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Has anybody heard of Aretha Franklin's Hat?

Last posted Aug 26, 2009 at 11:02PM EDT. Added Aug 24, 2009 at 12:49AM EDT
21 posts from 6 users

Has anybody ever heard of the "Aretha Franklin's Hat" meme? If you haven't, don't be ashamed for you aren't the only guy who didn't know about it. I never even heard about it until I saw an article about it that stated, "Aretha's Hat Goes from Internet Meme to Actual Business". Here's the link: http://gawker.com/tag/aretha-franklin/

The whole idea began when people noticed Aretha's ridiculous hat after she stepped out of the Obamanaugural:

The hat sparked some lulz and it became a Photoshopper's joyful toy. Basically, you take her hat as an image macro and shop it onto anything that you might consider a head.

I haven't done enough research about it to see if there's any moar info about it, but it seems memetic enough to be allowed an entry.

I just have to wait for the Admin's assurance before I submit this entry.

If you have any moar info about this, please help with the research. Thank you.

Yup. It was kind of a fly-by-night meme right after the inauguration, but if you feel like writing up an entry on how it spread, sure thing. It was a meme alright.

Throwing down a macrochan link for graet justice.

http://www.macrochan.org/search.php?tags=Aretha+Franklin%27s+Hat

It also was requested by the Smithsonian.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/luxe-life/2009/02/02/aretha-franklins-hat-requested-by-smithsonian.html

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/kits-aretha-post/

Not really showing internet impact there but showing how in demand the style of the hat was. But i've just been searching around and theres pics everywhere! Just type in aretha franklin hat photoshop and you'll find heaps!

I've been thinking (I knew I smelled smoke), isn't this sort of like the Zidane entry?

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/zidane

There was a dump load of pictures but it was part of such a huge event the internet had nearly nothing to do with the internet.

Does any agree/disagree? I'm here to start debates/arguments.

Just so we're clear, this meme got plenty of traction just known as "Aretha's Hat." Searching for "Aretha's Hat" in quotes gets you a lot of results from a more meme-loving set.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/arethas-hat-is-everywhere
http://www.urlesque.com/2009/01/21/arethas-hat-is-blowing-up/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/liveblogging/2009/01/arethas-hat.html
This ABC NEWS blog from January 20th pointed out the strangeness of the hat. The comments section is pretty great.

Well its sort of similar to the zidane entry but that was on a much huger scale, that was at an event where nearly the whole world was watching. This was more of a fad for a couple of weeks in america (mostly) that died down but its on the internet where it will probably be remembered due to all the photochops etc.

Thats just my view.

This was a meme that pushed heavily by the fun-loving editors of BuzzFeed, along with Basement Horse and a few others.

I cried FORCED at first, but obviously it has stuck around (to some extent). Please tag 'buzzfeed' if anyone kicks off an entry!

@Blubber re. internets relevance -- even though it was an IRL event that was covered by mainstream media sources, IMHO I don't think either Zidane's headbutt or Aretha's Hat would have been propagated, remixed, anigif'd etc. without the Internet -- they may have just been stories that came and then went like all the rest.

@ Jamie

Thanks for fixing up the article, but wouldn't it be pretty useless to ask for who made the hat after it was stated right above it that Luke Song was the man who made it.

@ Frkeston

HOLY BUCKETLOAD OF PICS!!!

Skeletor-sm

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