If you want to find horror in the form of hat, welcome to the Kentucky Derby.
Many of us loved it when Bob Costas put on a woman's hat for the 2011 Kentucky Derby. However, this illustrates a reality that all Kentuckians already know. That truth is that men are often the ones that have the strangest headgear on Derby Day. Perhaps this is an extension of the bizarre costumes that some male fans of professional sports wear in the bleachers.
Either way, we can be thankful that about 10 garish attempts at Kentucky Derby hats have been recorded online for the world to enjoy.
1. Giant horse head eating roses
A common theme with male attendants to the Kentucky Derby is to combine roses and horses to their hats. This often starts with a stuffed animal massacre that will remind you of the horse head scene in the "Godfather." It ends with a hot glue gun, several artificial roses, and a ticket to the Kentucky Derby. If you notice, most of the men wearing the horse head hats are not surrounded by loved ones.
2. Ruling the Derby with the perfect crown
Ruling the Kentucky Derby with your awesome style goes directly from luxury in the grandstands to comedic in the Infield. The General Admission area of Churchill Downs is filled with over 80,000 people that only paid $40 to hang out in the grassy middle of the racetrack. For this reason, everyone tries to be entertaining. In particular, the Southernist Blog feels that one man seems to be on a mission to be the "Kentucky Derby Chief Party Officer" simply based on his outlandish handmade hat.
3. How to win an unofficial Best Derby Hat event
Dapper men are always applauded at fashion shows around the Kentucky Derby, and there's no doubt that figure skater Johnny Weir was a hit in 2010. Although there is not an actual Kentucky Derby best hat competition every year, Mix 106.5 FM was quick to name Weir the unofficial winner. With feathers and wide brim, photos of Weir's Kentucky Derby hat is a reminder to all men that weird is fashionable too.
4. Keeping Derby hats 'N Sync
Joey Fatone of 'N Sync showed up to the 2011 Kentucky Derby looking like an Italian gangster from the 1920s -- but with one touch of strange. On top of his head was one of the frilliest women's hats around. The picture is worth looking at and you will appreciate Fatone's outfit coordination.
5. 2010 Kentucky Derby weird hat overload
If there could be a year that men went out of their way to create the most bizarre looking Kentucky Derby hats, 2010 may have been it. Chronicled by Louisville.com, most of the men in these hats are snickering. Among the pictures include sponge cutouts of horses mating, a Churchill Downs diorama, a hot glue gun run-in with a jockey helmet, and about 10 other photos of men wearing weird handmade Kentucky Derby hats that you will not want to miss.
Disturbing Kentucky Derby hats continue
At TheBerry Blog, photos of men wearing a hat they saw their grandmother wearing are just the beginning. As the 2012 Kentucky Derby heats up, we are likely to see more horse head hats and atrocities that leave us in shock.
The main point is that, no matter where you celebrate, you need to make sure to take photos of your weird Kentucky Derby hat and share it with the rest of us.
More from this Contributor:
History of Weird Kentucky Derby Cuisine
Unlimited 2012 Kentucky Derby Tickets?
Weird Fixes for Kentucky Derby Food Decadence
