The Other Side of The Coin (prejudice against short hair)

[Lamb]

I found this ridiculous article a few days ago. I know it's just the Daily Mail at it again, but still. :rolleyes:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1092019/Does-short-haircut-mean-women-gone-sex.html

Why can't women have whatever hair they want to have, without people (of both genders) reading nonexistent meanings into their hair length, colour, texture, etc? :rolleyes:

[kwaniesiam]

That is one of the most ridiculous articles I've ever seen :crazyq:

[GoddesJourney]

Right, like Natalie Portman can be anything but hot in any hair length... I don't know a single guy that won't drool over her (as do a lot of girls). I would look like cr*p with short hair because I simply don't have the face for it, but my childhood friend looks super cute with pixie cuts because of her oval shaped face and feminine features. She still looks feminine and my husband's friends and cousin have all drooled over her. She definately is very secure and liberated and into men. So are so many others that I've met. Wow, way to read way into things that are simply not related...

Some people simply like the look, the wash and go, and lack of itchy hair in the hot summers. Also, they can experiment with their hair a lot without having to wait more that a few months for it to grow out. Bonus. People definately need to get over other people's hair. People wear their hair however it makes them feel beautiful. Nothing wrong with that.

[Keildra]

it said hair length was a sign of self esteem so what does that mean does a long hair have low self esteem or high self esteem, they did not specify.

[Peter]

Looks like more BS to me!

P.S. Natalie Portman looked totally gorgeous even when she shaved her head.

[Babyfine]

That is one of the most ridiculous articles I've ever seen :crazyq:

I agree. Jerry Hall is" desparate" because she's hung on to her long tresses for far too long at 52?! What does that make me?
I cut my hair into a short bob in 2003 in a happy marriage for no other reason than I wanted a change. Sometimes a haircut is just a haircut.

[Bethie]

:dizzy: Wow, I'm dizzy from the back and forth from the media.

I don't know which part made me laugh more the part where as women age our hair gets shorter because we don't want :eyebrows: or the part where if you want to snag a man, keep your hair long.

[Lunnafindel]

True, of course, the article is mostly BS. But it does remind me of the Breakup Haircuts thread http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46205&referrerid=28511
because lots of people were talking about just that - rebelling against their ex's, making a drastic change in their hair to symbolize the change in their lives, how hair is a reflection of how someone sees herself... so maybe there is a grain of truth to the article.
(but only a grain. most of it is just silly, and badly written to boot)

[melusine]

agh! :eek: what a ridiculous and horrifying piece of writing, *laughs at the many unqualified assertions about what men like*

The part about long hair on older women = mutton dressed up as lamb really irritated me. I really dislike that turn of phrase in the first place and the way it literally compares women to pieces of meat :rolleyes: Older women are not 'mutton' but people and for me, beauty and sexiness are certainly not exclusive to the young. If a woman feels beautiful with long hair, I think that will shine through no matter what the age.


Why can't women have whatever hair they want to have, without people (of both genders) reading nonexistent meanings into their hair length, colour, texture, etc?

Exactly.

And hear hear about Natalie Portman's shaved hotness :o

[bluewhiteblue]

Ugg. Yeah, this is why several of the feminist blogs I frequent call them The Daily Fail.

[eternallyverdan]

Oh, Daily Mail. Next week they'll be shrieking that long hair means that you're anti-feminist and want to join a cult.

[Johanna]

I think they must have completly forgotten about the Flappers. Incredibly short hair and the most sexually free era before the 60s-70s hit.

[HintOfMint]

Yet another woman-centered article designed to keep us preoccupied with our insecurities about our looks.

And of course they include the oft-repeated evo-psych tidbit that long hair represents health so of course men like it! If that is the case then how most women don't harp on a man's hair being a glory to him? After all, women GENERALLY prefer heavy jaws (testosterone is an immunosuppressant, so the theory follows that having high levels of testosterone means that the man is healthy enough to withstand any deleterious effects and the physical signs of high testosterone levels which often manifest in masculine features are attractive) and many women put a huge premium on height (a huge indicator of childhood nutrition, ability to fight and protect, among other theories why height matters, I don't feel like going into them ALL). In short, women are generally attracted to certain masculine features for the same justifications that are used for men's attractions: HEALTH.

So what gives? Sorry for the rant, it's just that if I hear one more evo-psychobabble statement from someone who sounds like she graduated from the Cosmo school of journalism, I'll scream.

[Athena's Owl]

Long hair means you want to attract a man?

LOL. that's why I have hair down to my butt and i'm Ace. nice try.

