A Hat Spat

Gawker posted an amusing e-mail list spat over some poor soul in Park Slope, Brooklyn, who made the mistake of gendering a found hat:
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:25:27 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Found: boy’s hat

Hi:

Friday, at the corner of 11th street and 8th ave, adorable navy blue or maybe black fleece hat with triangles jutting out ofit of all different colors. Sorry did not post right away.
For older child.

-Helene

===============================

Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:34:48 -0500
Subject: RE: Found: boy’s hat

Helene,

I’m sorry, I know that you are just trying to be helpful, but what makes this a “boy’s hat”? Did you see the boy himself loose it? Or does the hat in question possess an unmistakable scent of testosterone?

It’s innocent little comments like this that I find the most hurtful…

What does this comment imply about the girl who chooses to wear just such a hat (or something like it)? Is she doing something wrong? Is there something wrong with her?

Lisa
The ensuing war of words as people jumped to Helene's defence is quite amusing. There is something about immediate assumptions of navy blue being a "boy's colour", but there's also a lot to be said for civility... acquaintance Ben Mathis-Lilley summarises it all in New York.

Comments

mis_nomer said…
Haha. Poor Helene. I know exactly what she (or perhaps it is presumptous of me to say "she"?) means though. It's a boy-styled hat!
16 April 2006 at 21:29
brama said…
I think Lisa was too mean to Helene. Afterall, social norms have moulded most people to associate certain styles/colors with both gender. I, for one, still can't accept the color pink on boys.
18 April 2006 at 12:20
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