This interesting post made its way onto my Tumblr dashboard

[Nedertane]

Not from the original source, but I figured I'd link to that here, so y'all can check out some of what other people have had to say about it.

This is the post in question. (http://****yeahlonghairedgirls.tumblr.com/post/7347206295/cutting-hair-short-just-because-and-changing)

Personally, it makes me sad and a little sickened, but what do you guys think?


ETA: looks like you'll have to replace the asterisks in the URL it ends up linking to with a certain four-letter-word that I think you can guess

[neko_kawaii]

LOL, I've never regretted a hair cut, let alone cried over it. Funny sort of stereotype.

[TheHowlingWolf]

I saw that on my tumblr dash too. I think he might have edited it because here's what he originally said: http://i48.tinypic.com/24x2q6q.png Someone screenshot it & were getting mad at what he said. I personally think the guy who wrote that is a sexist idiot. He thinks women should look a certain way (have long hair) in order to be worthy and beautiful. He thinks you're less than if you're a woman with short hair. Women should be able to be bald or have yard lengths of hair. Hair length is a personal choice and to judge someone solely based on their hair? It makes me sick. I obviously love long hair, but some people like short! It also disgusts me how he thinks he can speak for all men, saying all men love long hair....That's obviously not true. It's perfectly fine to be attracted to women with long hair, but to think that the long hair makes them better than other women who have shorter hair is sexist and dumb. He also said a lot of other offending stuff too! Some people are sick.
BUT: If you were just referring to the drawing, then I think it's a little funny because whenever I get my hair cut I'm like, "waahh I want my hair back!" lol & I know a lot of other people who do that too....but some people just want short hair!!!

[millyaulait]

Ew.

Just.... ew. So ridiculous.

[TheMechaGinger]

That's pretty ridiculous in my opinion. I've enjoyed long and short hair, I don't think short hair is a sign of immaturity in the least. In fact, I've known plenty of new mommas who have cut their long hair short out of a desire to simplify things so they can focus on the new baby, not because they're fickle.

[HintOfMint]

What a judgmental ass. The part about long hair symbolizing maturity is one of the dumbest things I've heard.

Granted, she's right about many women tiring of short hair pretty quickly after the novelty of the short haircut has worn off. But the part after? Totally uncalled for.

[dollyfish]

Wow. Jeeze. The picture itself is "funny because it's true" because so often, impulse haircuts are followed by regret. Haha, we've all been through that, etc. But the caption for the picture is just awful. Short hair is not necessarily a sign of "fickleness;" I think this author is projecting her own hair problems onto others. I bet she went through a super fickle cut-my-hair-all-the-time phase as a teen and settled on long hair as an adult, and thinks that everyone follows (and should follow) the same trajectory. Short hair isn't inherently easier, simpler, or less attractive than long hair, and people have short hair for a wide variety of reasons.

[Nedertane]

*snip* I think this author is projecting her own hair problems onto others. I bet she went through a super fickle cut-my-hair-all-the-time phase as a teen and settled on long hair as an adult, and thinks that everyone follows (and should follow) the same trajectory. Short hair isn't inherently easier, simpler, or less attractive than long hair, and people have short hair for a wide variety of reasons.

Heh, I don't think so. The author states that he's a man and finds long hair more attractive. Because that's all that matters, as we know. I do wonder if he's some sort of f*tishist, though...

[jacqueline101]

I've had bad hair cuts and never cried over them.

[Mandie]

I generally cut my hair and then instantly regret it and cry about it, because I'm an impulse-chopper and I love having long hair. I do not, however, think my hair being long signifies maturity, that's absurd and offensive. It signifies a preference in our culture, in some cultures it may signify maturity but he is quite likely not part of such a culture. He's just a jerk.

[Quixii]

When I saw the image I was like, "Okay..?" Didn't seem sensational or anything. And then I read the description/comment. What an arse! I kinda just want to slap him.

[Alun]

I think there's actually a lot of truth in what he says. Of course, you can cut your hair short if you want to, but most men won't actually like it. Of course, 'long' only means long enough to look long, not what we call long. It doesn't have to be super long to keep the average man happy.

OTOH, maybe most women don't even like men with long hair either, I don't know, but I'm not offering to cut it. So, I fully understand the PoV of it's my hair and I'll wear it how I want. My hair was long when I met DW, and she knows that isn't going to change. However, if you have long hair when you meet a guy and then you decide to get a pixie cut, that's your right, but don't expect him to like it, because that probably won't happen.