[Heidi_234]

'Long hair advertises a desire to attract'

LOL! Attract what? Lint and dust particles? :laugh:

[toodramatik]

Men, men, men. Sex, sex, sex. That's all we think about, we crazy women.

[Marjolein]

Well actually, what this sex therapist says isn't very new or groundshaking at all. It is based on one of the assumptions of evolutionary psychology. However, she generalizes these assumptions way to much.

Evolutionary psychology assumes that we all have the drive to reproduce (keep our genes going) and are looking for the best mate to do that successfully. Therefore men are attracted to young and healthy women (apple shape = best for child bearing, smooth skin = no evidence of disease etc). If a women is able to grow long and healty hair, then this is an indication of good health and thus childbearing and childrearing potential. From this point of view, a women with short hair is reproductively/sexually less desirable.

Thankfully though, people do not just tend to rely on ancient instincts when making decisions. With evolution we also evolved the capacity to think and decide for ourselves ;).

This is the end of today's psychology lesson. Any questions? :p

[Kuchen]

Depressing. Even more depressing was a link I ended up on to Us magazine. Selma Blair (who she? yeah...) has just had a Louise Brooks bob, a classic, classic do. The magazine? Labels it "bizarre". Then adds a link to "the worst haircuts of 2009 (http://www.usmagazine.com/stylebeauty/photos/worst-hair-of-the-year-20091612)" which featured, among others, some really nice short hairdos, including Solange Knowles super-short crop, which looked STUNNING (http://media.photobucket.com/image/%252522solange%20knowles%252522%20hair/bastardlybutta/bastardly-photos/album136/solange-knowles-09140901.jpg). I mean, what a bone beautiful woman.
The comments on this photo? "UGLY!" etc etc. Honestly. The standardised "long waves with extensions" is tyrannical.

[ilovelonghair]

While long hair appears to indicate to the male brain a more submissive and available woman, in simple terms it also distinguishes women from men in appearance.

Huh: a more submissive woman???

"it also distinguishes women from men in appearance"?
What a nonsense, if they're talking about cave men and women, they would all have had long hair.

When it comes to short hair, it just depends on the person, I think Halle Berry looks great with short hair.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

You're all right, it's very silly to associate hair length with personality. Like, "long haired women are not confident" or "men should have short hair or else their masculinity gets hurt (LOL)" or "long haired women are looking for men (ROFL)" :D

It's not black & white like that. There can be various reasons for growing and cutting hair. Having said that, "feeling sexier" can be one of possible reasons. At least for me :D I do feel more attractive with long, very long hair. But that does not mean i'm continuously searching for a partner :D i just enjoy feeling that way.

Short hair made me feel almost ugly. But that's just me, a woman can feel just the opposite and cut her hair to feel sexier. Besides, i know that some men are attracted to short hair in women and don't like long hair! So searching for a scientific or psychologic reason behind a hair length is just silly; it totally depends on people's tastes.

[toodramatik]

Huh: a more submissive woman???

"it also distinguishes women from men in appearance"?
What a nonsense, if they're talking about cave men and women, they would all have had long hair.

When it comes to short hair, it just depends on the person, I think Halle Berry looks great with short hair.



"more submissive women" then it says the seductress evil beauties had long hair :mad:

& I totally agree about the caveman & woman thing. Everytime one of my classmates says to me "Why have you cut your hair you look like a boy" I'm inclined to answer "I'm sorry, do you not see anything below my neck? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE BODY OF A BOY TO YOU!? DO THESE EYEBROWS LOOK BOYISH?! DO I SMELL LIKE MAN!?".

[Unofficial_Rose]

agh! :eek: what a ridiculous and horrifying piece of writing, *laughs at the many unqualified assertions about what men like*

The part about long hair on older women = mutton dressed up as lamb really irritated me. I really dislike that turn of phrase in the first place and the way it literally compares women to pieces of meat :rolleyes: Older women are not 'mutton' but people and for me, beauty and sexiness are certainly not exclusive to the young. If a woman feels beautiful with long hair, I think that will shine through no matter what the age.



Exactly.

And hear hear about Natalie Portman's shaved hotness :o

Amen to this. I doubt Halle Berry lacks admirers with cropped hair, either. And how DARE anyone suggest Jerry Hall should cut off her trademark hair. Some people look good with long hair, others with short, but this doesn't sit right with some people because they have to have rules for everything.

