Canyon’?
It’s just tacky! I can’t believe people used to like this thing; I’m so over it!” Or I imagine maybe someone else going to
see “Old Faithful”, and saying: “Wow, it just sprays some water up every
once-in-a-while? How boring! I guess back before video games and the Internet
this was pretty cool, but it’s just dull and lame now. Where’s the variation?
It’s just a one-trick-pony if you ask me. I can’t believe people used to think
this was cool! And really: ‘Old Faithful’? Talk about jejune! Maybe that was
cool back when people stayed married and stuff due to the social stigma of
divorce, but nowadays it just makes it sound like it’s stodgy and prudish
because no-one’s attracted to it, and it can’t get laid and ‘swing’ due to its
lack of options: loser.” But then they all think Niagara Falls is wonderful.
And then, in another few years, everybody’s taste shifts
again, and suddenly Niagara Falls has “jumped the shark”, and the natural
wonder and beauty of the Grand Canyon is hot and hip again, while people are
just moderately impressed by the “so-so” natural wonder of Yosemite National
Park. And so and so, with tastes varying down future generations just like with
clothing fashions. I wonder, does this actually happen?
