I have to wear a ‘watermelon helmet’ for a Barbie tomorrow morning. Does anyone know the best way to go about this? Do I get rid of all the red pulp and juice and dry it, or is there another way? This is an important question, as I really don’t want to look stupid.
-Bubba.
You are going to wear a watermelon on your head and you want to know how to not look stupid?
I have no idea.
What the hell is a “Barbie” and why would you want to what to wear a watermelon on your head there?
OK, not look stupid in the context of 50 other blokes wearing watermelons on their head. I don’t want juice dripping down my neck or flies hanging around me etc.
Don’t wear a watermelon helmet- that should solve your problems.
Ok, I can see I’m going to have to be the Voice of Reason here. Basically, you want to cut your watermelon right through 7-10 inches from one end. Scoop out (and eat–why waste it?) all the red stuff you can. Use a marker to draw the shape to be cut out for your face–be creative, go nuts. Use a sharp knife to make the cuts, then finish scraping the inside til all you see is white. Let it dry overnight, and it’s ready to wear.
I now rank this as the silliest question I have ever given a serious answer to.
Thank you QED. I wasn’t sure whether I had to remove the pulp. Perhaps I’ll make watermelon daquiris at the barbie.
By the way Ruby, a barbie is a bbq.
Also, Q.E.D., do you think that I should get a long watermelon or one of those spherical ones?
-Bubba.
I suppose that depends on the shape of your head 
(Well, you knew i was going to say that, right?)
Tony I assume you mean the ones like they wear to the cricket sometimes…
Use whichever shaped watermelon will give you the desired helmet shape. For a conventional helmet shape, use a spherical one - make sure it’s nice and big.
As an experienced watermelon helmet wearer (well, I did it once…) part of the desired effect is the coolness you get from the insides. So, make it as freshly as possible (don’t make it today for wearing tomorrow - make it tomorrow). And keep it in the fridge until the appropriate moment. Nothing is worse than a rotting watermelon helmet. It’s going to be hot, so you want a nice cool helmet…
Happy Australia day! (I assume this is for an Australia day Barbie).
I’m so glad Unca Cecil doesn’t post here as often as He used to.
To think, Him seeing the SDMB sink to this.
Well, I am just concerned about the balance thing, really. I have a pretty large head (one of my nicknames at highschool was fathead), so I thought a rounder melon might be suitable, but I do want to stand out from the crowd of watermelon helmet, jackie howe, stubby and double-plugger wearing people, so a watermelon in a Norman or Barbuta style might go down a treat.
Can you post pictures? I gotta see this!
Sorry, no advice on the watermelon helmet. Well, maybe you should put one of those leather straps on it so it doesn’t fall off.
Now that I think about it, I think that maybe I should go a little bit different. Are there any other melons/fruits that have a hard shell like a watermelon that I could carve to stand out from the crowd?
Well, the first one that came to mind is that you could use a pumpkin and go wearing a Jack 'O Lantern on your head.
Don’t forget to save all the watermelon seeds!!!
Dry them, put them in a plastic baggie and take them with you to the BBQ. Then at some opportune moment, fill up your mouth so you can spit watermelon seeds from the watermelon!!
I’m sure the CSIRO will eventually get wind of this, patent the idea and make it into a new weapon against terrorism.
Now somehow we have to add vegemite in this thread …
:eek: 
Wha? Huh? You weren’t sure if you had to remove the pulp before you plopped the watermelon on your head???
It’s probably a little late for such advice, but I would stick with watermelon. It really is the best shape, and it’s easy to empty out the middle and it has a lightweight, strong shell. If you’re worried about balance, make sure that you cut it so that it comes down around your cheeks, but has a big opening for your face.
Oh, and don’t forget to wash your hair afterwards.
I worked at a Renaissance Faire in Southern California where it was very hot. One actor wore such a helmet. He looked like the coolest, happiest person there. Also he says that it was very moisturizing and conditioning on his hair. If it’s hot, you’ll be stylin. If it’s cold, you will be cold, wet and sticky.
I’ve seen 'em made from a long, skinny melon where the center section was carved out. The wearer had nearly a foot of melon shell sticking out on each side of his head. Ultra-stylish, and I suppose he could hear the ocean in the empty shell ends.