This article seems to have bashed women with short hair (sexless) and women with long hair (desperate). It would appear that women can't win with these misogynistic idiots. Typically, so many misogynists are female themselves. They're like turkeys voting for Christmas. :crazyq:

By the way, does anyone remember when the same 'newspaper' ran an article suggesting that Emo's were some sort of suicide cult for the young. Well, 300 Emo types marched on their offices. That was fantastic. :rollin:

[Pallas]

Holy moly, that's one of the most idiotic thing's I've ever heard XD

I tend to fall for women with short hair. If that article was true, that'd be really sad for me XD

[Arctic]

I couldn't even read it through, it was fo full of it :laugh:

I have been a short haired person all my life, untill the recent years, and can remember one time I got into an interesting conversation with a man. Granted alcohol was involved. He said I must hate men and be a feminist (with all possible negative connotations, he kind of spit the word out like a curse word) because of my hair. I couldn't believe my ears! OK I am a femist and was then too but it is something positive to me, and I don't hate men. He had things so mixed up and he was clearly made his mind that all women with short hair were feminists. He also had some other interesting thoughts about equality of genders :rolleyes:

What really was "funny" with this, was that at that time my hair wasn't even short-short, it was a bob. And the man was in a public occupation as a police officer so he should be above such stereotyping (he was spending his free time then, ofcourse).

I tried to explain to him that my hair had nothing to with my views, that short styles just suit my hairtype better (thin, straigh) and I had never been able to get it grow (this was obviously before LHC!).

I was once interviewed in a local newspaper about my feminism with couple of other young women and I told this story, and the other interviewees had similar stories to share. And this is Finland, a country that's supposed to be one of the most gender equal coutries in the world!

[Toadstool]

I think they must have completly forgotten about the Flappers. Incredibly short hair and the most sexually free era before the 60s-70s hit.

Exactly what I was thinking. They even cite the Twenties and manage to miss this point.

But on a PERSONAL note, I did cut all my hair off to an inch long in November in order to reduce my attractiveness to men. This was for personal reasons after I was followed home by a man I couldn't get rid`of. I am now growing it a bit longer. But for a while I did want to give off a vibe of leave me alone and also it gave me much more confidence in walking down the street.

[Xandrra]

Oh come on, its just the Daily Mail, no one should take them seriously. I mean, my first association with the Daily Mail is this slogan: the daily mail is engaged in an ongoing effort to classify every inanimate object into those that cause cancer and those that prevent it.

Here's why: http://kill-or-cure.heroku.com/

If that doesn't prove that they're just desperate for things to write about, BS or not, I don't know what will :)

[FrannyG]

Is this 2010, or am I just dreaming? I can't believe that these sweeping generalizations and stereotypes still exist in this day and age. I read another article recently from The New York Times about women's hair that had my blood boiling as well.

I remember when I was 19 or so, and after having had damaged hair for a while, I cut it fairly short. I felt really good with that cut, and that in itself made me attractive to the opposite sex. And uh--I wasn't feeling the least bit asexual at the time, I assure you.

We still have such a long way to go as women. Honestly, when I was a university student some 30 years ago, I would never have believed that women were still being pigeonholed in such negative ways.

Toadstool, what you did is not uncommon for women in certain situations, and I think that even aside from your hair, you were likely putting out a "hands off" vibe. But most women who have short hair just like it that way. Period. They feel good about themselves and sexy with their short hair the way many of us feel good about ourselves and sexy with long hair.

:steam

Great find there, Lamb. :thumbsup:

[Toadstool]

Toadstool, what you did is not uncommon for women in certain situations, and I think that even aside from your hair, you were likely putting out a "hands off" vibe. But most women who have short hair just like it that way. Period. They feel good about themselves and sexy with their short hair the way many of us feel good about ourselves and sexy with long hair.



Oh absolutely. I think a lot of short hair looks great and on some people better than long hair. I was just explaining what cutting it meant to me on a personal level at one time in my life.

[RavennaNight]

Let's face it. Wether our hair is long or short, someone always has ASSumptions as to why. Does there have to be a deeper reason to everything a woman does? Can't it just be to look and feel good about onesself? Oh wait. It's just to look good? That must mean she's shallow. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[FrannyG]

Oh absolutely. I think a lot of short hair looks great and on some people better than long hair. I was just explaining what cutting it meant to me on a personal level at one time in my life.

I totally understood you, Toadstool. I should have made a new paragraph after the sentence that I wrote for you, as I was not aiming those points at you specifically at all. I apologize for the confusion. :flower:

[Lamb]

Let's face it. Wether our hair is long or short, someone always has ASSumptions as to why. Does there have to be a deeper reason to everything a woman does? Can't it just be to look and feel good about onesself? Oh wait. It's just to look good? That must mean she's shallow. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

You've hit the nail on the head, RavennaNight. :( We just can't win.

