I have been enjoying the latest PBS epic: Michael Wood’s “India.” But I discovered an unwelcome fact about Wood:he is one of those artisticy guys who has an unnatural attachment to wearing a little scarf. Having lived in this metro Bay Area, I have noticed that often, people who are big in art, movies or lit. seem to have a penchant for wearing scarves, even while noone else is, usually because it’s not ever that cold here to begin with. It’s like a fashion step up from the hoi polloi. I think Francis Ford Coppola wears a scarf. We had a big-shot performance artist (here, anyway) named George Coates, who always use to sport a scarf. Anyway, it’s one of those subtle little vanity things. Mind you, I am wearing a scarf today because its winter and I like to have a warm throat so I have no problem with it in utility. I take it off inside. Not these guys who always have the scarf danglin’. They are all like Johnny Pavarotti, keeping the tonsils toasty just in case they have to belt out Pagliacci…
Anyhoo, Wood was down near Bangalore somewhere in a recent episode and I had to face the reality that one of my favorite guys was an artsy scarf-bearer. It was obviously hot, based on everyone else in the shot. He not only was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but he had a blue silk scarf, just hanging there, looking ridiculous. It shows up in other scenes too. I couldn’t tell if it was some kind of crypto-hommage to all the women, who use the upper part of their sari often in a scarf-like fashion or what…of if he thought he had to cover hisownself when he went into a temple (you don’t)… as you can see, it left me guessing.
Anybody else notice the scarf-wearing artsy guy thing???
Always kinda felt that way about bow-ties. Unless they’re on skinny clean-cut black men with horn-rimmed glasses, in which case it’s not appropriate to comment. Also, Orville Reddenbacher had an exemption, as did Captain Kangaroo.
And then there’s Paul Reubens, who wears a bow-tie in character, and a scarf out of character. The West Coast is scary.
Yeah, Michael Wood’s scarf. Not flung jauntily about his neck and over the shoulder, but hanging down to either side with no particular apparent function other than one of…what? I was minded of the Tibetan khata, only a bit less overtly spiritual in its worldly and tasteful shade of blue. Maybe he jumped on the Anthony Bourdain train. Bourdain pulled that gig, too, but with better panache. Wood’s fashion statement came off a bit fusty and limp by comparison.
And all this assumes that, by contrast, a thin strip of hanging cloth flopping around on your chest - otherwise known as a necktie - is somehow less bizarre?
The scarf on guys during the summer thing, I don’t see it much here in Chicago but I think its more a case of the summer climate being really humid than the “fly over” being a cultural wasteland.
What I’ve been seeing a lot of this winter are knitted “stocking caps” worn while inside buildings, both the North and the Central American varieties.
Because I’m a woman, when I’ve traveled in Arab countries I’ve always worn a scarf in case I needed to cover my head.
I suppose a manly alternative would be one of those cute beanies the naked archaeologist Simcha Jacobovici or the naked concertina player Jody Kruskal wear.
No?
Well, the thought crossed my mind, but I think some of the literary guys are not. The word I couldn’t think of earlier is affectation.
And yeah, there is the thing about bow ties as well. Few can wear them without looking…odd…
Anyhoo, I’m glad somebody else noticed. And yes, I am enjoying the series as well. I recommend it to all…I really liked his Conquistadors show.. We Netflixed it recently and it holds up nicely.
With regard to bow ties, the only time I generally see someone wearing a bow tie is with a tuxedo, because that’s generally the fashion, or on a pediatrician. I know several male pediatricians, and all wear bow ties with their doctor’s outfit. The reason being that, one, kids find them amusing, and two, kids cannot grab them and choke them with it. Two being the more important reason.
Here’s a quote from another spot, but which has nekkid potential dates at the top so I won’t link i
“There exists a mistaken belief that only gays wear scarves. This is nonsense, I’d say. If you wear a scarf, it means, that you have the feeling of style many men are deprived of, take care of your health and want to feel not only warm, but stylish and standing out from the herd of others. I wish you didn’t allow perpetuated stereotypes influence your life!”
“It is possible that cravats were initially worn to hide shirts which were not immaculately clean.”
I don’t know about neckties or cravats. But given my own a) personal hygiene, and b) sartorial cluelessness, wearing a big old chest rag to keep from constantly getting crap on my shirt sounds like a good idea.
According to Wikipedia, he’s not gay. Had a female “partner” for many years and now has a wife and children. Perhaps you’ll say that he’s still in the closet, but I doubt that in this day and age when we’ve got pride parades. I think he just likes the scarf–maybe it was a gift. Maybe he thinks it looks cool or is his “look.”
P.S. Here’s a site where folks can post questions for Michael Wood–supposedly answers will be posted to the best five “next week” whenever that is. About half way down someone asks about the blue scarf. Keep an eye on the site–maybe you’ll get the real answer.
Thanks for link, Susan. Man, reading through that set of comments was uh…enlightening in its own way. What a bunch of crackpots and accusers… The place is so big, the history so deep, that it’s quite easy to “not get it right” in the eyes of some.
But it is funny that other people noticed the scarf…
I see the show as kind of a personal musing, not so much a perfectly formed historical account of record. I wish some of the people could as well and lighten up on the guy. I didn’t take it as pure history at all, because he passed over so many other incredible places that have significance as well…
One of the scenes that made me laugh aloud was when he was at a Shiva temple down south. He is narrating and walking through this big temple while the priests are pouring cascading showers of ghee or something creamy and whitish over the big lingam (phallic representation) of Shiva and he doesn’t utter a word of explanation about it.
