Fonseca Trending 09/28/21

Six More Things That Used to Be Great but Suck Now

Earlier this month, people were complaining on Reddit about things that USED to be great, but suck now . . . like YouTube before it had ads, and thrift stores before they got trendy and picked over. Then that Reddit thread went viral, so now even MORE things have been added. Here are a few good ones . . . 1. Concerts, because they used to be a lot cheaper. You could see major bands for 30 bucks. Now you can easily pay five times that for a decent seat. 2. Films. The writing sucks, and all the money goes to remakes and Marvel movies. 3. Make-up. It used to be fairly simple. Now social media makes it seem like you need a hundred different primers, creams, and contouring tools. 4. Fast food. It's never been good for you, but it's even more unhealthy now. A report just last week also said drive-thrus have gotten slower and less accurate. 5. The news in general. It seems like there's more bad news than ever. And everything's sensationalized, like it's the end of the world. 6. Theme parks. They're insanely crowded and expensive now. In 1981, a one-day pass to Disney World was $9.50. Adjusted for inflation, that's about $29 today . . . but the actual price in 2021 is $109 to $159, depending on when you go.

Pop Culture Costumes Rank #1 for Halloween Again This Year

Have you started thinking about Halloween costumes yet? Goodwill's annual Halloween survey just came out. These next few weeks are always their busiest time of year, because so many people shop for costumes there. Here are a few stats on Halloween plans and what people are wearing . . . 1. 74% of Americans plan to do SOMETHING for Halloween this year. 41% will hand out candy . . . 34% will dress up . . . 34% will decorate their home . . . and 24% plan to go to at least one Halloween party. That includes in-person and virtual events. 2. Costumes related to movies, TV, and pop culture are big again. 28% of people say their costume falls into that category. Paranormal things like witches, ghosts, and zombies are next at 25%. Then "unique, one-of-a-kind" costumes at 24%. 3. People doing D.I.Y. costumes were asked where they go online to look for ideas. The top answer was Pinterest, and YouTube was a close second. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ranked lower. 4. 73% of Americans say the pandemic will affect their plans again this year in one way or another. Only 32% expect it to affect their plans "a lot" though. The CDC director just said this week that trick-or-treating outdoors should be pretty safe, especially in small groups. Crowded parties are iffy though.

20 Dumb Questions for "Ask a Stupid Question Day"

Today is national Ask a Stupid Question Day. But do you really agree that "there are no stupid questions"? Here's a round-up of some of the dumbest questions people have Googled, or asked in online forums . . . 1. "If animals could talk, which species would be the rudest of them all?" 2. "What happens if you don't show up to a job interview?" 3. "Are there birds in Canada?" 4. "What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?" 5. "Should I tell my parents I'm adopted?" Also, a woman in a chatroom once asked, "How can I be sure I'm the real mom of my kid?" 6. "What happens if you paint your teeth white with nail polish?" 7. "Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one?" 8. "Can I eat my Himalayan salt lamp?" 9. "Why does the coronavirus hate us? What have we done to upset it so much?" 10. "If the world is going to end, should I buy, sell, or hold stocks?" 11. "Can I make a PlayStation 5 by linking a PlayStation 2 and a PlayStation 3 together?" 12. "I was bitten by a turtle when I was young. Can I still drink orange juice?" Someone responded to that one and said no, it will reactivate the turtle venom. 13. "Is an egg a fruit or vegetable?" 14. "Are skeletons real or made up?" 15. "Why are the holes in cats' fur always in the right places for their eyes?" 16. "Does looking at a PICTURE of the sun hurt your eyes?" 17. "If I ate myself, would I become twice as big or disappear completely?" 18. "Why isn't a cupcake a mineral?" 19. "Do inflatable dolls count as passengers in the carpool lane?" 20. "Why are there school?" That's how they phrased it . . . "Why are there school?"

It's National Neighbor Day: Only 51% of Us Trust Our Neighbors

It's National Neighbor Day. So here's a question: Whether you like them or not, would you say you TRUST your neighbors? A new poll asked over 6,000 Americans, and only HALF of us trust the people we live next to. 51% said they trust their neighbors . . . 17% said absolutely not . . . 22% aren't sure . . . and 10% said they either don't have neighbors nearby, or don't know them. The older you get, the more likely you are to trust your neighbors. Only 35% of people under 25 said yes, compared to 62% of people 55 and up. And where you live matters too: People in the South are the least likely to trust their neighbors. People out West are the most likely to trust them.

The Top 30 Things Kids Wish Were School Subjects

A survey asked KIDS between the ages of 6 and 11 what they would add as a new subject in school . . . and yes, video games did make the list. But so did a lot of other topics that you might not expect. The top response was a class on "How to be a YouTube star," which, in a way, could be considered an early business class. "How to look after pets" was #2 . . . followed by "How to cook my favorite meal" . . . and "How to be good at video games." "How to eat healthily" was #5, which is hard to believe, as is #6, "How to recycle." The rest of the Top 10 were: "How to be brave" . . . "How to cheer someone up" . . . "How to make people laugh" . . . and "How to be proud of myself." Others that made the Top 30 include: Looking after plants . . . making friends . . . telling a good joke . . . respecting other people . . . being a better listener . . . and how to make toast.

Today's Showbiz Highlights

1. R. KELLY was found guilty of all nine counts yesterday in his sex trafficking trial in New York. He's already looking at decades in prison, and he still has charges to face in Chicago and Minnesota. 2. WILL SMITH says his relationship with JADA PINKETT SMITH has evolved past monogamy. But, quote, "We have given each other trust and freedom . . . marriage for us can’t be a prison." 3. DEMI LOVATO saw a floating blue orb in Joshua Tree that they called a beautiful and incredible alien experience. This inspired their new Peacock series that comes out Thursday called, "Unidentified with Demi Lovato". 4. DAVID LETTERMAN crashed a Brooklyn Nets press conference, and asked KEVIN DURANT dumb questions like, "Why do people call you K.D.?" Kevin seemed a little annoyed when he answered. It's not clear if he knew someone was messing with him. 5. JAMIE FOXX wants to remake STEPHEN KING's "Misery", based on a weird interaction he had with fans. He spent an evening with a couple who won the opportunity in a charity auction . . . but it got weird. 6 The only main cast member who won't be back when "SNL" returns on Saturday is BECK BENNETT. Everyone else is staying. Also, Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman have been promoted from featured players to regular cast members. 7. According to newly-released data, Netflix's most popular shows include "Bridgerton", "Money Heist", and "The Witcher". Its most popular movies include "Extraction", "Bird Box", and "The Irishman". 8. An ED SHEERAN lookalike uses disguises out in public after too many crazy fan encounters. There are some perks though . . . he gets sent free stuff and gets into restaurants and clubs as a VIP. 9. A list of rock bands that have been used in "Jeopardy!" questions includes Metallica, Def Leppard, Nirvana, and Black Sabbath. 10. LEE BRICE says his wife Sara is turning into quite the songwriter. She's written 150 songs in the past couple of years, including JANA KRAMER's recent single, "Voices".