The Thin White Duke alleged to be a Nazi salute. Bowie denied this, saying that he was simply waving and the photographer captured his image mid-wave. As early as 1976, Bowie began disavowing his allegedly pro-Fascist comments and said that he was misunderstood. In an interview that year in the "Daily Express", he explained that while performing in his various characters, "I'm Pierrot. I'm Everyman. What I'm doing is theatre, and only theatre... What you see on stage isn't sinister. It's pure clown. I'm using myself as a canvas and trying to paint the truth of our time on it. The white face, the
Calgary White Hat and the rest sold out in a day. In 1947, Shumiatcher produced 240 white hats for the Stampede, which also sold out. In 1948, 250 Calgary Stampeders fans wore their Smithbilt white hats to the 36th Grey Cup championship in Toronto. Many gave their hats to Torontonians whom they befriended; one gave a hat to the mayor. The 1948 Grey Cup event caused the Calgary White Hat to be regarded as a symbol of the city's hospitality. In 1950, newly elected mayor of Calgary Donald Hugh Mackay, who had been part of the 1948 Grey Cup excursion, initiated the practice