Why llamas are the new unicorns

W42ST Daily 5/09/2020

I have long held the belief that one of the modern world’s greatest injustices – a societal failure so great, I fear it may be responsible for the moral decline in children today – has been the unfair and disproportionate exultation of the unicorn.

The mythical horse-like animal with a horn that could turn poisonous water potable, and that could only be tamed by a virgin woman (I mean, come on) has become so popular in recent years, there is literally NOTHING you can’t find that doesn’t feature the creature.

It even starred in a commercial for a Squatty Potty, depositing rainbow poop into ice-cream cones. Seriously!

OK, I know the unicorn trend isn’t exactly new. If they’d had cupcakes and quilt covers and iPhone cases in the Middle Ages, they’d have totally been covered with unicorns too. In the absence of that, they made tapestries.

But the reign of the unicorn may finally be over, evidenced by a 1,000%+ increase year on year of Pinterest searches for … llama decor.

Bear with me on this. Who doesn’t love a llama. They’re cute and soft and fluffy, with floppy ears and lashes to die for. And they actually exist. I like to think I was ahead of the trend, hanging out on a llama farm in Scotland last summer. But now Chrissy Teigen is on to it, everyone’s going bananas for llamas.

And when the news broke this week that the animal (specifically, a four-year-old, chocolate-colored beauty called Winter) could hold the key to curing coronavirus, their sovereignty was assured. Llama antibodies have also been used in research for HIV and influenza cures.

It’s early days, but it’s believed that injecting health workers with llama antibodies could provide temporary protection against the disease.

I rest my case Long live the llama.

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