#Hashtag

     Have you seen the Honda Civic commercial - the one with the #stupidcar (that's "hashtag stupid car") theme?




     I decided once and for all to find out what this hashtag thing means.  It's a label or a way to divide topics into groups.  Placing the # symbol in front of a word or phrase makes that topic easily searchable on social media sites.  Searchers can locate commentary and discussion associated with the hashtag.  In this case, searching #stupidcar leads to peoples' reaction to the TV commercial and other postings related to the advertisement.  While hashtagging (oh, geez, a new verb) came into its own with Twitter, it also works on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and a bunch of other sites.  When enough people search a specific hashtag it is said to be "trending now."  In the old days we would have called it a new fad.  The Civic commercial also shows that hashtags serve more than their original purpose.  They are a way to inject some humor into a situation.  For example, "Why can't people pick up after their dogs #steppedinit?"
     So, check out the chick in this commercial.  She dresses like a high school kid from 1968.  Ditto on the hairdo #whatgoesaroundcomesaround.