History Main / TheHilarityOfHats

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Fezzes are funny rather than cool, and the Eleventh Doctor finding fezzes cool is funny to the other characters.

Contrast NiceHat, where the hat is respected, and HatDamage, which may result in hilarity. A cornerstone of the BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats. A distinctive hat will often be a character's SignatureHeadgear. A parody of the HatOfAuthority is a common way of puncturing the fragile dignity of said authority.

* In ''Film/DuckSoup'', there is a sketch where Harpo and Chico mess with a lemonade stand owner by knocking his hat off and then swapping it around with their hats when he tries to pick it up and put it back on. In another episode they have to wear SpaceClothes with pointy radio beacon hats.

Contrast NiceHat, where the hat is respected, and HatDamage, which may result in hilarity. A cornerstone of the BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats. A parody of the HatOfAuthority is a common way of puncturing the fragile dignity of said authority.

* In the short-lived BBC comedy ''Series/ComeBackMrsNoah'', the crew have to dress up in spacesuits with helmets topped by a couple of plastic tubes, in which ping pong balls move up and down to show the wearer is breathing correctly.

* In ''Film/DuckSoup'', there is a sketch where Harpo and Chico mess with a lemonade stand owner by knocking his hat off and then swapping it around with their hats when he tries to pick it up and put it back on.

Hats as a clothing article are nowhere near as prominent as they used to be. Their unfamiliarity to the modern audience makes them a source of comedy.

* One ''Webcomic/{{Bogleech}}'' [[http://www.bogleech.com/comics/comic89-lovecraft.htm comic]] pokes fun at [[Creator/HPLovecraft H. P. Lovecraft's]] tendency to portray anything "alien" (i.e. [[ValuesDissonance "different")]] as mind-bendingly horrific. In the comic, Lovecraft is introduced to a race of cute, utterly benign arthropod-like creatures with a fondness for hats, who attempt to converse politely with him: "Hello, friend soft-skin, do you like my hat?" The joke is that the aliens [[FauxHorrific wear hats on their stomachs instead of their heads]], which Lovecraft finds so [[AbsoluteXenophobe abnormal]] that it drives him insane.

See also NiceHat, where the hat is respected, and HatDamage, which may result in hilarity. A cornerstone of the BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats. A parody of the HatOfAuthority is a common way of puncturing the fragile dignity of said authority.

* ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' has used this several times. One was [[Disney/AliceInWonderland the Mad Hatter]] singing a song about hats ("Hats that are tall, and hats that are small, and hats that are totally off of the wall!"). Another was Goofy getting sidetracked in one of the trio's business cartoons by trying on hats in a hat shop.

* The Creator/DrSeuss book ''The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins'' is about a boy who ''tries'' to take off his hat 500 times, but finds that there is always another hat underneath. The hats eventually start getting [[BiggerOnTheInside larger and fancier]] up until the eponymous 500th hat, which became so fanciful that the king had to have it for his very own...which, thankfully, ended the hat problem as there were no more hats after that.

[[folder: Film ]]

* In ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife'', the Python troupe conclude that one of two concepts related to the eponymous question is that people are not wearing enough hats.
* The comedy ''Film/ImGonnaGitYouSucka'' has Mr. Big's Big Brim Club, where the title BigBad's criminal minions relax and drink while wearing giant-sized hats.

* ''Film/ElDorado'' has a RunningGag concerning the other character's opinions of Mississippi's choice of headwear:
-->'''Bull Harris:''' ...might have anyhow if I wasn't tryin' to figure out what that fella's got on his head.\\
'''Mississippi:''' It's called a hat.\\
'''Bull Harris:''' Well, I'll have to take your word for it.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* The picture book ''Go, Dog, Go!'' has a RunningGag involving a poodle appearing in increasingly ridiculous hats and asking another dog, "Do you like my hat?"

[[folder: Live-Action Television ]]

-->'''Jeremy:''' [[MundaneMadeAwesome Tonight- I wear a hat!]], Richard wears a hat! [[RuleOfThree And James wears a hat!]]

-->'''Jeremy:''' [[MundaneMadeAwesome Tonight- Richard wears a blue hat!]], James wears a different hat! [[RuleOfThree And I wear a hat with things on it!]]

