We’ve all been subject to fads at some point in our lives. For some, it was pet rocks and mood rings. For others, it was polyester leisure suits and disco. For my generation, it was Rubik’s Cubes and legwarmers. (Of course, the legwarmers only covered the lower calf, so technically they should have been called lower legwarmers, but I digress.) Most of these fads were and are harmless. Except for Furbies. Those were just creepy, man. That was evil incarnate. Eventually, we get tired of the fad and move on with our lives.

With Barack Obama’s approval ratings falling like, well, like George W. Bush’s approval ratings, a thought struck me recently. Could Obama be a fad President?

To answer this question, we must examine the life cycle of a fad. For this purpose, I have broken the life cycle into five distinct parts.

1. Discovery – With every fad, there is a point at which only a select few know about it and think it’s cool. With some fads, like Crystal Pepsi, that number can be smaller than the number of police officers attending a speech by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. The power to influence culture at this point is minimal at best due to the lack of attention paid to the fad.

Although we know him as President Obama today (and some know him by his nickname “Stinky”), Barack Obama wasn’t that well known at first. He had moments of brilliance, such as being named the editor of the Harvard Law Review and a lecturer at the University of Chicago, but he was mainly known in Illinois. And in a state that boasts Michael Jordan, the Chicago Cubs, and deep dish pizza, it’s hard to get known.

2. Emergence – Eventually, though, the “little secret” gets leaked to more people, and the fad gets noticed more prominently. You know those ribbons you see on cars and lapels? That started back in the 1980s and has since grown to encompass numerous causes from breast cancer to supporting the troops. In fact, I saw a magnetic ribbon on the back of a car supporting the maker of magnetic ribbons for the back of cars. Once the fad starts to take hold with a wider audience, it gets noticed and fast!

One of the memorable moments of the 2004 Democratic National Convention was when Barack Obama gave a speech in prime time. Another one was when Michael Moore was allowed to sit next to former President Jimmy Carter for the convention. Never before had that much suckiness been contained in a single spot on Earth. Of course, this was pre-“Gigli,” so make of it what you will.

At any rate, Obama wowed the crowd and went from “little secret” to BMOC (Big Man Overtly Caucusing) with one speech. From there, the sky was the limit.

3. Saturation – Once a fad really takes off, everyone and their grandmothers get on board. And they tend to obsess over it more than Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction,” not to mention they’re just as deadly to pet rabbits. Take the tattoo craze, for example. At first, a handful of people got tattoos. Now, your grandmother can go into a tattoo place, get her ink done, and maybe get a couple of piercings while she waits. If for no other reason than to ensure Grandma Edna doesn’t start looking like she fell into a tackle box after hearing that she has a rare skin disorder that turns skin into Silly Putty, we need to put a stop to the tattoo craze.

Fortunately, Barack Obama isn’t as permanent as a tattoo, but he might be just as painful. When Obama announced he was running for President, he entered into the saturation phase. Everyone wanted to talk to the junior Senator from Illinois, including more than a few Republicans. Then, after he won the election and was inaugurated, Obamamania took off faster than the Concorde. You could buy almost anything with Obama’s likeness on it, including, I think, Obama earmuffs. Of course, those earmuffs are the size of large housecats, but still…

4. Decline – After a while, people get tired of a fad and start wondering what else is out there. Sometimes all it takes is something new and different to come out for a fad to end. The home video game craze is an example of this because with each new system that comes out, the previous systems get thrown on the ash heap of history.

Right now, this is where I think Obama is. He’s enjoyed incredible popularity, but now people are starting to wonder if the change he referred to in his speeches referred to the pocket variety. People who were proud to vote for him are starting to reconsider their decision and even actively speak out against him. With approval ratings sinking, a lot of Obama voters may be looking for the next big thing to get them past their Obamamania.

5. Self-parody – Once a fad has run its course, it may come back in the form of self-parody. Clothes are an example of this. Yesterday’s cool threads are often today’s funny Halloween costumes. When a fad gets to be popular in this vein, it’s considered kitsch and not really to be taken so seriously anymore.

If present trends continue, Obama may be on the road to Funkytown, and not in a good way. The more people get beyond the decline stage, the more people there will be to enter the self-parody phase, which doesn’t bode well for his legacy. Then, we’ll see “hope” and “change” become as dated and kitschy as “groovy” and “gnarly.” That leaves Obama’s legacy in the hands of Joe Biden.

In other words, Obama’s legacy will be doomed.

And that’s the Bottom Line.

Thomas Lindaman