All Trends Go Down (Under)

(I’m in an archaeology lab, and we are discussing seriation and battleship curves. The teacher’s assistant is using fashion as an example of how things gain and lose popularity over time.)

Teacher’s Assistant: “Another important thing to remember is that a style isn’t going to be in popular use everywhere at the same time. It will originate somewhere, and spread, and the last area to adopt it might only do so after the area where it originated already stopped using it. So for example, what place might a new trend be invented?”

Classmate #1: “California!”

Teacher’s Assistant: “Good; and what part of the world might adopt the trend last? Where do trends go to die?”

Classmate #2: “…Australia!”