Alternative writings

No, I don't know where this came from. Or why it's here. Just go with it.



The Jayne Hat Phenomenon

Cult Science Fiction fandoms have a distinguishing feature that lets others know that they belong to the cult. It allows members to acknowledge each other and realize that they have a common interest. In Star Wars it's the lightsaber or the Jedi costume, or Darth Vader and in Star Trek you have the Federation uniforms, the pointy eared vulcans. Dr. Who has the various Doctor's outfits, from the scarf to the cricket outfit with celery and Nine's leather jacket. And then there's the Firefly fandom.

The short lived Joss Whedon show has very few distinguishing features for a fan to wear. There are no badges, uniforms or weapons. Most of the characters can be seen walking around in regular or western styled clothing.

Enter Jayne's Hat:



Given to him in the episode called "the Message", the hat is from his mother.

[Jayne proudly wears his mother's hideous home-knit cap.]
Jayne: How's it sit? Pretty cunning, don't you think?
Kaylee: I think it's the sweetest hat ever.
Wash: A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything.
Jayne: Damn straight!

For most of the episode the hat can be seen worn by Jayne. As the series ended right after that. (The Message being the last episode filmed) we never get to see Jayne wear the hat again. But the hat, in all its hideousness, was quickly embraced by the fans.

Here they now had a symbol of Firefly. A distinctive one. As well as a rather subtle one. The hat is, like much of Firefly, rather ordinary. Normal people would wear such a hat. A fan could walk down the street wearing such a hat and no one but another Firefly fan or someone exposed to Firefly would know what it meant. To everyone else it's a hat. A rather strange and somewhat ugly hat, but still a hat.

In this way the Firefly fandom subverts the traditional notion of the science fiction or fantasy fan. When people think of the Star Wars or Star Trek fandom they see people dressed up in costume out of touch with reality, playing with swords and learning made up languages. With the Firefly fandom they just wear the hat to indicate their membership. They may quote it from here to the moon, but that's not so obvious. It's done between members and not in the public sphere. The hat has become the secret handshake. The wink and nod of the Illuminati or any other conspiracy group. At times you could probably hear the Firefly fans silently mocking those other fandoms with their large and glaring phallic declarations of affiliation.

So quietly, slipping between the throes of normal everyday walking society the Firefly fans can show off their loyalties without pointing out their geekiness to those around them. Thus, like Jayne, showing that they're more cunning than they actually appear.

Not that this is going to stop me from making a Jedi/Sith costume for next year's Comic Con.