About the flappers - I'm still hung up on the fact that after they have discussed the short hair trend in the 1920s and how it was easier to wear for women at the workplace, they go on to say that short hair "has always had negative historical connotations." So, women at the workplace is a negative historical connotation??? :wacko: Wow. Just wow.

[IndigoAsh]

Hmm, am I reading this correctly? It's almost offensive! lol. How sexist of an article. If I cut my hair, it's cause I want to cut my hair. I had short hair the majority of my life, looking at photos it made me look incredibly awful and was more upkeep than having long hair. It's more practical for me to have long hair as a busy mom/wife than short hair. Where is this written law that says we have to cut our hair when we get 'old'?? Now sure their is some truth to this article I'm sure, just very little. Just amazing.

And they just totally say that long hair on an older women looks desperate??? How awful. :disgust: How can you compare a mini skirt to long hair? It's two totally, completely different things :justy: . Uff... ok ... I have a diary for this.

[Toadstool]

I totally understood you, Toadstool. I should have made a new paragraph after the sentence that I wrote for you, as I was not aiming those points at you specifically at all. I apologize for the confusion. :flower:
No problem. :-):)

[Katurday]

"Long hair on a woman shouts: 'Pull me, please!' Newly-cut hair represents a different relationship to her sexuality and her sexual life."

...
I have absolutely nothing to say to that...except whoever tries to pull my mane will get a lesson in my dominance.

Now excuse me, I'm gonna go figure out just according to this article long hair means...am I the submissive virgin sexually dominant temptress?

[Unofficial_Rose]

"Long hair on a woman shouts: 'Pull me, please!' Newly-cut hair represents a different relationship to her sexuality and her sexual life."

...
I have absolutely nothing to say to that...except whoever tries to pull my mane will get a lesson in my dominance.



Not sure if this is a deliberate play on words by you, Katurday, but to 'Pull' someone in the UK means to, er, not sure of the Canadian/US equivalent - closest would be 'Pull me' means 'Please hit on me', not 'Please pull my hair'.

What charming tabloid newspapers we have in the UK. :rolleyes: They are not called the 'gutter press' for nothing.

[Katurday]

Not sure if this is a deliberate play on words by you, Katurday, but to 'Pull' someone in the UK means to, er, not sure of the Canadian/US equivalent - closest would be 'Pull me' means 'Please hit on me', not 'Please pull my hair'.

What charming tabloid newspapers we have in the UK. :rolleyes: They are not called the 'gutter press' for nothing.
OH. I got a weird sadomasochistic mental image and cringed. Good to know they aren't going THAT low.

[Bonkers57]

Being 40DDD, I'd find it hard to believe anyone would mistake me for a man, either!

"DO I SMELL LIKE MAN!?" :rollin:




Everytime one of my classmates says to me "Why have you cut your hair you look like a boy" I'm inclined to answer "I'm sorry, do you not see anything below my neck? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE BODY OF A BOY TO YOU!? DO THESE EYEBROWS LOOK BOYISH?! DO I SMELL LIKE MAN!?".

[ReluctantlyCurl]

Although I pretty much despised every bit of this article, I also found it interesting. In part, it brings up a decent point, albeit you have to stretch/search for it; regardless of how we perceive long or short hair specifically, it is certainly important to us. While I think tying it to sexuality or prowess is for the most part bs, I kind of wonder why it is important, why I spend so much time, attention, and money on it.

In high school, I got my head shaved. To be honest, I did not know it was going to turn out that short; I brought in a picture, and it didn't look quite buzzed. But it was definitely a very short pixie; there is no real sense in splitting hairs. Anyway, I don't think it was self-mutilation, like everyone claimed when Britney Spears shaved her head. I was moody, but who wasn't in high school? Of course, even with a longer pixie cut, I was immediately dubbed a lesbian. I remember being 15, having a C cup and wearing a decently low-cut shirt (well, low cut for a 15 year old...) that fit a bit snug, and still being called "sir" - I pity the men that look like me! At the very least, they have back pain! :D

I did not bother to read the entire article, as it was repetitive, but I do not recall seeing the lesbian angle; it appears that they have replaced one sexual orientation conclusion with another (asexuality).

