In 1975, advertising executive Gary Dahl created the Pet Rock, a novelty item consisting of a smooth stone packaged in a cardboard box with a humorous instruction booklet on its 'care and feeding.' The fad was a commentary on consumerism and the desire for low-maintenance companionship in the modern age, requiring no work or time commitment. Dahl sold an estimated 1.5 million rocks at roughly $4 each before the craze quickly fizzled, cementing its place as a quintessential example of a ridiculous public fad.

The Pet Rock's absurdity resonated with the cynical and ironic tones of postmodern poetry, serving as a perfect metaphor for vacuous consumer culture and the ephemeral nature of modern trends. It has been directly referenced in popular culture, such as in Reverend Horton Heat's song 'I'm Your Pet Rock,' which uses the object to explore themes of neglect, loneliness, and the passage of time. The fad's very concept is a poetic critique of societal absurdity.