It’s not totally unusual for presidents of these United States to start trends and fads. For instance, when I was a kid, John Kennedy inspired fifty-mile hikes. I never jumped onto that bandwagon, but I remember it well. Theodore Roosevelt inspired the Teddy Bear. Washington and Lincoln seem to have pushed us toward honesty.

Recently I’ve noticed a new trend as I’ve
been watching the news on television. It’s no secret that President Trump is
sometimes derisively called the “orange president.” That term is a thinly
veiled reference to his fake tan (not to be confused with fake news). I don’t
know how fake his tan happens to be, but he definitely exudes a certain orange-ness
from time to time.

Along with the tan is what I call the raccoon effect. We’ve all gotten this upon occasion. It occurs when you wear sunglasses (or something else to block old Sol from your eyes) while working, tanning, or otherwise basking in the sun. I often get it when I’m riding my Harley.

President Trump definitely sports the raccoon effect more often than not. He looks that way so often, I don’t notice it anymore. But recently, I’ve become aware that the raccoon look seems to be catching on. While watching a recent show, I saw it sported by Andrew Card (former DOJ attorney). That might not have had much of an impression on me if left to itself. But in an ensuing commercial, Pat Boone showed up to hawk some pain medication. He, too, was displaying the raccoon effect. One other guy—a political figure—looking like the Prez wasn’t out of the ordinary. But two in the same half hour from varying backgrounds? That might be a movement.c

Frankly, I hope this isn’t catching on. It’s just not a good look. Of course, I’m no one to talk about good looks. My lovely Bride often makes me aware of that. Still, there are better things to emulate than the raccoon effect.

There was an interesting trend that was
mentioned in the Old Testament. It seems that a bunch of pagans made a habit of
cutting themselves until the blood gushed. For some reason, this seemed right
to them. They felt that their god would respond better if they made a fuss,
shouted, and spilled a little of their own blood.

One might think that this was a passing fad, but it was so prevalent that the Lord had to make a provision against such behavior. He said, “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.” (Deuteronomy 14:1) Some trends are harmless, I suppose.

Hula hoops, pet rocks, and fuzzy dice seem to have left no lasting effects. Cutting oneself might be a bit beyond the pale (in fact, it might leave you pale). Like mullets and tie-died bellbottoms, I kind of hope that the raccoon effect will fade away (pun intended). Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and currently resides in Aldie, VA.]

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