When I decided I wanted to grow my hair out, as silly as it seems, I thought I would be instantly more attractive, or at least normal; no more defense of my sexuality! While I am no longer told randomly that I am a lesbian, I have found, like many here, that there are some long-hair haters out there, too. I am regularly called a "hippie", and I have come upon men who, while not completely turned off by longer hair, would prefer something more mid-length.

I am barely waist length, which I think is long, but not "abnormally" so (I use that in a statistical sense, and in no other). I found it funny that when they spoke of "long" hair, they discussed the movement of shoulder-length hair; not really that luxuriously long, in my opinion (although still beautiful, especially on a person who is happy with shoulder-length hair).

Finally, no offense to all the old ladies out there that sport the frosted Golden Girls perm, but screw that! Short hair or long hair, I have always vowed to have long hair when I'm a little old lady! If that makes me a desperate old-lady-whore, then so be it!

[Rivanariko]

You know, I know a lot of girls my age (early 20s) who have pixie cuts. Not a one of them seems to have lost interest in sex, or has the intent of distancing herself from her sexuality.
Actually, in my group of friends, it's the long hairs that were the "prudes". Basically, I don't think there's any real relationship. My long hair makes me feel sexy and feminine. My good friend cut off her hip-length hair to a pixie because it made her feel sexy and flirty. She even has a fairly androgynous body type. No one seemed to have any difficulty in figuring out that she was a woman, however!

I think we need to accept that hair means something different to everyone. Some people do cut their hair because they don't want to be attractive to the opposite (or same!) sex. Other women "let themselves go" and don't bother trimming or maintaining a short cut because they don't care about impressing someone anymore.
Some people just get bored with their hair and decide to change it.
We are not cookie cutters!

[MAO]

What a crock of baloney! I just HAVE to throw in that I completely chopped off (tired of the bleach damage!) my hair last Friday. This is the shortest it has ever been. I'm talking SHORT, as in the lady used an electric razor on my hairline. And the funniest thing happened! For the first time I can recall in our relationship, my husband told me last night that he liked my new haircut! People at work told me I look younger!

So yeah, crock of :poop:

[Alun]

There's a certain amount of truth to it. They just exaggerate.

Some women do cut their hair off to look less attractive, and some of them succeed! It makes a difference what nature gave them to work with.

I'm not against short hair per se though, as long as DW doesn't cut her hair short! I have even dated short haired women in the past. I'm more against going shorter than having short hair to start with. Sorry if that doesn't make sense.

I don't view other guys with short hair as some kind of enemy either, although if it's very short it is like a red warning flag to me. Simply put, I remember skinheads who were like walking ticking time bombs, and it's still hard for me to understand that guys with crewcuts aren't automatically dangerous sociopaths.

[ericthegreat]

There's a certain amount of truth to it. They just exaggerate.

Some women do cut their hair off to look less attractive, and some of them succeed! It makes a difference what nature gave them to work with.

I'm not against short hair per se though, as long as DW doesn't cut her hair short! I have even dated short haired women in the past. I'm more against going shorter than having short hair to start with. Sorry if that doesn't make sense.

I don't view other guys with short hair as some kind of enemy either, although if it's very short it is like a red warning flag to me. Simply put, I remember skinheads who were like walking ticking time bombs, and it's still hard for me to understand that guys with crewcuts aren't automatically dangerous sociopaths.

Hi Alun, I definitely respect your life experience and I'm sure you have hard earned wisdom that I haven't even begun to learn yet.
But I have to say, I personally disagree with your opinion about hair.

I would hope that if hypothetically, your wife ever decided that she wanted a very short haircut, that you would of course still feel the same love for her that you have always felt and still see her as the beautiful woman that she is. :)

And speaking as a hairstylist, I can definitely tell you that there are many women that can definitely look just as sexy and attractive with short hair as they would with long hair. Especially if a woman has a very beautiful face, giving her a very short pixie cut or even shaving off all her hair can actually make her look even more beautiful. It would bring all the attention to her eyes, make her cheeks stand out, and highlight her natural, beautiful bone structure. Halle Berry is the perfect example of such a woman. :)

And I certainly hope that you don't think that every man out there with a shaved head or a crew cut is automatically a violent or bad guy. For instance, all the young men in our armed forces are required to keep their hair in a military style crew cut, and they are the bravest men out of all of us for helping to protect our country. Many of my dearest friends and mentors are in fact Army men and one is in the Air Force, and they are all both the strongest(and I mean strong as in a strong heart) and kindest men I've ever met.

