Cornell's President Reacts to That White Lotus Hat Choice

Some of the sharpest brilliance of The White Lotus lies in its smallest details—the books Olivia and Paula read by the pool; Rachel's infamous listicle; Tanya's seemingly unlimited assortment of caftans. One of the show's costume choices even became an instant meme: Shane Patton's Cornell baseball cap.

Shane, played by Jake Lacy, is the show's token rich boy, who literally (spoiler alert) gets away with murder. His mother (a stellar Molly Shannon) shows up on his honeymoon, and viewers can't help but think he wishes his new wife, Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), were more, well, like his mom. Shane's cutting remarks about his new partner's career and money are made all the more vicious by his nonchalance. Her mother would never show up on their honeymoon because she couldn't afford the plane ticket, he snarked, never looking up from his phone.

It adds a great deal, then, that at one morning's buffet breakfast, Shane piles his plate high while sporting a Cornell baseball cap.

The choice was deliberate. "When Lacy asked if Shane could wear an Ivy League baseball cap, [show creator Mike] White suggested the infamously douchey Cornell," a Vulture profile of Lacy reported.

Funnily enough, the reference made its way to the real-life Cornell president, Martha Pollack. In a recent interview, she was asked about Shane's baseball cap and the ensuing publicity.

"Let me just say that that is not the product placement that I would've paid for with that character," Pollack said, chuckling. "But it's just fiction and we're just kind of laughing it off."

Indeed, Shane is probably not the best association for the school, but the reference certainly drew attention. As CNN's Jake Tapper, a Dartmouth alum, tweeted, "Shane Patton, pride of ⁦@Cornell."

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