End Of An Era

Ever since graduating, my college roommate has a term he uses for when we get drunk like we used to in college. He calls it “college drunk.” Original, right?

Needless to say, I got “college drunk” on New Year’s Eve. I’m not really sure I’m too old for that kind of drinking, but I’m probably getting there. That being said, I was conscious enough early in the evening to make what I believe to be is a semi-interesting observation.

On my walk from the Subway to my apartment, I noticed someone wearing those 2009 sunglasses. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a look at the photo to the below to get an idea of it. As you’ll remember, these became very popular at the turn of the millennium, and there has been a version of them every year since. This was in Brooklyn at about 4:30 pm when I saw this guy, and while I was marveling at how much of a tool he must be, it occurred to me that this souvenir only works when the middle two numbers of the year are zero. But since this is 2009, we have to what Boys II Men referred to as the end of the road, and we will probably never see these glasses again. Sure they could go ahead and make the glasses again next year since 2010 features two zeroes, but they would be off center and probably look stupider than already do.

I have a lot of questions about these glasses. Who came up with them? How many have they sold over the years? Do people wear them outside of Times Square (I sure as shit hoe so)? What do they do with the excess inventory? Who are the idiots that wear them?

But as dumb as people look while wearing these glasses, I’m amazed they’ve stayed popular for a decade and I have to give credit to whoever came up with them. There is no way for me to be positive, but I have to think that since they probably cost about eight cents to manufacture, these glasses were a profitable venture. But after 10 years of glory, it looks like they’ll need to find their next great chachka invention. And I’m glad I’ll probably never have to see them again.