Pet Rocks

Background

A “pet rock” was a collectible item that became wildly popular in the United States in the 1970s. Gary Dahl was the inventor of the pet rock; he was sitting in a bar in California in 1975, listening to his friends discuss the needs and annoyances of their pets. In response, he conceived the idea of a pet rock, which the owner would not have to bathe, groom, walk, or feed; the pet rocks could never become sick or be disobedient. Dahl joked that this would make them “perfect pets.”

Although he was merely making a joke at first, Dahl eventually began to take the idea of the pet rock seriously. He actually packaged pet rocks and sold them for almost $17 by today’s standards. He even wrote a 32-page instruction manual about caring for them, which spoke of the rock as if it was an actual pet. The manual described in detail how to discipline the rock, teach it simple commands, and potty train it. Obviously, the instructions were highly ironic and humorous in tone, like the product itself. The rocks were ordinary gray stones, but they were marketed and sold as if they were actual animals. They even came in boxes on a bed of straw, and there were breathing holes for their comfort.

In the span of about six months in 1975 and 1976, the popularity of pet rocks soared. Dahl sold 1.5 million of them and became a millionaire. The popularity of the pet rock eventually died down, but they remain collectors’ items for some people even today.

The pet rock remains an iconic example of a fad. A fad is a behavior that rapidly grows in popularity, and which many people adopt very enthusiastically for a short period of time. Unlike a trend, which can have a lasting impact on culture, fads are more fleeting in nature; they come and go quickly, and are often seen as somewhat ridiculous in retrospect.