TV make overs, why do they always chop the hair!?

[hemolymph]

I notice a lot on TV shows where make overs are involved anyone with long hair always gets it chopped off by the stylist.
This morning it was a lady with beautiful long blond hair and the stylist dude was like "We need to change this, long hair is boring" so he chopped it up to her shoulders, added bangs, etc etc

I just find it amazing that "long hair" is boring when hardly anyone has real long hair these days! It's anything BUT boring to me!

[jane53]

Because they're designed by stylists.

[trillcat]

I notice a lot on TV shows where make overs are involved anyone with long hair always gets it chopped off by the stylist.
This morning it was a lady with beautiful long blond hair and the stylist dude was like "We need to change this, long hair is boring" so he chopped it up to her shoulders, added bangs, etc etc

I just find it amazing that "long hair" is boring when hardly anyone has real long hair these days! It's anything BUT boring to me!
Because it is dramatic. Good TV.
Chop the locks off, make it hurt (think Nick Arrojo, from "What Not to Wear" "We are going to chop off a lot of hair" as he razors them all into a sad bob and throws the hair into their lap. Real nice.

[hemolymph]

Argh! =) It hurts to watch them cut something off that I want! I keep thinking "I'll take it, I'll take it.. send the hair to me, I'll glue it on" LOL

[tyrant1100]

My theory is that short hair is in because it's considered to be less work than caring for longer hair (one can argue that logic. I've worn both short and long and both require effort to looking good, IMO). Since modern society is generally high stress and fast paced, people (presumably) want to look good in a very short amount of time. Stylists go for what's popular at the moment and assume the busy, multi-tasking person will want what they perceive to being a low maintenance cut. Long hair probably looks fussy with an overly complicated routine to most onlookers (they need to come here for an education!).

Also, since it's a makeover on TV, they want to make the most visual impact when it comes to changing the person's look. Chopping long hair off is a very dramatic way of doing this and far more obvious than some makeup and clothing changes. I've always noticed when they do men that, inevitably, if the man has full facial hair before, he gets clean shaven or noticeably trimmed down after. So it's not just women losing their hair in that scenerio.

[MissMB]

I guess at best they expect them to think "Wow! This is such a dramatic difference! I suppose I could get used to it, it feels really lightweight and fresh." But sure enough I'm certain some time went by and they were missing those long locks. I guess the whole idea is change, not necessarily improvement..

[spidermom]

To go on those shows, one must be ready for change, and going from long to short is a dramatic change. As someone already said "good TV", but only if you like that sort of thing. I don't like TV. Period.

[*Aoife*]

It looks dramatic which they always want because it draws viewers in.

I think they also think long hair is boring. If you don't know what to do with it, it kinda is (I love it though, don't get me wrong!!!!!)

[tyrant1100]

See, it's the assumption that long hair is boring that really gets me. Long hair can be worn up in countless ways, it can be worn half up in countless ways. It can be "sculpted" and arranged. Down is just another option and even then, things can still be done to it to make it look beautiful. Short hair has more limited possibilities just by there being less material to work with, IMO. I don't get why long hair is considered boring. *shrug*

Of course, this is a long hair forum so I'm bound to be biased. :D

[maybe sparrow]

I agree--for the high drama.

There was an episode of WNTW that I LOVED, though, where she refused to hack it all off, and headed off Arrojo's plan to Blonde her before he even SAID it.

[*Aoife*]

I agree--for the high drama.

There was an episode of WNTW that I LOVED, though, where she refused to hack it all off, and headed off Arrojo's plan to Blonde her before he even SAID it.

Was she a nanny or some job like that?
I LOVED her hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Medievalmaniac]

We should propose a counter-show to their shows called "What to do with long hair". Instead of getting contestants and letting the stylists chop their hair off, we could get contestants with BSL or longer hair who don't know how to style it themselves, and then get some folks from the board with mad long hair updo skills to show the stylists, on the air, what to do with long hair. I would watch that, and I hate reality TV, lol.

[maybe sparrow]

Was she a nanny or some job like that?
I LOVED her hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She was singer in a band, I think. It was a while back.

[Tiina]

I think a part of it is because non-longhairs can usually think of only three casual styles for long hair. Braid, pony and the basic bun. Anything more and it is either too fancy or too much work for everyday wear.

