Life Imitates Art

When life imitates art, sometimes it makes you wonder what art people are imitating.

I saw a guy strolling through our neighbourhood who was decked out in a top hat with bright green hair and a loud burgundy suit. If his sole goal was to be noticed, he surely achieved that! I remember seeing that same guy coming into the coffee shop where I work and he was wearing the same wildly crazy outfit. He's been sighted at various bus stops wearing his top hat but a fairly normal suit to go with it. Really makes you wonder what goes through people's heads when they buy such outfits and really seem to think they look good. It's a bit on par with the talent shows on TV these days where contestants are shocked when they are rejected after their embarrassingly bad audition, "But my friends all say I'm a great singer/dancer/whatever-the-talent-might-be! You don't know talent when you see it!" And they almost always storm off in tears or the waterworks start shortly after leaving the stage. There is something to be said for friends who are able to be honest and tell you that you look ridiculous when you try to leave the house with bright green hair, wearing a top hat and a burgundy suit. If I ever try to do anything that crazy, I probably need to be institutionalized. "Okay, it's time for you to go and see the nice people in white suits. They'll give you an I-hug-me jacket and you'll have a padded room to play in. Everything's going to be just fine. Then, when you're feeling better, they're going to show you a better style with no top hats and loud hair and suits that clash." I can understand eclectic or retro or hippie styles; I'm not trying to squelch this man's expression of his personality through his clothing but in our culture, some things are weird and I'm afraid, that is just plain weird. In the words of Undercover Brother... "I'm a firm believer that everyone should do their own thing, but that boy should never do his own thing!"