[SunDreamer76]

I think there is a grain of truth to some parts of the article, but mostly it's just a load of media doing what media does... which usually makes someone feel inadequate in some way. :(

My BF occasionally sees a woman with short hair and he'll say that women has "given up" on herself... implying that she's no longer attempting to make herself attractive. Keep in mind, he's fine with me wearing zero make-up and having my hair in a bun most of the time. I think he's just wired to find long hair feminine and short hair not-so-much. A personal preference. I, on the other hand, often see women with short hair and find it very attractive... a nice neck is a beautiful feature. Short hair seems to be more sassy than long hair to me. And as far as older women with long hair... I LOVE TO SEE IT... especially the long gray hair -- just lovely. My dad went gray in his 30s... and so has my brother, there's a part of me that hopes the same happens here, I wouldn't mind at all!

Another thought about this is the pressure of society. I think it's assumed that "professional" women should appear a certain way... more manly -- think short hair, business suits, etc. Perhaps this is my own soapbox as I feel I'm often overlooked at work because of my "softer" appearance... long hair, long skirts, no make-up... meanwhile I'm a dedicated employee with a strong work ethic (thanks dad!), but I think I'm not taken as seriously as some other women who "look the part". I'm not willing to "look the part" -- I yam what I yam.

[Maddy25]

I cut my hair short recently and it was not because I dont like sex or because I want to look unattractive, so that part is false. However the part about cutting it when in a stable relationship is true to me anyways. My fiance would love me with no hair at all, it doesnt matter to him. So when I said I was going to cut my hair off because I didnt want to spend much time on it, I didnt have to worry about attracting other men, although I do think I look just as nice with it short as I did long, lots of guys have told me it was great to see a girl wear their hair short...it doesnt repel them at all.

[Fractalsofhair]

I think this may be true if the woman is getting her hair cut short because she feels like she has to. Many middle aged women get their hair cut very short because they view themselves as old and asexual, and many mothers get their hair cut for ease of wear, and the fact they just don't think long hair is proper for a mother. Many older men buzz their hair due to balding, and thinking that a father shouldn't have long hair as well.(My brother got his knee length hair cut to a normal length for males when he became a father.) Then there are the breakup hair cuts, and haircuts due to damage. If a person has a short hair cut because they prefer short hair for a time, then I don't think it says terribly much, especially if it's a flattering style. Getting short hair because you feel you have to can make you feel much less attractive. When I had my pixie due to damage, it took a couple of weeks for me to see it as a cute haircut, and still think my face didn't look off. Now that I can sorta put it in a ponytail, my face looks much more normal with the hair off it, IMO.

I don't think short(not buzzed or shaved) hair makes a man much less attractive, but long hair does look better on most people, IMO. I do like short hair when it's styled in a funky way, like a mohawk, but I don't like just a generic short look.

The article is quite sexist though, and that's a bit offensive. Shoulder length isn't terribly long for un horribly processed hair, IMO.

As far as Irma goes, a few grays isn't a reason to chop hair! You can have long gray hair!

[Heidi_234]

And I certainly hope that you don't think that every man out there with a shaved head or a crew cut is automatically a violent or bad guy. For instance, all the young men in our armed forces are required to keep their hair in a military style crew cut, and they are the bravest men out of all of us for helping to protect our country. Many of my dearest friends and mentors are in fact Army men and one is in the Air Force, and they are all both the strongest(and I mean strong as in a strong heart) and kindest men I've ever met.
I think Alun knows to not 'discriminate' (in his mind, that is) military personnel. Everybody knows they are forced to keep their hair super short. I think it's more about those who choose to keep their hair short that bothers him, and I can relate.

Think of it this way - it's like big guys with tattoos all over. They might not be bag guys as such, but certain groups that are included there could be rather alarming - gangsters, white supremacists, skinheads, etc etc. So yes, people (man, for the most part), with certain type of appearance can be very intimidating to encounter. They might be just good soldiers and talented guitarists, but the feeling is still there. :rolleyes:

[Alun]

I think Alun knows to not 'discriminate' (in his mind, that is) military personnel. Everybody knows they are forced to keep their hair super short. I think it's more about those who choose to keep their hair short that bothers him, and I can relate.

Think of it this way - it's like big guys with tattoos all over. They might not be bag guys as such, but certain groups that are included there could be rather alarming - gangsters, white supremacists, skinheads, etc etc. So yes, people (man, for the most part), with certain type of appearance can be very intimidating to encounter. They might be just good soldiers and talented guitarists, but the feeling is still there. :rolleyes:

I'm not very pro military I'm afraid, but OTOH there are many military personnel in this area and I've known a lot of them and get on well with them in practice. I tell myself that they aren't the ones starting wars, which is true of course, it's only the politicians that can do that. DW often makes friends with women whose husbands turn out to be in the military. The problem is in fact that just when we get to know them they are moved somewhere else!