The last time I visited a salon (February) I had my hair in 3 pincurls and a bun and my stylist couldn't believe I had done it at home, in less than 10 minutes and using no products. :rolleyes:

[Carina]

I just avoid those shows to be honest.I want to look like "me" and not a copy from some magazine.

[kabelaced]

I don't like TV. Period.

Amen to that! ;) I think it would be more interesting if they gave people with long hair different updos or something like that, so that way they can still appreciate not "modernizing" their hair (*cough cough making it look like everyone else's hairstyle cough cough*). But the way you looked before is never good enough - you're on a makeover show, of course. :eek:

[luckyduck]

I can almost guarantee that they grow it back!

[Long_hair_guy]

Personally I believe that hair stylists are just cutters. You go up to them and say you can do anything to my hair they will cut it short because it makes them look like they have done something.

What is more noticeable? Giving someone a trim or removing half of their hair.

[slythwolf]

I think they want to cut because it keeps them in business. If you convince everyone they have to have short hair, well, it's harder to trim it yourself at home if you can't just pull the ends in front of your face to S&D, and then you have to go back in every 6-8 weeks (at least that's what they tell you) and pay for them to cut it.

[-simply Venus-]

In my opinion, it sort of is boring. =P But I'm fine with boring =D Lol. I have a love for short fashionable hair, and long flowing hair. Probably the only reason I chose to do the latter is because I don't want to straighten my hair everyday because I'm too lazy, ha. But I want layers that start at my chin, if it's possible to do that and look good, so I can pin the underneath hair up and it'll look like I have a bob 8]

[humble_knight]

I think they want to cut because it keeps them in business. If you convince everyone they have to have short hair, well, it's harder to trim it yourself at home if you can't just pull the ends in front of your face to S&D, and then you have to go back in every 6-8 weeks (at least that's what they tell you) and pay for them to cut it.

If hairstylists want to cut long hair short so they stay in business, how do the specialist long-hair salons, e.g. George Michael salons, survive? :hmm:

[RoseRed27]

It's dramatic. It makes for good TV. And honestly, I've seen plenty of shows where they added extensions to short hair. It's almost never past waist because waist is considered quite long. (For most non LHC members). I've seen curly hair straightened and straight hair curled. I've seen brunettes made blonde and vice versa. And I've seen many people made into redheads. Red hair is very dramatic.

For all who enjoy TV. from time to time, how dramatic or enjoyable would a makeover show be if all they did was iron the clothes and brush the hair? No one wants to watch a reality show about a mother doing laundry or grocery shopping. It has to be out of the ordinary for people to be the least bit interested. We all love long hair here, so that's the only reason I can see for upset.

I get equally upset when the participant is Black with natural hair and they straighten it! Ugh! Awful to me. :wail: But they mostly do it because a bigger change is more dramatic. And drama makes for good TV. I would prefer if they simply "polished" the looks, but a drastic change makes more money.

[GRU]

And honestly, I've seen plenty of shows where they added extensions to short hair. It's almost never past waist because waist is considered quite long. (For most non LHC members). I've seen curly hair straightened and straight hair curled. I've seen brunettes made blonde and vice versa. And I've seen many people made into redheads. Red hair is very dramatic.

In other words, the statement that they're trying to make to women is that no matter WHAT you look like, it's not good enough unless you completely change it, at great expense of both money and time. :rolleyes:

This was probably 15-20 years ago, but I remember watching a show that had a makeover on it, and the woman (who was a mom who also worked full-time outside the home) was asking the stylist how long it was going to take her to do it (hair and makeup) at home. She about fell off the chair when he said, "You should ALWAYS take at least an hour for your grooming in the morning -- because YOU'RE WORTH IT!!!" (he was referring ONLY to hair/makeup... shower, brushing/flossing teeth, etc., was all on top of the hour that was his absolute minimum)

Talk about being out of touch with your client! Taking an extra hour per day for something as superficial as hair/makeup when that hour has to come out of your all-too-precious sleep time is absolutely insane! I typically only get 5-6 hours of sleep on a weeknight, and this doofus would tell me to get even less sleep "because I'm worth it"??? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[TrudieCat]

In other words, the statement that they're trying to make to women is that no matter WHAT you look like, it's not good enough unless you completely change it, at great expense of both money and time. :rolleyes:

This.

