21 Things That Were Ruined When They Became Too Popular

Buzz Feed

14-05-2025

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us "good" things that were ruined when too many people did them. Here are the eye-opening results:
"Coffee. While Starbucks has had a role in making it expensive, I also blame coffee shops that claim this bogus 'bespoke' process that somehow people think spending over $10 for 16 ounces of terrible bean water is completely fine because it's a place found on TikTok."
"Public parking. There used to be many free lots all over my city that you only had to pay for if there was an event. Now, people buy them and have you scan a QR code to pay. If you run out of time and don't up it, they tow your car within MINUTES."
"Estate sales!!! A lot of companies that run them seem to have gotten wind of how popular they can be and have decided to try to charge retail prices for them. I don't want to pay retail for a 30-year-old box grater!"
"Wearing band t-shirts. It used to be cool to wear them, and only a few people actually did, but once celebrities started wearing them, it became soo mainstream. Nowadays, I can't go anywhere without seeing some preppy person wearing those Nirvana smiley face shirts or a shirt of a 2000s nu metal band. As someone who was raised on that music thanks to my Gen X parents, I am offended."
"Camping. We live 30 minutes from the mountains and could go up anytime and find a spot. During COVID, everyone camped since everything was closed down; now you can't find a spot, or people just leave their trailers for weeks!"
"The outdoors in general — which, I want to be very clear — I TOTALLY support as many people enjoying them as possible. It's a gift to be enjoyed. HOWEVER, there is also a responsibility with them that gets overlooked when masses of people who don't understand them come to enjoy them. Litter, dog bites from poorly trained dogs, poop bags, people not prepared for the conditions, causing rescue operations, stressful lines and traffic, and in our situation, altitude sickness in small mountain towns not prepared to handle to volume of medical needs that come in peak seasons (I'm an ER nurse in one)."
"Streaming services. They used to have straightforward plans that were customizable based on how many screens were streaming. Now, you can pay for something and STILL have ads because you don't want to pay the absurd, jacked-up ad-free prices."
"Honestly, most perfume scents. Brands like Sol De Janeiro, especially. When perfumes get promoted on social media platforms like TikTok, and suddenly, everyone's wearing it, I'm talking to you, Cheirosa 62), even though the scent is amazing, it feels basic and not unique. No one has a signature scent anymore. Everyone is basically the same."
"Bloody Marys. Used to be a simple brunch drink or hair of the dog. Everyone knew someone who had the 'best recipe ever.' Garnishes were usually a celery stick and something pickled; around the Northwoods, Wisconsin, you'd see the utmost in awesomeness: a 'dilly bean' you or your grandma canned yourselves. Now, if you see on TV or at a yuppie restaurant, there's a steak, fries, and half the kitchen table hanging off —even worse...ribs. How are you supposed to eat ribs off a stick in a glass gracefully?! I actually am not a connoisseur myself, but I've watched the downhill roll on these."
"Korean Dramas. When K-dramas were hard to find, they were 16 or 22 episodes and done. Since American networks took over, series have been split strangely with huge breaks in between or strange numbers of episodes. They've also become more racy. I miss the first kiss happening in episode 10 of 16 😂 "
"Airbnb. If everyone is buying houses to turn around and use them as Airbnbs, there aren't enough houses left for people to buy who want to live in them."
"Prescott, AZ. Used to be a quiet little town in Northern Arizona. But now with the mass California exodus, it's overrun, real estate prices are ridiculous, and traffic is maddening. 'Go home; we are full' is appropriate here. But they still keep building.'
"Poshmark used to be a great place to sell and purchase clothing, but now it's not so good. It's not the products that aren't good, because I've purchased a few things there (two Snoopy Swatch watches, Kate Spade earrings, and a vintage Victoria's Secret blanket) — it's the people there who sell fake items, which makes it bad, ruining it for honest sellers and prospective buyers. I saw an Anna Sui x Marc Jacobs bag I liked and paid for it to find that it was a vinyl bag resembling a toy purse with several tears and rips."
"This might be controversial, but in some ways, Dungeons and Dragons. Overall, the boom in popularity it's received in recent years has been great for it, and the TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) community as a whole. But many people have flocked to D&D who would have really been happier playing other TTRPG systems. And as D&D has shifted and changed to cater to this new player base, it's lost some of what made it special in the genre."
"Honestly? Therapy. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy that discussing mental health has become normalized, but for most people, therapy should not be long-term. Therapists are allowing people to remain on their caseload for way longer than clinically necessary. It's unethical."
"Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It used to be a nice neighborhood that was way under the radar. Now, it's trendy, overcrowded, overpriced, and dirty. Poster child for rezoning gone wrong."
"Those huge gourmet burger things were never good. I don't want to eat a huge burger with so many layers that I wear it down my shirt, as it's impossible to pick it up without everything falling out. And then pay twenty quid for the privilege."
"Any amazing song that became so popular, to the point where it constantly gets played ALL THE TIME. It eventually becomes sickening and doesn't sound the same anymore."
"Clubs. Even 10 years ago, we packed into DJs or whatever. Now, there's no one out anywhere being social. We have one great club that played/plays everything from '90s rap and metal to EDM, and it's just not packed like it used to be."
"The Renaissance Festival used to be AMAZING. Now, due to popularity, moderate/minimal expansion on site, and wild parking with a 15-minute trek through mud, it's dirty before even getting into the event, there's line after line of people for overpriced but good food, and there are semi-grumpy,, crowded attendees."
And finally...
"Mac 'n' cheese. I like really good homemade macaroni 'n' cheese, especially with extra stuff in it, but now, it's sometimes the most expensive item on a menu. I don't need to pay close to $30 for something I can make at home for next to nothing. It's almost as good with cheddar as with fancy cheeses."
Welp. What other things were "ruined" when they became too popular? Tell us in the comments, or use this anonymous form below.