It's difficult to explain, but where I come from there isn't any tradition that crewcuts are more 'respectable' or anything like that. The image of the 'clean-cut all-American boy' is just that - American, period. Even our soldiers don't have to wear their hair as short as that, although it has to be above the collar/ears.

In England there are I think as many as three role models of guys with shaved heads. The first is escaped convict, even though they haven't been forced to have their heads shaved for more than a century. Like in the US, there are some men who want to look like they just got out of jail, even if they didn't. Think of those in the US who want to look like 'gangstas' and so wear their trousers falling down, it's the same idea. The second is skinhead, with a tendency to neo-fascist. Some of those who chose the skinhead look used to go to soccer games every week just to fight with people who supported a different team, back when I was growing up. The third role model is recent fashion, apparently inspired by hair loss (!), and certainly not predating the 1990s. Given that I came to America a little before that became popular, it took me a while to talk myself into believing that men with crewcuts weren't dangerous, and there is that gut reaction that never quite goes away.

My experience on this issue isn't more profound or anything like that, it's just not the same experience that an American or a younger person would have had.

There are probably people out there who think that men with long hair are dangerous deviants, LOL! I jest, but I think there are.

Maybe all that is a bit OT, as I think the thread was mainly about women with short hair.

I don't think short hair would suit DW, honestly. It looks best, IMHO, on women who are petite and have thin faces, which would be someone else. Naturally, I don't agree when people say that long hair only looks good with a certain face shape, though! OK, so my logic isn't perfect. Of course, if she wanted to get her hair cut short I couldn't stop her, but I'd do my best to talk her out of it.

[Igraine]

I quite understand your sentiments regarding your wife's hair, Alun. It is one thing when you try to change someone to fit your ideas (quite wrong), and another if they already do fit this idea, but they try to change otherwise (then it's ok to try to convince them not to).

I'd have to lie to say that, if I had a long-haired BF and he thought of cutting, I'd keep silent and not even try to talk him out of it. In some sense it would be in his best interest too: I feel *close to zero* attraction towards GI Joe /crewcut hairstyles. Why would he want that? ;) Of course, if he went for a soft male haircut, that wouldn't be such a drama.

[hermosamendoza]

looks like another person with too much time on their hands who wrote this. I do relate with the women who shaved her head at the age of 14. I noticed whenever I wasn't happy with life or felt un-liked by the oposite sex I used to lop off my hair saying whatever to the world of beauty. I did that until I was about 15. I always felt like less of a female than my sisters or mom.

I think that is part of my obsession with long hair. The longer it is (and the better I care for it) I feel more feminine. I dont dress up like my sister and I dont wear lots of makeup like my mom and other sister. I dont have the time or the patience or the need to look like I am a talk show host every day but I feel a primal femininity that comes with long hair.....and i feel that my hair is long while my 6 mo old just rolled across the bed just to tug on it for the fun of it!

[Alvrodul]

A truly bizarre article. A woman is supposed to have long hair while she is young and nubile - if she isn't, she is a ****. And when she gets too old to be considered sexually attractive, she must cut it. lest she get attention from the male half of the population.:justy:
And they say nothing about our brothers on the board. What are they - homosexuals all?:crazyq:

:brainbleach:

Hairstyle is very much a matter of fashion, and these days, personal preference. Not that the idiots who have written this article would have been able to find a clue even if one was presented to them on a silver platter!:brickwall

[Shimmy]

Men, men, men. Sex, sex, sex. That's all we think about, we crazy women.


:rollin::bowtome::rollin:

[Elainehali]

my room mate has short hair and believe me, that's one gal who's not "off" sex lol!

plus, "nothing had changed when Botticelli painted the Birth of Venus, complete with those flowing locks, millennia later."

The painting originally had long hair, but was later changed to be SUPER long to cover her privates as a way to sensor sexual parts out of the picture.

[missfortune9335]

wow, people find ways to overanalyze *everything*! I've had extremely short hair a few times in my life ranging from a 1" - 2" pixie cut to APL length and back again. It never had anything to do with anything other than I thought it looked cute and was in the mood for a change at the time (I had obviously not been bitten by the long hair bug yet! lol)

[Erinshay]

I think hair has whatever meaning the person wearing it gives it. That can be anything to nothing at all. Personally, I have always had shoulder length hair. After break ups I always chopped my hair off for "cleansing" It was my way to erase bad memories... I chose for my hair to have that meaning. My hair is now down to my bra-strap because I view it as a part of my life experiences (no more cleansing) =D Everyone is different

Thats just my two-cents on the matter!