[arjay.d]

I agree that he's not being very nice. But if you contradict yourself, I'm not going to give you any credence. First, he says that it's a sign of maturity. Then why do so many women over 40 cut their hair? I rarely see a woman that age with hair longer than collar, much less BSL. Second, he says that only younger girls have short hair because they don't know how to take care of themselves yet. But then he says that having long hair is "simple and easy." I don't know. I think that if he wanted to represent long hair (which I think he says at one point) then he could have done it in a more respectful, thoughtful, and thought out manner. IMO.

[Nedertane]

I agree that he's not being very nice. But if you contradict yourself, I'm not going to give you any credence. First, he says that it's a sign of maturity. Then why do so many women over 40 cut their hair? I rarely see a woman that age with hair longer than collar, much less BSL. Second, he says that only younger girls have short hair because they don't know how to take care of themselves yet. But then he says that having long hair is "simple and easy." I don't know. I think that if he wanted to represent long hair (which I think he says at one point) then he could have done it in a more respectful, thoughtful, and thought out manner. IMO.

Agreed! What I also find strange is that he claims long hair to be "mature" and "womanly" and yet his blog is called "**** Yeah Girls With Long Hair". Hm hm hmm.

[TheHowlingWolf]

I think there's actually a lot of truth in what he says. Of course, you can cut your hair short if you want to, but most men won't actually like it. Of course, 'long' only means long enough to look long, not what we call long. It doesn't have to be super long to keep the average man happy.

OTOH, maybe most women don't even like men with long hair either, I don't know, but I'm not offering to cut it. So, I fully understand the PoV of it's my hair and I'll wear it how I want. My hair was long when I met DW, and she knows that isn't going to change. However, if you have long hair when you meet a guy and then you decide to get a pixie cut, that's your right, but don't expect him to like it, because that probably won't happen.

I don't really think what he is saying is truthful because I know a lot of guys who like shorter hair on women. I think what people (including me) are getting offended over is the fact that he is acting like women are put on this earth searching for men's approval on their looks. Like, oh because some or even most men like longer hair on women, women SHOULD have long hair because it's what MEN want. Women (and men) are so much more than just their hair! It's one thing to find a certain hair length or type attractive, but he was saying women with longer hair show maturity, and that's offensive to mature women who have short hair. He also said women with short hair look like lesbians which again is offensive because 1) he acts like there is something wrong with "looking like" a lesbian (there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian) & 2) that all lesbians have short hair. I understand it's his opinion but he could still have his opinion on long hair without being so judgmental and offensive.

[spirals]

His immaturity--which is instantly, obviously exemplified in his tumblr title--isn't even worth a response.

[Mandie]

I think what people (including me) are getting offended over is the fact that he is acting like women are put on this earth searching for men's approval on their looks.

Bingo. My hair is MY hair. If I want it shaved completely off I will do as I please. My boyfriend asked me not to cut my hair while I was recently considering a chop because he thinks my long hair is beautiful, and because it was something he /asked/ for and something I ultimately wanted, I didn't cut (and I'm glad I didn't). But my hair is MINE and not one person on this planet is going to tell me how to keep it, regardless of their approval.

[ghost]

Um, WHAT?
First of all: what, exactly, is wrong or "immature" about punks and riotgrrlz? Lots of people who don't identify as such have short hair. It's just me personally, but it bothered me that he singled them out with so much vitriol.

Second of all: Dude's a creep :/

[MaryO]

Oh puh-leeez!! That must be one of the stupidest things I've read in a long time.

[LadyCelestina]

I'm not sure about whether this guy is trolling or not.
Anyway,even if not,he just voiced his opinion in a way that might be offending to some...It happens.Especially when you dislike something and try to make it sound reasonable.No big deal and no need to instantly assume he's a jerk.It's about as dumb as assuming short haired girls are fickly half-a**ed lesbians. But,whatever :).

[Dorothy]

You know, in real life I have done an excellent job separating myself from men who believe so firmly that women are here to please them that they are not even aware that they believe this/act like they believe this because they are totally unable to concieve of alternate views. I suppose that it helps that I'm a fat 44 year old feminist lesbian social worker. At this point, they conveniently avoid me. ONLY ON THE INTERNET am I still subjected to their pestilential opinions, and must resist urges to try to influence their completely impenetrable brains. I remember these men from my slender supple long haired youth, when I was more vulnerable to their depradations, as the men who were always saying "BUT I'M A NICE GUY, and women always go for bad guy types, and IT'S NOT FAIR" basically because you owe me sex because you're female and I want it from you. Not so much, dude. And news flash: You are not a nice guy, and you are not being helpful. I take solace in the fact that until you learn how to be useful and appealing to the women around you, and not just yell at them to meet your needs, you will be a lonely dude. And now I feel the need to wash and go to my job, where I will meet with people all day who are surrounded by such men and try to help them stop trying to kill themselves.

