Shake it like a Polaroid picture

Years from now, when the children of our current generation grow up, if they listen to the music of our day, they might be prompted to ask what "shake it like a Polaroid picture" means.

Not because you don't actually need to shake the Polaroids for the instant pictures to appear, but because Polaroid is shutting down its two US film production plants, and other out-of-country plants will follow suit. In short, Polaroid is getting out of the film business.

I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, really... With digital cameras becoming so cheap and widespread, just about anyone can take quick snapshots, and see the results instantly--faster than Polaroid's fastest instant film. What's more, you don't need to keep buying expensive instant film that you cannot reuse for this convenience. (Currently, you can get 20 Polaroid exposure films for $25, and 40 exposures for $52 from Amazon. That's $1.25 per photo for the cheapest Polaroid picture! And.. um.. why would you buy the 40 exposure package when the per photo cost is more?)

The last time I went to Little Tokyo for Shabu Shabu, I noticed this group of people walking around, taking group photos--with a Polaroid camera! I was certainly surprised that anyone would still be using it. Then I noticed that a few people in the group also had their own digital cameras, and they went on to take pictures with these digital cameras. I wonder... will the owner of that Polaroid camera be sad to be out of instant film next year?