Culture, Mishegas

From the "Wait, Seriously?!" Files…

It’s just so dumb…

Are you tired of your yarmulke falling off every time you run to catch a frisbee? Do you ever wish your yarmulke could block the sun from your eyes? Well, it sure seems like the Daily News wishes so, and today they included a hard-hitting news report all about the “yamulkap,” a new half-yarmulke, half-visor that protects your forehead as well as it protects your soul.

You should go read the full summary on Gothamist.
No, wait, you’re not actually going to click over to it, are you? I’ll just give you the rest of the stupidity (yarmulke’s, not Gothamist’s), here:

The yamulkap was created by Seth Mosler, a visionary charter school business manager who lives on the Upper East Side. Where some might only see young Orthodox children playing in a field, Mosler saw an opportunity to change the status quo: “When you’re talking about yarmulkes, you are talking about thousands of years of tradition. But this has a practical purpose.” Struck by inspiration, Mosler cut up an old baseball hat, and started searching for a manufacturer. Since then, Mosler set up a website two months ago to help spread word of his revelation, and “has sold about two dozen so far.”
But there will always be people who don’t get it: Manhattan mom Lea Haron thought the hat was a little silly, since religious rules say wearing a baseball cap is fine, just as long as one’s head is covered. “I feel bad. I hope he didn’t put too much money into it.”

6 thoughts on “From the "Wait, Seriously?!" Files…

  1. DAMW I don’t think you understand — there’s no halachic requirement to wear a yarmulke at all, anywhere. Any kind of head covering fulfills whatever obligation exists. There’s no difference between a baseball hat, a grandpa hat, a toque, a beanie, a cowboy hat, or a yarmulke in that regard. So this invention is more than useless for anyone who follows the cover-your-head tradition. (because it’s superfluous and stupid-looking)

  2. Easily the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen on the internet. Possible in real life, as well.
    A shoe-in for least essential invention of the last 5,000 years.
    What Wilensky said — why would anyone who wears a yammy and also wants/needs to wear a ballcap NOT wear it underneath the cap?

  3. also, and i know this is quibbling, but why does he call it a “yamulka” on the website?
    yarmulke is the transliteration off the yiddish spelling, and it’s a mouthful, with 2 silent letters. people also write ‘yamaka’ but it looks weird and japanese. (and according to wikipedia is part of the buddhist Pali canon.) i honestly think the unspellability of the word is why we all say ‘kippah’ (kipa, kepah, etc) these days.
    but in addition to the YamulKap sucking, why would you drop one and not both of the silent letters?

    1. yarmulke is the transliteration off the yiddish spelling, and it’s a mouthful, with 2 silent letters.
      Are those letters silent in real Yiddish too, or just Brooklyn Yiddish?

  4. I’ll bite — what is “real” Yiddish?
    I’ve shown this to people at work including a published Jewish humor writer and people are dying of laughter. Some think this is not real though. Can we confirm this is not a joke. It almost sounds like a Heshy Fried bit 😉
    I grew up saying “kipa” so on the rare occasions I say “yarmulke,” I can’t resist pronouncing the r and the l…

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