[mrs_coffee]

That post was a sexist piece of garbage. He might just as well have made a post that said "I'm a patriarchy-loving a-hole. Don't date me."

[woolyleprechaun]

What a sexist moron. I wonder what HE looks like? What do you think would happen if we all ganged together and told him that only....erm....red bearded men were sexy? Would he alter his appearance against his personal preferences to apease us? Hmmmmm....

[Mya]

The reactions I see in this thread are a bit too harsh in my opinion. The author of that post was just expressing his personal taste.

[missketi]

This is a poorly written article. I mean, alright, you hate short hair . And that's alright. It's YOUR personal preference. There's no need for further insults that make you sound like some immature teenager. But I guess this is internet. You can write whatever you want without people knowing who you are. It's like that article I came upon the other day about why it is better to have boys than girls. Ugh. I just click close. It so not worthy of my time.

[mrs_coffee]

The reactions I see in this thread are a bit too harsh in my opinion. The author of that post was just expressing his personal taste.

If you express your personal opinion in a public forum, you don't get to exempt yourself from criticism of that opinion.

[Nedertane]

You know, in real life I have done an excellent job separating myself from men who believe so firmly that women are here to please them that they are not even aware that they believe this/act like they believe this because they are totally unable to concieve of alternate views. I suppose that it helps that I'm a fat 44 year old feminist lesbian social worker. At this point, they conveniently avoid me. ONLY ON THE INTERNET am I still subjected to their pestilential opinions, and must resist urges to try to influence their completely impenetrable brains. I remember these men from my slender supple long haired youth, when I was more vulnerable to their depradations, as the men who were always saying "BUT I'M A NICE GUY, and women always go for bad guy types, and IT'S NOT FAIR" basically because you owe me sex because you're female and I want it from you. Not so much, dude. And news flash: You are not a nice guy, and you are not being helpful. I take solace in the fact that until you learn how to be useful and appealing to the women around you, and not just yell at them to meet your needs, you will be a lonely dude. And now I feel the need to wash and go to my job, where I will meet with people all day who are surrounded by such men and try to help them stop trying to kill themselves.

You win my Favorite LHC User of the Day Award today.

[EtherealDoll]

Is it really a grown-up man running that blog? Because the first thing I though when I read that post was "Poor girl, her boyfriend must be a moron. Ugh, some teenagers...".

[evb]

I grew up not being allowed to have long hair. By long I mean even a chin length bob was long. I was required to have pixie-ish cuts, as were my sister and mother. Why? Because my father grew up on a farm long enough ago where sponge baths were the norm and hair only got washed once a week {btw I wash my hair once a week so not dissing the stretches between cuts} and was filthy and disgusting and gross. His opinion. Not only would he never had said *****yeah long haired girls he would have been squicked out thinking about sweating in a hot summer sun whilst planting and harvesting and all else that goes with running a working farm.

I personally was not offended by the edited version of the commentary since everybody is entitled to their opinion but his original was beyond the pale.

[Mya]

Does that mean I too can express criticism? Don't invite me to such tempting activity! Ok, too late. Here we go! :D

When a new member asks us what they need to grow their hair long, one of the most frequent replies is "patience". Also, there are lots of threads where LHCers seek for support to not cut or mess up with their hair impulsively. There are lots of other threads where users basically say "what was I thinking when I did that to my hair? I was so silly". We talk all the time about how growing long hair takes quite some inner strength for a lot of people. So, indeed, long hair may be "a sign of integrity and being able to stick to one thing for quite a while" and I hardly see the flaw if someone is of that opinion. Integrity here means the ability to focus on what you really want rather than what you want now.
We can say it and he can't?

"A sign of integrity" doesn't mean the whole integrity, and doesn't mean that someone doesn't have a integrity just because they change hairstyles a lot. Let's not filter what we see with the "all or nothing" mentality.

Then we come to the piece that says that long hair is a sign of womanliness. Personal taste. I have preferences too on what makes a man a man or, differently said, what turns me on in a man, doesn't mean I think all other men should go hide themselves or that I'm insulting them. In fact, I've had several types of partners in my life. Role models are what they are - the product of fantasizing.

If a guy expresses a personal preference, I don't feel like it means I need to alter my appearance for him. It just means it may be less likely that we meet in bed due to a fatal attraction.