Sometimes the makeover architects on these shows describe long hair not only as boring, but as something like a security blanket. They'll make it seem like there's something safe about long hair, and so if you cut your hair you are somehow breaking free of that security blanket that you've been clinging to that's actually been holding you back. I really dislike it when they frame long hair like that. Growing long hair is a real personal commitment that requires lots of time and patience.

But we've got pretty short attention spans these days. I mean, the home makeover team will build a whole new house in the amount of time it takes me to read a novel. The hair makeover team has to perform some dramatic hair magic to compete with that.

[slythwolf]

I saw an episode of What Not to Wear the other day where they cut a woman's hair because it made her look "too young". A) WHAT and B) the cut they gave her made her look about 15 years old.

[JenniferNoel]

Drama, ratings, and sucking money out of the pockets of beautiful, unsuspecting long hairs who wish to fit in to "trendy society".
That's how the industry works, folks, they tell you you don't look good enough and say they can change that, you spend the bucks, and boom, they win.
TV shows do, in fact, help with that very evil form of business, by portraying the same image.
I stand by GRU's post. :)

[UltraBella]

I have conflicting emotions about it. Sometimes the excitement of the makeover is awesome ! Some people truly look a ton better and are happy about it. But, I know that the first thing a makeover show would want to do to me is chop all my hair off and my hair does not do well short. At all !
I see a lot of really damaged long hair that I can't help but feel would look better with a large amount of length cut off....... And I think change is fun, but it has to be the right change for the individual. And only if they desire a change in the first place.

[chelssix]

I think that a lot of it is that the people who go on that kind of show feel that their overall style is lacking, that it's holding them back in some respect. And, yeah, I can see why even the most beautiful long hair would feel boring and not very stylish if you don't know what to do with it, or if it's just not the way you want it anymore. I do speak from experience- never went and had a makeover, but for a while I was very bored with my hair. My layers were grown out, and the color didn't feel exciting, so I added a face frame and a panel of pink throughout the face frame.

Is that the same as chopping it all off? No, but I considered chopping for a few days, before I realized that I'd miss being able to do all my different buns and fun styles. But to someone who doesn't really know any styles for their length, and is sick of trying to get it to do what they want? I can see why cutting it would be an exciting option.

[Jessica Trapp]

Drama and controversy.

One time I saw one of those "insta-makeover" shows and the woman was still standing there kinda stunned when the guy hacked her hair off right on the street. Frankly, it looked more like assault than anything helpful. But that's JMO.

jes

[Asequui]

I can't stand that guy on What Not To Wear! My mother and I used to watch that show occasionally and we both agreed the only thing he seems to know how to do is short hack jobs. Half the time, the short hair doesn't even lay right. "We're gonna chop a lot of hair"...Oh no we're not Mr. Scissor-happy-good-lord-look-at-your-own-hair! :shudder:
Funny thing is, I've only seen 1, maybe 2 women outright refuse to have their hair cut. I don't know, but if I had spent that much time, effort, and money on growing my hair I wouldn't hesitate to tell that man precisely where he could stick his scissors...

[frodolaughs]

TV show makeovers have to do something dramatic so that it's easy to see that they've done something. Chopping off a foot or more of hair is dramatic, fast, and gives immediate results. I don't think it really matters (for the purposes of those shows, which is pulling in eyeballs for the advertisers) whether the end result actually looks better or worse than the starting point as long as it's dramatically different.

[Asequui]

I can't stand that guy on What Not To Wear! My mother and I used to watch that show occasionally and we both agreed the only thing he seems to know how to do is short hack jobs. Half the time, the short hair doesn't even lay right. "We're gonna chop a lot of hair"...Oh no we're not Mr. Scissor-happy-good-lord-look-at-your-own-hair! :shudder:
Funny thing is, I've only seen 1, maybe 2 women outright refuse to have their hair cut. I don't know, but if I had spent that much time, effort, and money on growing my hair I wouldn't hesitate to tell that man precisely where he could stick his scissors...

[ibleedlipstick]

I think sometimes it is just the stylists view of long hair, and occasionally how the person styles their hair and/or its overall health.

Personally, I used to think long hair was boring, because the only women I know with long hair wear it in this half up ponytail thing every day, tie it with an ugly rubber band, and it is the only style I have ever seen them in, for years on end. Their hair never looks healthy, and to be honest, is very boring.

