People may not be reading newspapers anymore, but could it be because they’re just confused?
Newspapers have always been informally referred to as “rags,” — as in, “our local paper is such a rag. All it prints is celebrity gossip.” — but it seems like some people are taking the fabric-y slang seriously. Havana officials reported last month that Cubans are using the Communist newspaper Granma to alleviate the toilet paper shortage, and a Spanish company called mitemite unnecessary objects lab has designed laptop sleeves to look like newspapers to make them less attractive to thieves. Apparently, print is so unappealing that the company thinks no one would ever try to steal newspaper-clad MacBooks.
And now, newspapers are hip at weddings. According to an article in North Dakota’s Grand Forks Herald, a print-happy couple designed newspaper-themed nuptials. The groom told the paper he was initially unsure about wearing a newspaper-decorated vest, but he said he eventually came around after much coaxing from his future wife.
And though the bridesmaids were probably all secretly complaining about their unflattering newspaper skirts, at least the bride could rest assured that no one would try to steal her husband.
Did you mean shmatas?