I think a lots of posters here saw that post and read "women who do whatever they like with their hair are bad and those who have long hair and stay in the kitchen are good", but it's definitely not what was written there.

[Unofficial_Rose]

You win my Favorite LHC User of the Day Award today.

Me too! Marvellous response.

This man makes the idea of short hair seem downight appealing, if it keeps away his sort. The cartoon is fair enough, though. I have to admit, in my younger and more sesitive days, I have had some haircuts that have made me cry, they were so ugly. Needless to say I asked for a different cut to the one I ended up getting, but I digress...

[TheHowlingWolf]

Does that mean I too can express criticism? Don't invite me to such tempting activity! Ok, too late. Here we go! :D

When a new member asks us what they need to grow their hair long, one of the most frequent replies is "patience". Also, there are lots of threads where LHCers seek for support to not cut or mess up with their hair impulsively. There are lots of other threads where users basically say "what was I thinking when I did that to my hair? I was so silly". We talk all the time about how growing long hair takes quite some inner strength for a lot of people. So, indeed, long hair may be "a sign of integrity and being able to stick to one thing for quite a while" and I hardly see the flaw if someone is of that opinion. Integrity here means the ability to focus on what you really want rather than what you want now.
We can say it and he can't?

"A sign of integrity" doesn't mean the whole integrity, and doesn't mean that someone doesn't have a integrity just because they change hairstyles a lot. Let's not filter what we see with the "all or nothing" mentality.

Then we come to the piece that says that long hair is a sign of womanliness. Personal taste. I have preferences too on what makes a man a man or, differently said, what turns me on in a man, doesn't mean I think all other men should go hide themselves or that I'm insulting them. In fact, I've had several types of partners in my life. Role models are what they are - the product of fantasizing.

If a guy expresses a personal preference, I don't feel like it means I need to alter my appearance for him. It just means it may be less likely that we meet in bed due to a fatal attraction.

I think a lots of posters here saw that post and read "women who do whatever they like with their hair are bad and those who have long hair and stay in the kitchen are good", but it's definitely not what was written there.

Um, did you read the original post? He said women with short hair looked like half a**ed lesbians...which is offensive to lesbians (implying the stereotype that all lesbians have short hair and also that there is something wrong with "looking like" a lesbian). Yes, you're right...he can have his own opinion and personal taste, I do too! But he's telling women to grow their hair long because men like it that way. He def. could have worded it a lot better. Heck, he could have just said, "I love when girls have really long hair! I wish more women had longer hair!" But no....he had to be sexist and homophobic about it. It's perfectly fine if you're not offended and don't see anything wrong with what he wrote, but we're also allowed to be offended and we shouldn't have to apologize for expressing our anger and annoyance about it.

[Mya]

Um, did you read the original post? He said women with short hair looked like half a**ed lesbians...

What? O_O

I read the post linked by OP and that says this:


Cutting hair short “just because” and changing hairstyles frequently is a sign of fickleness, and that is inherently unattractive. That’s why short hair is often seen on little girls and little teenage hipster chicks and riotgrrl punx because they haven’t matured to be able to take care of their own appearance.

Something as simple and easy as having long, flowing, beautiful and sexy hair is a sign of integrity and being able to stick to one thing for quite a while, something that most people lack in this day and age. It’s a sign of maturity and adulthood.

There’s also something really sensual about long, untamed, naturally grown hair. Seeing it is like an instant connection to nature and earthiness and humanness, if you’re into that spiritual hippie stuff. I am, if only a little bit.

Now I’m not saying that a sexy girl can’t look sexy with short hair (because she’s already sexy regardless), but I think a woman looks like a woman when she has long hair. Long hair is a signifier of maturity and womanliness.

Enough said.

I read the whole thread and saw no other links.

[TheHowlingWolf]

What? O_O

I read the whole thread and saw no other links.

I posted (the 2nd comment after the op's original post I think) a picture that someone on tumblr screenshot of what he originally said. Here it is:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=24x2q6q&s=6

[Mya]

I posted (the 2nd comment after the op's original post I think) a picture that someone on tumblr screenshot of what he originally said. Here it is: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=24x2q6q&s=6

For some reason the pic didn't show when I clicked it the first time. Thank you very much! This makes what was said here make sense. Looks like we are before a classic case of "my tastes are universal truth" and "hey, I'm such a controlling creep" too. :D

Omg, now my first message totally sounds like I support insults as a legitimate way to express one's opinion. LOL! Sorry. Of course I don't. :)