However, since coming here, I have realized that long hair can be so incredibly interesting. It just depends on the person.

[jera]

I agree with everyone else. They do it for the shock value and also for time consumption. I never watch those makeover shows because I know what's coming and it makes me sick. :o Too many early childhood memories of enforced bad haircuts. :rolleyes:

[Asequui]

Hmm, I just realized I double posted by accident. Sorry bout that yall! My net has been wonky lately (gotta call tech support again) so I ended up refreshing my page when it went down (again:rolleyes:). If someone could maybe delete the first one that'd be great.

[Not Lynn Merely]

I think a part of it is because non-longhairs can usually think of only three casual styles for long hair. Braid, pony and the basic bun. Anything more and it is either too fancy or too much work for everyday wear.

The last time I visited a salon (February) I had my hair in 3 pincurls and a bun and my stylist couldn't believe I had done it at home, in less than 10 minutes and using no products. :rolleyes:

How DO you do it?! ;)

I think that is because a lot of stylists don't really know how to do any real updos. I was a bridesmaid recently, so I followed the bride and two other bridesmaids to the hair salon. I told the bride I would put up my own hair, as I am afraid of heat. The stylists all did the same thing for three different styles:
1) Straighten all the hair with heat.
2) Curl all the hair with heat.
3) Coat all the hair with mousse.
4) Spray all the hair once in place.

The two bridesmaids ended up with rather simple-looking side buns. I was not impressed.


This.

Sometimes the makeover architects on these shows describe long hair not only as boring, but as something like a security blanket. They'll make it seem like there's something safe about long hair, and so if you cut your hair you are somehow breaking free of that security blanket that you've been clinging to that's actually been holding you back. I really dislike it when they frame long hair like that. Growing long hair is a real personal commitment that requires lots of time and patience.

But we've got pretty short attention spans these days. I mean, the home makeover team will build a whole new house in the amount of time it takes me to read a novel. The hair makeover team has to perform some dramatic hair magic to compete with that.

In regards to your security blanket comment: [Video link removed]

This video (girl with ankle-length hair is bullied into letting Tyra Banks cut it, for those who have slow internet) saddens me. The only reason she looks older is because of the outfit she's wearing. Her hair was so lovely...

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Oh that poor girl, that is just a cruel thing to do to her - she was even crying and scared - no compassion or understanding, just, "This is such fun!" (Getting to chop long hair off) It made me really angry watching this. I do realise that the girl must have agreed to have the cut, but it still looks as if she was being bullied into it....

[jacqueline101]

The change factor. You have to be willing to change and long to short is a change.

[piffyanne]

I often have nightmares of being forced to have my hair cut. shudder:

[auburntressed]

10 thingy..............

[piffyanne]

Oh wow, that is ridiculous. They thought a 23 year old looked like she was 40? wtf.

I mean, gosh. I know that a lot of people who are 5-10 years younger than I am look like they are older than me, but so much of that is presentation. I agree that this girl's outfit is what made the audience overestimate. Plus they were probably being encouraged to high ball it based on the context. Even so - If this girl had been wearing trendy clothes and had her hair back in a pony tail or braid, they would not have come up with 40.

ETA: I just want to add this in - If someone starts crying when you are about to cut their hair, DON'T DO IT. Even if they ask you to do it, even if they are begging you to cut it, don't do it. As long as there are tears in their eyes, they aren't ready for it. Unless a person can sit there calmly while it is being cut without having a panic attack, bursting into tears, or showing other signs of distress like shaking - then they are not ready to have their hair cut.

All of this.

Tell me I was not the only one who wondered if she'll resent her fiancee for this? He pressured her into cutting what made her special so she could be like anyone else rather than loving her as she was.

I watched it without audio so missed the conversations, but was very conscious of bodylanguage from Tyra (pretending to be sympathetic. Grr) and the couple... :nono:

[kaydana]

Tell me I was not the only one who wondered if she'll resent her fiancee for this? He pressured her into cutting what made her special so she could be like anyone else rather than loving her as she was.


This was my first thought too.

