The rise of Sonny Angels
Why maximalism and wasting money on trinkets is relevant
In 2019, me and my college roommate had just moved into our 2 bedroom apartment. I come home and see she decorated our TV stand with her funko pop and this little naked baby wearing a fruit hat.
“What is this? This looks like the kewpie mayo baby.”
Hello Sonny Angels. I assumed since my roommate was a cool fashionista California girl, of course she would own one. Asian imports were more accessible and popular there anyway, while me n her were stuck in bufu Indiana taking college courses together. She was the only person that I knew at the time that had one of these naked babies, but as years went by I noticed they followed me.
By the end of 2022, these cute little babies were everywhere. Gashapon (such as mystery boxes and even Genshin Impact) started to become popular. I kept getting Tiktoks about buying Pop Mart, Smiskis, and once again…the naked babies. And I desperately needed one. I visited NY and on my trip we went to miniso and got my grubby little hand on them. I got a chihuahua sonny angel and a smiski toothbrush holder (which is the best purchase I’ve made ever).
The addiction hasn’t stopped. The trinket collection grows. I even tried buying a smiski touch lamp BIUT IT GOT LOST IN THE MAIL AND I ALREADY HAVE OTHER BEEF WITH THIS THAT I WONT GET INTO.
Ok but why are these silly babies replacing women’s boyfriends?
They fill the void in the empty hearts of Gen-Zs because their boyfriend’s cannot be bothered to buy them flowers.
How accurate is this fact? Not sure but in my heart it feels this way <3 But fr ill talk about why Sonny Angels are at an all time high right now!
Maximalism and Gen Z
In the past 5 years alone the sad beige aesthetic has been out of popularity. It seems that millennials have stuck with the minimalism, painting over beautiful wood furniture with a shade of off-white (if done correctly it looks cute but 70% it looks fugly based on my instagram reels), while Gen Z rejects this trend cycle all together and go in full force of maximalism. Right now the microtrend is having little guys on your bags (keychains). When Sonny Angel dropped their keychain figures every internet girl started foaming at the mouth. While I believe this will never die since having keychains/buttons has always been part of my life via fandoms, I cannot deny it has become maintream for the “it” girlies.
Collecting little trinkets for your purse, desk, and sleeping chambers is all the rage for 18-24yr olds (and part of the never ending cycle of consumption that I will discuss later). The maximalism lifestyle is built upon this foundation. Not even in just buying silly naked babies but also in interior design as well. I keep seeing kitche interior designers using bright colors, eccentric vintage objects to decorate, and having the very foundation of DIY projects but they’re actually useful this time.
I had to back up my thought some how so I found a CNN. LOOK AT THIS QUOTE!
Perhaps inspired by the rise of social media and a backlash against recession-era frugality, the style appears to be enjoying a resurgence.1
Ok she’s citing works nowwwww. But one source isn’t enough.
I spoke to my friend Lydia about my Sonny Angel topic while got drinks. As I sat in the red-lit bar with my paloma in hand, she mentions a YouTube video about how Gen Z spends so much money because of the rejection of being frugal in this poo poo cácä economy. But discussing Sonny Angels and maximalism on our weekly mid drink session made me feel very smart. I also trust Lydia’s sources, not because through a YouTube video she watched, but because she is a lover of information. As me and her are fellow Gen Z, we too love to indulge on trinkets. Gen Z would rather spend money on a Sonny Angel than a car loan, or better do both but have that small serotonin boost of opening a Smiski box.
One time she came back from a date and showed me the 3 Smiski figures she bought. I was gagged. Point proven.
The Cycle
Y’all remember Precious Moments? Sonny Angels are the equivalent for Gen Z as Precious Moments was for grandmothers or my mother. Quote I fear I’m turning into my mother end-quote of famous quote.
If you don’t know what these porcelain babies are, you must not have lived through the 90’s/ 00’s or you weren’t friends with a white Christian. Founded in 1978, the giftware company rose to the top through Christian giftware that is both the company’s and namesake of the porcelain figures: Precious Moments. Based off Samuel John Butcher’s illustrations of doe eyed children, these figurines became a staple houseware for every mother and grandmother alike. Even Bob’s Burgers references these with Linda’s little babies.
Consumerism will never end. Are these not a parallel of Sonny Angel’s? When we all turn 40 we will tell our nephews about the stories of hunting down our favorite angel while they stare awkwardly back saying, “Tita you’re weird all these babies are naked.”
You just had to be there JJ stfu.
The cycle of collectibles may seem like a new trend but in reality it is just simply the way of life. Precious moments, Beanie Babies, Sonny Angels, Smiskis, Squishmallows, and more more more more moremore ITEMSSS! Even video games mimic this through gashapons. I have seen people fight over fictional men to add to their Genshin team (idk the full lore I’m too scared to get sucked into it) Omg or like Karuta Discord, y’all remember that?
Conclusion
Sonny Angels are in the full rise and may not have any economic value but they have emotional value to the consumers that own them. I think that’s the point though isn’t it? Yea I may not have a long-term investment in stocks or a house, but at least I have cute figurines that give my decorative joy.
Someone told me that my substack is my version of Kurtis Conner’s Very Really Good podcast, which I feel so strongly about /pos
https://www.cnn.com/style/maximalism-interior-design-living/index.html
the bear table brought sm memories to me