UL2272 Certified Riviera Hoverboard

  • Yes, hoverboards have finally made it to Meh
  • Has been certified as safe by UL, a trustworthy company whose only job is to certify product safety
  • Finally cheap enough to not break the bank, finally safe enough to not burn down the bank
  • Is “self-balancing” though you still need to practice a bit
  • Weighs 22 pounds, can go 10 miles on a single charge, and has a max speed of 6mph
  • Features LED lights over the wheels
  • Model: RIV-SBS-BLK, RIV-SBS-RED, RIV-SBS-WHT (For “Riviera Self-Balancing Scooter,” presumably, which earns our respect for actually referencing the name and features of the product even if it mingles abbreviations and acronyms indiscriminately)
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Backlash To The Backlash

“Hoverboards? Really? Didn’t those go out of style when they started, y’know, exploding?”

Fair enough, abstracted Meh reader. But we believe this is the perfect time to buy hoverboards, and this UL2272 is the perfect hoverboard to buy. Let us explain.

“UL” (formerly “Underwriters Laboratory”) is a consumer safety certification business. Their whole job is to make sure products are safe to use. So you can rest assured that this hoverboard, unlike the no-name ones that sprang from the ether a couple years ago, won’t spontaneously combust.

But what about the timing? Aren’t hoverboards as outmoded as the Harlem Shake and planking? Maybe. Or maybe they’re in the cultural “backlash to the backlash.” That is, we think they might be so forgotten about that they’re cool again.

Former NY Magazine columnist Adam Sternbergh described the public reaction to pop culture phenomena as an “Undulating Curve of Shifting Expectations” which followed this progression:

  • Pre-Buzz
  • Buzz
  • Rave Reviews
  • Saturation Point
  • Overhyped
  • Backlash
  • Backlash to the Backlash

Here’s an example from way back in 2011:

You may not have been aware of the entire curve for hoverboards, but you probably recall the “Saturation Point,” “Overhyped,” and “Backlash” phases. Well that can only leave one more step: The Backlash to the Backlash.

In fact, we used the Harlem Shake and planking as examples of obviously passé trends, but they may very well be in the Backlash to the Backlash. Imagine how funny it would be to see a friend post a Harlem Shake video tomorrow. That’s how you know.

There was good reason for the widespread cultural backlash against hoverboards. Unscrupulous “brands” flooded the market with shitty product and the industry literally melted down. Today you can buy a trustworthy one on the cheap and ride confidently on the Backlash to the Backlash wave.

Enjoy it.

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