-->'''Jeremy:''' [[MundaneMadeAwesome Tonight- I wear a hat!]], James wears a hat! [[SubvertedTrope And Richard]] [[RuleOfThree is behind a low wall!]]

* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
** Near the end of the "Courtmartial" sketch, the British soldiers put on pixie hats (with fake pixie ears attached to them), to the audience's delight.
** In "Biggles Dictates a Letter", Biggles indicates to a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} secretary whether or not he's dictating by wearing a hat with silly horns. His secretary still gets it wrong, writing it down when he isn't dictating and not writing it down when he is.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Fezzes are funny rather than cool, and the Doctor finding fezzes cool is funny to the other characters.

* On ''Series/TicTacDough'', Wink Martindale regularly modeled novelty hats sent in by viewers.

[[folder: Radio ]]

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': In "Bargain Hats For Mother's Day," Mrs. Davis asks Miss Brooks to sell the homemade hats she made. They feature an imitation sparrow perched upon imitation fruit. Mr. Conklin buys one for his wife Martha, Mr. Boynton buys one for his mother, Walter Denton gets one to use as a table centerpiece, while GenreRefugee Tex Barton buys one for his horse Lucy. [[HilarityEnsues Unfortunately, the recipients, even Lucy, are fanatics about having individualized wearing apparel...]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In ''VideoGame/StreetPassMiiPlaza'', most of the hats that aren't Nintendo references fall under the silly hat category. Sometimes this is combined leading to things like your Mii wearing a replica of [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach's castle]].
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' games, you can give hats to your Skylanders (and in the fourth game, your captured villains), all of which provide varying stat bonuses. By the fourth game, there are hundreds to choose from.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* One ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' strip parodying ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' by way of Creator/DavidAttenborough describes a Medic deciding which ally to Ubercharge as if it were a nature documentary, with the prospective "mates" displaying their hats to impress the Medic. [[spoiler: The Medic picks a character with a ''whole stack'' of hats on his head... who turns out to be a disguised enemy Spy.]] In the rant, the artist admits that this is usually how she picks who to Ubercharge when playing as Medic.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* The "Marge Gets a Job" episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has her suggesting "Funny Hat Day" with Music/TomJones music playing regularly as a way of raising morale, after seeing a line of deeply disturbed employees (one popping back antidepressants, one a clear alcoholic, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxcwkJbC558 the other brandishing a shotgun]]). A scene later the same employees look essentially the same, [[MoodDissonance but they're wearing silly hats]].
** In another episode Homer suggests they add a scene in the ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington'' remake where the titular character, played by Mel Gibson, tries on lots of funny hats. [[NoJustNoReaction Mel quickly vetos it]].

* There is one WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon, "Bugs' Bonnets", where he and Elmer Fudd keep having hats that fall from a delivery truck land on their heads, causing them to adopt the personas of the hats' owners. A judge's wig made Bugs act like he was running a trial, a grandma's hat made Elmer act like a little old lady, and a Boy Scout hat compelled Bugs to help Elmer cross the street.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Mr. Krabs sells [=SpongeBob=] a drinking hat he found in the garbage for $10, only to find afterwards that it is a hot collector's item as several collectors give him increasing offers for it up to $1,000,000. Then it turns out the hat is worthless, and [=SpongeBob=] got a clapping hat that's worth $1,000,000,000.
* ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' has used this several times. One was [[Disney/AliceInWonderland the Mad Hatter]] singing a song about hats ("Hats that are tall, and hats that are small, and hats that are totally off of the wall!"). Another was Goofy getting sidetracked in one of the trio's business cartoons by trying on hats in a hat shop.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': In "Bargain Hats For Mother's Day," Mrs. Davis asks Miss Brooks to sell the homemade hats she made. They feature an imitation sparrow perched upon imitation fruit. Mr. Conklin buys one for his wife Martha, Mr. Boynton buys one for his mother, Walter Denton gets one to use as a table centerpiece, while GenreRefugee Tex Barton buys one for his horse Lucy. [[HilarityEnsues Unfortunately, the recipients, even Lucy, are fanatics about having individualized wearing apparel . . . .]]

Hats as a clothing article are nowhere near as prominent as they used to be. Their unfamiliarity to the modern audience makes them a source of comedy. Particularly of the random variety.

See also NiceHat, where the hat is respected, and HatDamage, which may result in hilarity. A cornerstone of the BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats.

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action Television]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]