NYT piece: Hat-wearing minority gets no respect!

[monbla256]

First Mad Men gave us guys are doing the swingin' 60s lounge thing in fedoras. Now it is The Adjustment Bureau and guys in hats are suddenly suspicious characters.
Shouldn't journalism be something other than regurgitating various stereotypes to fill space and meet a deadline?

Was a good article with points known and subscribed to by all here, but remember, the GOOD GUY wears a hat ALSO

 

[Fletch]

Shouldn't journalism be something other than regurgitating various stereotypes to fill space and meet a deadline?

If journalism today is less of a calling and more of a bottom-line operation, then stereotyped fluff feature writing is a highly efficient revenue builder. It's quick, it's easy, it goes down smooth with the masses and can be counted on to snare the eyeballs of curmudgeons.

 

[fmw]

I don't shave my head but I have a short crew cut. It isn't motivated by fashion. It is motivated by laziness.

 

[Feraud]

Was a good article with points known and subscribed to by all here, but remember, the GOOD GUY wears a hat ALSO

Of course they do. That is what makes the tone of the article a bit silly.

If journalism today is less of a calling and more of a bottom-line operation, then stereotyped fluff feature writing is a highly efficient revenue builder. It's quick, it's easy, it goes down smooth with the masses and can be counted on to snare the eyeballs of curmudgeons.

Indeed. I take my journalism with multiple grains of salt.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I don't shave my head but I have a short crew cut. It isn't motivated by fashion. It is motivated by laziness.

Same reason I have a beard. I'd rather trim a beard once a week than trim my face every darned morning. I don't but myself trimming my beard, either.

 

[martinsantos]

Very good point.

I know a lot of people on motorcycle clubs - almost all in their 40s/50s, like to look as Hell's Angels, with BIG motorcycles, symbols and so on. Almost all with Harley Davison. They love the "fighting the system" look of "bad boys". And so many there you could say "you're the system"... Harley Davison, probably, only says "thank you".

Astute article. I say fedora wearers should embrace the dark side, after all look what happened with Harley Davidson. Any publicity is good publicity. Marketing baby, marketing!

 

[panamaJess]

But at least he didn't haul out the kennedykilledthehat nonsense.

Yes!

I'm actually surprised to hear that people associate fedoras with mobsters. Throw in a trench coat & cigarette, and I could see it.

Interesting thoughts from everyone. I enjoyed this thread!

 

[Richard Warren]

Not as bad as a lot of stuff in the NYTimes, but that ain't saying much. At least he didn't say women and children would be hit hardest.

 

[danofarlington]

Not as bad as a lot of stuff in the NYTimes, but that ain't saying much. At least he didn't say women and children would be hit hardest.

Do I detect someone who doesn't like the NYT?

 

[facade]

This is obviously old news to the likes of us, but still nice to see:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/nyregion/11nyc.html

Testify, brother!

Oddly enough while I and my girlfriend were at an antique show yesterday, we ran into an old friend of hers who was scouring the place looking for a fedora because he had just seen The Adjustment Bureau. So at least for one person the movie had a positive affect.

 

[scottyrocks]

Not as bad as a lot of stuff in the NYTimes, but that ain't saying much. At least he didn't say women and children would be hit hardest.

Richard and Dan, lets not go off in that direction. This is a nice thread so far.

 

[Machine Ager]

Well here in Austin many styles are accepted.. but when I wear a Fedora I usually get oh a Sinatra fan huh or are you a Mafioso?

I do see signs classic hats like Fedoras are getting more common.... Western Hat styles of course are still king here in central Texas

MA

 

[Fletch]

Well here in Austin many styles are accepted.. but when I wear a Fedora I usually get oh a Sinatra fan huh or are you a Mafioso?

Of course Texans are very aware of anything that is obviously un-Texan. Never mind if the hat was once worn everywhere but Texas, it's like that sauce from Noo Yauk City?! lol

 

[Fletch]

I take my journalism with multiple grains of salt.

Not to get OT, but there are days I wish I could have baccalà with the morning paper...

 

[Cliffnopus]

Oddly enough while I and my girlfriend were at an antique show yesterday, we ran into an old friend of hers who was scouring the place looking for a fedora because he had just seen The Adjustment Bureau. So at least for one person the movie had a positive affect.

Unless he was looking for a hat with powers. :eusa_doh:

Cliff

 

[Lastmohecken]

I have started wearing a Fedora lately, and have gotten nothing buy compliments, and I even seen a young man with a stingy brim at Wal-Mart, today. I wear a wide brim Fedora, but I have often wore cowboy hats my whole life. I met a neighbor lady on the road, the other day, while wearing an unusual hat for around here, it's a 4-1/4 inch brim cowboy with a sorta Gus crease and a wide ribbon hatband. She loved it, and just went on and on about it.

Cowboy hats are worn a lot around here, so they don't raise many eyebrows, but occasionally you get the smart jerk who just has to say something like hey Cowboy! in a tone that makes you want to cave his head in, but the rest of the time, I get comments like "did you know that hat makes you look just like Charlie Dannials?" For some reason that always makes me smile. I even got called Indy by a couple of friends the other day, but that didn't bother me.

 

[Kirk H.]

You made the point I didn't want to. I actually wouldn't give up my tilt and push-back for anything.

I agree with you on that.

Kirk H.

 

[Kirk H.]

I don't shave my head but I have a short crew cut. It isn't motivated by fashion. It is motivated by laziness.

I do shave my head. Not because it is trendy, but due to MPB, but hey I never have a bad hair day or "hat head". and all the money i save on hair cuts I can use for more hats.

 

[Richard Warren]

Richard and Dan, lets not go off in that direction. This is a nice thread so far.

What direction? Is there some problem with commenting on the quality of a piece to which our attention is directed, or of the journal in which it appears?

The author himself used the language of minority discrimination to talk about hat wearers of all things (rather insensitive to actual minorities if you think about it, isn't it?). Presumably he was being ironic (but with the Times, can you really tell?). Why can't I employ a similar trope to comment on (well, actually make fun of) his piece and his paper?

 

[Feraud]

Maybe scottyrocks notices your every opportunity you to knock the New York Times. Which is of course your freedom as an American to dislike but the ceaseless jabs seem downright obsessive considering your location.
You appear to care less about the content of the article and more interested in your usual moaning about the Times.