A list of curious fads
One: Women in Brazil have developed an obsession with life-like baby dolls—known as "reborn dolls":
Some of the so-called “reborn” dolls cry, suck dummies, pee, and have nails, eyelashes and veins. But what really sets them apart from traditional dolls with waxy, smooth complexion is their puckered features and blotchy skin. Blink and you could mistake the bundle in the stroller in Rio de Janeiro for the real thing.
Their owners tend to them as if they are real as well—change their diapers, take them on picnics—even give birth to them. The dolls—which date back to the 1990s—were originally intended as aids in grief therapy but have found new life as a creepy pastime in Brazil. South China Morning offers lots more images. Reuters has a seriously unsettling vid.
Two: Next on the list are water sommeliers—who taste, collect and appreciate bottled water exactly like fine wine:
They help to design bespoke water menus for restaurants; they judge contests in which bottled waters compete on taste, texture, and mouthfeel; and they collect bottles of tasteless water from icebergs that cost as much as $300... Some of them have even led Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick through a lengthy water-tasting class. Swishing, swirling, and slurping are par for the course in the fine water universe.
This is a global thing—with institutes in the US, Germany, Japan and Italy where you can train to identify the ‘terroir’ of mineral water. Bon Appetit sent its reporter down this strange rabbit-hole.
Three: This is the goofiest pastime on this list: Young Pitbull fans who wear bald caps in homage to their idol. Doesn’t sound all that weird except: “Pitbull mania is an outlier in terms of its outrageousness, its lack of obvious sex appeal and its uniformity. To wander among the Pitbulls feels like Halloween night, if Halloween had only one costume option and it was Pitbull.” Here’s a clip from his London gig—part of his current Party After Dark Tour. Imagine attending a concept where everyone looks like this! (BBC News)
For the full effect:
Bonus fact: We leave you with this very Gen Z fad—taking aesthetic photos of airport trays. Yup, the kind you load up when you go through security. We offer you this beauty but CNN has loads more.