[FireFromWithin]

Long hair isn't seen as stylish. And since the stylist has probably never had a customer with long hair they didn't cut off they probably don't know how to style it so it's not boring. If all you can do is a ponytail it might seem boring (although I've no idea why long hair is boring down and short hair isn't.) it takes forever to do all the straightening and styling on short hair, long hair can be put in super pretty buns in seconds (or brushed in waves/ curls/ straight).
And they like to make a change, extensions are too expensive and harder to maintain.
At least of the next top model girls cries every season, but if you go on a makeover show you pretty much sign up to it.

[melusine963]

Oh that poor girl, that is just a cruel thing to do to her - she was even crying and scared - no compassion or understanding, just, "This is such fun!" (Getting to chop long hair off) It made me really angry watching this. I do realise that the girl must have agreed to have the cut, but it still looks as if she was being bullied into it....

Judging by people's comments in this thread, I don't think I can make myself watch the video. It sounds horrific.

[laceyfairy]

I pretty much agree with everyone else. Also, an angled bob is probably easy enough to do, since they seem to practice it on all the contestants' hair. I'm sorry about how snarky I sound.

[kaydana]

Melusine963, it is :(

[MonaMayfair]

I don't know about "makeover shows" as I've never seen them, but on shows like America's/Australia's/Canada's Next Top Model they don't always cut long hair.
What they often do though, is to cut long hair and give extensions to someone with short hair.
They also like to lighten dark hair and darken blonde hair.
I find those sort of shows very dull, but I always try to watch the makeover episodes. There's always someone who cries, which is pretty funny, I mean what do they expect, they all know perfectly well what's coming...
Generally they all want the extensions and cry if their hair's short.

[4C4rly4]

I always ask myself that same thing. Whenever I'm watching What Not To Wear and the stylist chops off all her hair, I always wonder Why does he have to go all the way up to her shoulders? Why can't he at least cut it to a little below the shoulders and layer it or something? And I agree with the person who said that short hair actually does make some older women look even older.

[Macaroni]

I hate it. They do it because it's quick with startling results.

[DinaAG]

so typical from them, somehow i feel all the makeovers there are 1 copy

[WaitingSoLong]

Ok so I had to watch the video out of morbid curiosity.

I am so glad I never watch her show. This is fun??? Has she EVER been committed to anything for so long, had any time investment for life SHE had to give up? Ok angry is not a strong enough word. Then she teased the poor girl about it going into her hair weave and THEN handed her ponytail to her...like some lifeless dead appendage. URGH.

Of course the girl did agree to go on the show for that very reason. I have cried after haircuts but not during or before. I was always just sure it was what I wanted until after the fact.

And could they have tried to make her look any older? I mean, that outfit? Who the heck wear that at 23 anyway? And no make-up at all. Really though, the outfit was horrid.

[missketi]

I sometimes watch that show How Do I Look or something like that if I'm really bored. They sometimes leave their cough long hair cough( shoulder lenght of course) and don't chop it but I've noticed that they always dye it. Ughh... I mean some woman has for example natural black hair and the choices for hairstyles are blonde hair, brown hair and red hair(with bangs or not, layers, short)I mean ,couldn't they choose one with black hair too? And I'm annoyed when someone picks a curly hairstyle when they have straight hair. It looks nice when it's curled but don't they realise they have to curl it every day if they want it to look like that because their hair doesn't curl naturally. I mean, honesty..... Sometimes when they chop somebody's hair, I think it's maybe the best option. At least when they are done with the dyeing and curling and all those wonderful thing I think, oh well, at least it's on short hair. And I won't even talk about how they turn every person into a clone. Ah ...all for entertainment.

[renia22]

Wow, that is horrible what they did to that poor girl. She looked cute with the short hair, but clearly she was miserable and they went way too short. That video was from 2010. I was looking for an update on her to see if she grew her hair back, and could not find one, but this video came up:

[Video link removed]

'Tyra the Butcher'

Horrific! Tyra Banks is terrible for doing this to these poor girls, what is wrong with that woman (!)

(if anyone has the stomach for it, look for 'part 3', and check out the look on the girl's face after Tyra ruined her hair)

[WaitingSoLong]

Oh my gosh, does she think she knows how to cut hair??? That was horrible!

[spidermom]

Why in the world are we sharing hair cut videos? I think that's against the rules of the site.
But like a train wreck, I had to look. I wish I could un-see that.

