Comments on: The Great Cowboy Hat Experiment

By: EldonWyatt

EldonWyatt — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:20:03 +0000

Wow, this article really didn’t cover the issue in a very legit way. There’s a huge difference between someone who looks genuinely the part to be wearing a cowboy hat, and is wearing one which is authentically styled and credible – and someone in flip flops wearing a straw taco-shaped hat from a trendy clothing store.

I wear a cowboy hat nearly all the time – I like keeping the rain off my head and the sun off my face and out of my eyes, thank you. I think it is a whole lot more ridiculous and laughable to wear one of those frigging ballcaps that looks like a cooking pot, turned around 3/4 to the back.

You live in LA and you think a cowboy hat is “inapposite” (your word, author)? Then just don’t wear one, and don’t presume someone who does should risk being called ‘dickface’ unless they are wearing a taco hat and flip flops.

By: Pueo

Pueo — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:55:56 +0000

Well you know, most of you city people are inside air conditioned buildings and air conditioned cars. You go from one artificial space into another. But if you are outside, the need for protection will show you the necessity of a well built “Real,” cowboy hat. And by that I mean Beaver.

Outside we live in the sunshine. Wide-brimmed western hats protect your face, neck and ears from the sun. It will save you from skin cancer like nothing else will. A wide brimmed hat makes it easier for your hores to see you. Gets you more room in a crowd. Makes an impact on memory.

A real cowboy hat, will put you out in front and give you something to hide behind at the same time. It can be used as a powerful tool in “Tantric foreplay.” The game before meeting. Laying the groundwork for a united energy field between spectators and performer.

The use of a cowboy hat depends on time and movement, psychology, humor, illusion, disguise and natural choreography in bringing about a magical effect.

Choreograph your actions so that all spectators are likely to look where you want them to. More importantly, they do not look where you do not wish them to look.

You do this with ordinary, natural and completely innocent gestures, changes in hat position or body posture.

By: The Stick Figure Family Window Decal Conjectures

The Stick Figure Family Window Decal Conjectures — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:33:48 +0000

[...] for future research: In contrast to earlier social inquiries, DF finds himself without a bold conclusion. Neither opinions on the preference order of these [...]

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:18:29 +0000

I have found nothing makes a better fashion statement in an Americana sort of way than a nice Stetson hat with jeans and casual shoes and button down shirt.. The key is to have a crease without too much of a “wannabe” cowboy or rodeo hand look.. try to keep it more city boy looking, clean and simple and you don’t get any funny stares. At least this has been my experience.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:01:30 +0000

They made me take it off in the chapel. I was pissed.

By: godoggo

godoggo — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:54:37 +0000

“Also, Iâ€™m going to wear a sweet black fedora to church tomorrow.”

Mazeltov!

By: V

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:52:18 +0000

Intriguing. I think some insight into the phenomenon can be gleaned with these two words: Justin Timberlake. One other point: you skipped the all important detail of the color of your cowboy hat. As any Western flick worth its salt tells us, the light/dark good guy/bad guy coding of the hat shade is essential to understanding the character of the man beneath the brim. This is hardwired into our genes at a cellular level and no doubt affects response. Thus, the Hat Hue (H²) variable must be incorporated into your calculations.

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:33:56 +0000

It’s not like a cowboy hat would have been that out of the ordinary here back in the days of Sam “Los Angle-leez” Yorty. This was a pretty redneck town in a lot of ways.

Jason Molina was wearing a cowboy hat when I saw Magnolia Electric Co. earlier this year. Evidently he augmented it with a jean jacket and a tie-dye shirt at other tour stops–a getup he called his “hipster slayer outfit” or something like that.

Also, I’m going to wear a sweet black fedora to church tomorrow.

By: godoggo

godoggo — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:18:38 +0000

Well, in my neighborhood, if you’re wearing a cowboy hat, what it probably means is you’re a Mexican. Then again, if you’re not wearing one, you probably are too. Either that or you’re me.

By: DF

DF — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:55:44 +0000

Thanks to all of you for your participation in this robust academic dialogue. Jeff, while the desire to ban all indoor headgear is understandable, I’m afraid fashion is trending too strongly hatward to be denied. Sarah, you are of course welcome to try to wear your gratis von Dutch hat in the spirit of irony, but given the prevalence of such practices, I suspect that any irony would be lost on your audience. I suggest matching your hat with a T-shirt that says “I am wearing this hat ironically!” to hammer the point home. Snark, this experiment could indeed be conducted in Inglewood, but its name would have to be changed to “The Great Cowboy Hat Beatdown”. You are free to give it a go as long as you provide us with co-authorial attribution and legal immunity for any experiment-related personal injuries.