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30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
CuriositiesJAN 26, 2023

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now

Mantas Kačerauskas
Liucija Adomaite
Mantas Kačerauskas and Liucija Adomaite
126
23
Times change and so do the generations of people. Things that everyone would take for granted are long gone. Like the days when passengers would casually smoke on flights, and when driving drunk was nothing to surprise anyone.
Similarly, people lose interest in things that were once a quintessential part of their lives. Like, television. Today, however, much of it has turned online, for better or worse.
This Ask Reddit thread is shedding light on things from the past that have lost their respect over time and now are a mere shadow of what they used to be. “What was once highly respected that is now a complete joke?” someone asked and the illuminating responses starting rolling in one by one.
Below we wrapped up the most interesting ones, so let us know in the comments if you agree or not!

#1

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Hobbies. I am a hobbyist musician, and will never try to make money off of my music. I simply enjoy creating it with zero expectations.
Hustle culture ruined a lot of that because now every time I share my music with people, it turns into a conversation about monetization or how I’m wasting my time on something. It’s hard to even find likeminded people who want to collaborate without it turning into some big thing.
Time enjoyed is not time wasted.
Puzzleheaded_Pie_454, Priscilla Du Preez
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282points

#2

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Working in the educational system. Being a teacher still sounds worthy of respect, but working as one is a joke. Kids are free to do whatever they want, you're barely allowed to punish bad behaviour in any way, school politics stop from changing anything, parents always blame you etc.
AlecsThorne, Julia M Cameron
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244points

#3

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The American Flag, as an U.S. citizen. I know this will ring different to different people, but when I used to come across the flag it was usually displayed to show respect and pride. Now when I see it out in public, it's usually tied to some slobbish a*****e who has it attached to their truck bed, or slaps offensive bumper stickers that mix the flag with some s****y slogan. I feel like most the times I come across the flag now, it's being used by an a*****e to express F**k You.
TSiQ1618, Brett Sayles
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221points

While there are many things that have lost their popularity throughout the years and there may be countless different reasons why, experts notice the broader tendency of people losing their loyalty to many brands, services, and products. Apparently, it’s becoming harder and harder for companies to keep their clients and customers tied to them.

Ask any CEO, and they will confirm that customer loyalty is an important factor in the success of any business. By cultivating customer loyalty, businesses can ensure that customers are satisfied and come back for more.

#4

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The Supreme Court.
Tomegunn1
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214points

#5

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The History Channel, The Learning Channel, MTV...
ihatetheplaceilive
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203points

#6

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Healthcare! I've been in it 20 years it's changed so much. It's a joke. I'm in USA so....it's just gotten more corporate.
queenofwants, National Cancer Institute
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177points

The key to creating customer loyalty lies in providing exceptional service and value for money. This means that customers must be given what they want, when they want it, and at a fair price. Many businesses reward customers for their loyalty, whether through discounts or other incentives.

Another way to build customer loyalty is to be available to answer customers' questions and provide assistance when needed. This could include providing customer service over the phone, online chat, or in person. As well, businesses should be open and honest about their products and services.

Creating a sense of community and belonging in acquiring long-term customer loyalty is also key. This is often done through social media platforms, newsletters, or customer feedback programs.

#7

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Elon Musk
terrificallytom
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162points

#8

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The Guinness Book of World Records
Once a well-established and professional collection of every impressive human feat, now a quick ego boost for rich kids that have barely enough talent to balance an egg on their forehead for 15 seconds on a July Afternoon at exactly 11:55 AM while wearing a Hello Kitty onesie
peterpingston, guinnessworldrecords
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161points

#9

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Dr. Martens‘ Boots.
A British institution, you bought a pair, they lasted for years. Alas, „private equity“ got involved, manufacturing was sent offshore, and the quality went down like a submarine.
You are better off buying a pair of boots from the company that used to make them for DM, than a „genuine“ pair of DMs nowadays, their quality is a shadow of what it once was.
Chriscl000, Kilian Seiler
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148points

This new study conducted byTechSee, however, showed that difficult times have come for many companies in terms of keeping their customers tied to their brands. It has to do with the fact that the pandemic created a new economic situation for most industries, with many sectors and niches struggling to keep their sales high.

#10

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Journalists, and no this isn't some right wing fake news thing. Consumerism has turned hard-hitting journalism into clickbait b******t because that's the only way they can turn a profit anymore. There's still real journalists out there but no new ones are being born, very sad.
Josiah55, The Climate Reality Project
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144points

#11

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
"We are a family here" said by anyone who isnt your family.
Merlinshighcousin, MART PRODUCTION
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138points

#12

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Staying at a job out of loyalty.
YourManagerOnDuty, Magnet.me
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118points

In fact, consumer loyalty towards brands has declined ever since the pandemic, and that is resulting in higher rates of churn with numerous consumers switching to competitor brands with all things having been considered and taken into account.

43% of the consumers who participated in this survey stated that they canceled subscriptions or switched to different products primarily because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up giving them better customer service. Additionally, 39% of consumers stated that they switched brands after being approached by a competitor.

#13

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The food pyramid
Backpack_Bob, RossHelen
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97points

#14

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Most celebrities tbh
happylittleballerina
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97points

#15

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
The US Postal Service. A decades long campaign to smear their reputation coupled with legislation designed to cripple the service has turned them from the reason Santa Claus isn't institutionalized in *Miracle and 34th Street* to a comedians punching bag. And yeah, last time I went to the post office the service was terribly slow, but they had one window open in a building with five windows. Seemed kind of understaffed.
dieinafirenazi
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95points

#16

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
People are going to reflexively deny its initial popularity, but Facebook. It even used its exclusivity as its primary marketing tool during its initial launch only for colleges.
throwtempertantrum, Dawid Sokołowski
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91points

#17

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
McAfee antivirus
The_Athavulf, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McAfee
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83points

#18

The three branches of US Govt.
Also, accountability and leadership
_JustAnAIRobot
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79points

#19

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Levi's blue jeans.
They used to last forever, now I'm lucky to get a year out of them. They always fail in the same spot too. No idea why but I'm not alone online about this.
I bought a pair of Lucky jeans on a deal. Never had a pair of them before. Now they just might be my new favorite.
Lincoln_Park_Pirate, Varun Gaba
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79points

#20

30 Things That Were Once Great But Have Declined So Much, They're Seen As A Joke Now
Air travel
player007456, Simon Maage
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65points
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