[Laylah]

The talk of crewcuts and skinheads, etc, is kind of alarming to me because most of the men I know have crewcuts but they are definitely not in those groups... My dad has a crewcut but he is the most peaceful, vegetarian kind hearted person I know. I was more brought up to be suspicious of long haired men (lol, unfortunately) but of course I don't feel that way anymore, especially after LHC and real life exposure. :)

[Igor]

I found this ridiculous article a few days ago. I know it's just the Daily Mail at it again, but still. :rolleyes:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1092019/Does-short-haircut-mean-women-gone-sex.html

Why can't women have whatever hair they want to have, without people (of both genders) reading nonexistent meanings into their hair length, colour, texture, etc? :rolleyes:

Ah, I was hoping someone could find and link to an article like this!
Whenever someone posts the “I’m being suppressed because I want/have long hair!” threads I can’t help but think that when it comes to hair, we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t…
Whatever cut, colour, style, accessory we use, someone will always say its wrong and we should do something else! (Especially self-declared “experts”)

So my point is: Do whatever makes you happy with your hair and ignore the unwanted “advice” other people love to give

[Joliebaby]

Haha.
I had lots of short cuts when I was young - I preferred to look cute and spunky and the ease was great, I've always been a wash-and-go kinda gal. And I always had boys interested in me, I met my husband and we started dating when my hair was very short.. And it has never had ANYTHING to do with my libido :D
Conversely, when I became pregnant I finally felt like a WOMAN, not a girl, and let my hair grow out. I no longer get tempted by cute short cuts. I'm also finally comfortable in my body, and I have lost my interest in clothing trends as well..
It's true that historically short hair on women was a mark of independence and strength if you will, however long hair makes me feel like a strong woman.

[Merlin]

Generally you don't get articles like this in The Guardian do you...

[pepperminttea]

Ugg. Yeah, this is why several of the feminist blogs I frequent call them The Daily Fail.

:laugh: So true!

[drquartz1970]

just another example of pseudo pop psychology driven by market forces. just the sort of article you would see in a gutter tabloid paper. what a load of bollocks that is. they probably had a slow news day and used it to fill in space.

[Chrissy]

I did not read the whole story as I thought it ridiculous!! I saw a couple of comments and it seems people go both ways. The short hair and sex correlation is so stupid. I thought Demi Moore in Ghost was beautiful and very attractive. (Pottery scene anyone???) Here is one comment I copied for a very wrong thought on older women with long hair.

What a load of codswallop. When "older" women hang onto their longer hair in the hopes it makes them looks younger, it does the complete opposite and they look sad and old.

[Nae]

Ehhh, this is just like any other tabloid writing. Sex sells. Fashion sells. They trotted out a few supposed "experts" to give people fodder for judging their neighbors. They threw a few things in there that had a grain of truth to it. Such as, women sometimes changing their hairstyle when they go through a huge life change. This all adds up to pretty top notch yellow journalism but anyone with a thinking brain isn't going to fall for this stuff.

Good try Daily Mail, good try. You almost had me there for a minute. :rolleyes:

[dropinthebucket]

I dunno - men have been pretty turned on by the gamin look for a long time (read into that whatever you might!) - and if "long hair is shorthand for sexual attractiveness," then hey, that explains why i LOVE long-haired *men*! very attractive ;)

[lapushka]

I stopped reading after the first paragraph, because it's nonsense. Who ever said that "deliberately reducing one's attractiveness" equals cutting off your hair.

[ButterCream]

*Sigh* what a silly article...:rolleyes:

I am going to say something that may shock these people responsible for this article......

In my book we women, wether we cut our hair or grow it long is........ (brace yourselves!!)

We like a CHANGE once in a while!

We actually can change our minds.
We like a change sometimes.

And we do indeed like to decide how we want it without being analyzed from top to bottom by "analysts" claiming they have the answer to why we do what we do, like lab rats....

Shorthaired women grow it out, longhaired women chop it off...
Some grow and chop- grow and chop, and others just grow and grow and grow because they want it longer as time passes, and that is change enough...

We are creatures that needs to be analyzed now because some women cut their long hair super short or others again grow it long even after retiring or whatever?

I mean really?:rolleyes:

In conclusion:
*Sigh* what a silly article...:rolleyes: