Ms Franklin's Inaugural Hat

It's mind boggling the idioic talk and behaviors that have been perpetrated around Ms. ranklin's choice of headgear for her appearance at the 44th Inaugural.

It's worse than mind boggling. It's excruciatingly embarrassing.

What makes even so many blowhards who are residents of metropolitan, culturally diverse cities so abysmally blind and ignorant of what they might well see in the streets at least every Sunday, if they just opened their eyes?

News flash for all of you in the the bloviating and so-called fashion industries, which should include at least some knowledge of the history of clothing:

Ms. Franklin's hat is in the venerable tradition of Ladies Church Hats. In the eponymously named comic strip, "Curtis," the mischievous boy, about 11 - 12, amuses himself in some strip arcs with making fun of the hats worn by the ladies of his church, which earns him some serious ear-boxing and talking to by his mom, when she hears him. His little brother threatens to squeal on Curtis, when their mom doesn't hear. See how easy it is to know this? The strip is in most papers that still have comic sections, and your job includes reading the papers, yes?

You see these hats featured annually here in NY Time's coverage of the Easter Parade.You see them on the streets, particularly on Sunday. You saw many of them this last Tuesday worn in honor of the Inauguration, if only to work, though also likely to the many viewing parties here for the swearing in.

But even more than that -- Ms. Franklin's church hat on Tuesday signalled a wider cultural connection, and a lengthier cultural history. Those bows that somebody -- DO YOU HEAR ME, STUPID LITTLE SUPERIOR WHITE BOY ASSISTANT TO RON KUBY ON AIR AMERICA'S "DOIN' TIME"? -- made fun of, as being even bigger than she is -- those bows are points, the points that are part of the art of tying tignons worn by women of color, free or not, throughout South America, the Caribbean and the United States (there are other names for the traditional head scarves, depending on the region).

How you tied your tignon could even be a language that could tell a skilled reader many things, including whether the wearer is approachable by an eligible man.

Women of color in so many places (such as New Orleans, for instance), whether free or not, were required by law to cover their heads. Out of this the women made a fashion statement of style all their own. These arts reach even further back to the arts of the head, the hair and textiles in Africa.

Ms. Franklin's choice of hat on Tuesday was not an arbitrary matter, it was not something she happened to choose. She knew exactly what she was saying to a most significant portion of those she was singing to, and she wanted them to be sure they knew she knew she was singing very specially to them.

So shut up already about Ms. Franklin's hat. Unless you apologize for discourtesy and insults. And don't say, "Oh lighten up, will ya? It's all in fun." Yeah, fun for you, you ignorant unthinking entitled and stupid kid. And you older talking head pundits too.