Inauguration Wrap-Up: Bring on the Weirdness

Inauguration day is a day of pomp and circumstance. It’s when the president assumes the position of Commander-in-Chief to resounding applause and throngs of admirers. For some presidents it’s a breeze. Yet, even on his second go of an inauguration, President Barack Obama still managed to draw a frenzy of action, insanity, and triviality to accompany his second Oath of Office.

Obama’s speech clocked-in at just over 2,400 words, which was almost equal to his 2008 word count (but nowhere near as brief as George Washington’s second inauguration at 135-words). But for Obama's second inauguration, the weirdness ran long.

This one had everything: funny hats, photobombs, and even an (alleged) anti-Obama rant.

Inaugural weekend craziness started with a Saturday night fiasco – Lupe Fiasco, that is.

The Grammy-nominated rapper was removed from the stage after reportedly launching into an anti-Obama rant. The show’s organizers, StartUp RockOn, said in a release that Fiasco was not kicked off stage, but, rather “…organizers decided to move onto the next act,” after Fiasco commandeered the stage for 40-minutes.

Monday, the music was less contentious and more Texan. Both Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Clarkson sang during the ceremony inauguration morning. Both received glowing praise and, strangely enough, a set of photo bombs from Sen. Chuck Schumer and Bill Clinton, respectively.

The festivities also garnered fashion-centric attention, for the first family and fellow attendees alike. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia confused some onlookers with his choice of headgear. Though, it should be noted that the hat is one that represents St. Thomas More, patron saint of Catholic politicians.

It was a strange chain of events and, if you're as confused as everyone else, you need perspective.

Take a look at this high resolution image from the New York Times. You can zoom in on anyone (and I mean anyone) seated in the upper gallery of the National Mall (and, yes, you can see Justice Scalia's hat).

If you're one of the last people on earth to miss Beyoncé's performance, here you go: