2013 W.A.R. List (Part 1)

The year 2012, for me, was all about extremes and excesses.   It was the year of going overboard on a lot of things.   This year, I want to start my annual W.A.R. list differently with the Retire portion to help refresh our memories on 2012’s exaggerated retirables. 

1.     Gangnam Style – This doesn’t really need much explaining.  With over 1 billion views on YouTube, this was 2012’s top record-holder for excessive behavior; not only for number of YouTube views but quite possibly for number of times played in Christmas parties.  You know it’s bad when the kumbacheros who sing in Filipino restaurants already have this in their repertoire, together with the standards, “Besa Me Mucho” and “Unchained Melody”.

2.     Blaming the past Administration – Another thing we kept on hearing over and over and over again was how the present government couldn’t seem to move on with the task at hand without having to first lay the blame on the previous Administration.  I mean, I think we all get how bad and corrupt the old regime was already.  Can we now please just please focus on making hay while the sun shines in the Philippines?  “Tama na, sobra na, palitan na” ang theme ng mga speeches.

3.     Ultra-slim ties (below 2.5 inches) – There is a difference between a tie and a rope.  Once you can’t tell anymore, then that just means you’ve paid too much for leftover fabric.  For me, a tie should not be narrower than 2.5 inches on its widest part.  The ideal is 3 inches wide on the widest part.  2013, though, will see the return of the slightly wider 4-inch ties, thanks to “Suits” (more about this new TV show in the Acquire section).

     4.     Overly distressed (i.e. ripped) jeans – Distressed jeans are not the same as ripped.  Distressed, when done right, look downright cool.  But, there is simply no justification for buying brand new ones already ripped to the point of having massive holes and shredded portions. 

     5.     Prints & patterns – We saw some loud   prints and patterns on men’s shirts last 2012 and all I can say is that they were best kept on the runway.  No one can pull off a hound’s tooth printed dress shirt… no one! 

 

       6.     Oversized watches – Apart from the real risk of getting Carpal 
            Tunnel Syndrome, wearing these clocks (yes, not watches) on your wrist makes you look like
            a tailor or a seamstress who wear pin cushions on their wrists.  Not even James Bond, with all
            his gadgets, wore a watch that looked more like a sundial with a strap.

7.     Gold – Gold did make a brief comeback last 2012.  But, the reality is that this color has very select applications for men; mainly only for watches.  If you bought (and wore) gold jewelry last year, pawn them and use the money to buy an iPad Mini or the iPhone 5.  They’re more practical.

8.     Oversharing – Twitter and Facebook were very active in 2012; especially as the world braced itself for the December Apocalypse.  For many, this meant using social networking to let everyone in on how they felt and what they did minute-by-minute.  Now that we all know that Mother Earth is going to be around for much longer, can we please chill and think before we post?

9.     Ryan Seacrest – That irritating grin, the wannabe-witty-but-often-not remarks, for being a poor Dick Clark substitute and (worst of all) for producing the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” reality show… 2013 television we could be better if we saw a little less of Ryan Seacrest both in front of and behind the camera.

10. The word “metrosexual” – Ryan Seacreast.  Enough said.

 Part 2, the Acquire portion, will follow soon.