Hats that don’t cover mens ears

When I first started writing this I thought I had a clear stance on hats that don’t cover mens ears. Spurred on by an article in Man Repeller, I felt validated and secure in my opinion.
My take on them was like that vine of the girl dancing whilst singing: “I don’t understand bitch, I don’t understand”  (the internet tells me that its from Bad Girls Club Season 9, and her name is Erika) that was basically me.
Disaster struck at about 11am on Sunday morning.
I was doing what every 28-year old living in Berlin was doing on a Sunday morning. I was watching a video of lovable human golden retriever, Brad Leone, attempt to make yet another fermented food, apparently intended for human consumption. With horror I realised that Brad was wearing one of the dreaded hats.

Well, what now?

Everything I thought I knew was crumbling around me.

I am generally very unimpressed with straight men. I have nothing against them, I just don’t consider them to be the pinnacle of good taste. So it made perfect sense to me that some of them would wear a nonsensical, completely random piece of fabric on their heads. Is this their idea of fashion? Its just looks like they didn’t buy the correct size hat! Did their hats shrink in the wash? Can they not do laundry?

But then along came Brad. Bouncing around the Bon Appetite test kitchen, like an over excited puppy, spouting gibberish, making food, and wearing one of those ridiculous hats.

(Side note in this particular episode Brad was wearing a button up shirt, that he had left slightly unbuttoned, showing off that chest hair. Fans self……. Also should you now look up Brad Leone, expecting a NJ take on (insert any hot celebrity) and are confused by the google image results and the reaction I offered above.  I have a thing for goofy enthusiastic dad types. I stand by what I said. Don’t shame me. Also it’s the Sauerkraut episode if you are curious. You’re welcome.

Now if at this point you are wondering how this triggered a crisis on rainy Sunday morning, the answer is: How can I trust my own judgement now?
I have been watching hundreds of episodes of “Its Alive” whilst simultaneously raging to my colleague about these atrocious hats. What a hypocrite I am!
Do I have no principles? Am I willing to not only look past but blatantly not notice some thing I claim to be annoyed by, should they be worn by some one I adore? (Strategic use of the world adore here)

Subsequently what does this mean for any opinion I have ever had?
I think I am not too proud to admit that most of my opinions are coloured by those around me.
Be it a political views or my conviction that you should iron your underwear, I probably haven’t had an original thought ever.

Now this is not to say that I am a sheep, a mindless follower, but if I can be blind sighted to my so-called distaste to a fashion item, what do I know.

I recently had a in-depth conversation with a friend who was questioning why I put my coffee grinds in the fridge. The simple answer was, because my parents do.

So consider the hat-that-doesn’t-cover-mens-ears?
When did I start disliking them? Was it when I noticed them for the first time or was it because some one pointed them out to me also disliking them?

What is left here? Me and my willingness to forgive fashion blunders on people I adore? Brad what have you done to my integrity!?

Am I willing to admit that I was wearing thirst coloured glasses?
Yes. I have no shame (see paragraph above dedicated to Brad’s chest hair- just wanted to bring it up one more time) I know I can be wrong some times, I know I can have preconceived dislikes. So I will accept that maybe those hats aren’t so bad when worn by the right person and take Brad’s advice and to quench my thirst have some wourder.