[PolarCathy]

I would have killed that b**** with my bare hands.


Wow, that is horrible what they did to that poor girl. She looked cute with the short hair, but clearly she was miserable and they went way too short. That video was from 2010. I was looking for an update on her to see if she grew her hair back, and could not find one, but this video came up:

[Video link removed]

'Tyra the Butcher'

Horrific! Tyra Banks is terrible for doing this to these poor girls, what is wrong with that woman (!)

(if anyone has the stomach for it, look for 'part 3', and check out the look on the girl's face after Tyra ruined her hair)

[Ligeia_13]

edit: never mind, I found it.

God, Tyra is so patronising, it really gets my goat.

[PolarCathy]

I just watched a few more from this XXXXXX. Since I'm not American, so not familiar with this person.
But my impression is that she's a bossy, arrogant meanie. Just based on the tone of her voice, and her body language.

Horrible videos.

[AutumnLocks]

I used to love watching the makeover shows. Now I really hate to even turn them on. In my opinon when the makeover victim is "turned in" for a makeover by their friends and family it is a way of saying...."Your appearance is not pleasing to us. You need to change yourself to suit they way we think you should look." One episode of What Not To Wear was centered around a yong woman who had been homeless at one time and went to school and become a counceler for young homeless people. She was a beautiful, kind, loving and giving woman. She was also very talented. She would take cast off clothing from dumpsters, thrift stores, yard sales and where ever she could find them and make these beautiful dresses. They were unlike anything I have ever seen. She also wore her hair in very long dreadlocks(not my favorite hairstyle) but she liked them. She didn't look like anyone else. I guess that was her big sin in the eyes of her friends and family. So of course the hosts "helped" her find better clothes and to find "her own style" and of course all of her long hair was cut off up to her chin! I think it's just awful! I love the fact that my long hair makes me stand out from most everyone else around here. Ok....I'm getting down off my soapbox!:steam

[MonaMayfair]

But if they volunteered to let Tyra Banks, who isn't a hairdresser, cut their hair, it's their problem. That girl looked good with shorter hair, even the way Tyra had hacked it off.
Personally I love watching hair makeovers. If people feel like making a change in their appearance, it's always interesting to me to watch them being transformed.

[bunnylake]

I really can't stand Tyra Banks. That woman is such a joke.

[turtlelover]

I can enjoy watching makeovers done to actually make the person look nicer, but the pure "shock value" makeovers on the talk shows are just horrible in my opinion and rarely make a person look better. It is all about DRAMA when it comes to TV. I rarely will watch these shows, because there is usually a lot of emotional bullying and manipulation, and overly predictable results. Blah!

[Not Lynn Merely]

All of this.

Tell me I was not the only one who wondered if she'll resent her fiancee for this? He pressured her into cutting what made her special so she could be like anyone else rather than loving her as she was.

I watched it without audio so missed the conversations, but was very conscious of bodylanguage from Tyra (pretending to be sympathetic. Grr) and the couple... :nono:

The fiancee is much better than he appears without audio. With audio, you can hear how he mentions that her hair is what he first noticed about her, and how it is so beautiful... He is totally smitten. I think that someone else pushed her into going on the show.


Why in the world are we sharing hair cut videos? I think that's against the rules of the site.
But like a train wreck, I had to look. I wish I could un-see that.

I am so sorry, Spidermom! Thank you, LeaM07, for editing my original post.

I apologize to everyone. I thought the video was relevant to the topic, and I did not realize it was in violation. I admit that, when I read the community guidelines, I did not notice the hair-cutting section of #4. I just saw the items about the posts needing to be appropriate for minors, no spam rules, and no text-speak.

[CurlyCurves]

Yeah, that always annoys me too. That, and people with curly hair becoming famous and suddenly straightening their hair 24/7 (Leona Lewis, Taylor Swift - SIGH)

[spidermom]

AOL had a makeover on a man featured today. They cut his hair too, but left it longish. He looked so good with a makeover! I was impressed.

[Amorice]

For all who enjoy TV. from time to time, how dramatic or enjoyable would a makeover show be if all they did was iron the clothes and brush the hair? No one wants to watch a reality show about a mother doing laundry or grocery shopping. It has to be out of the ordinary for people to be the least bit interested.

You are right. They're going for the big "wow factor" when you see the before and after shots, and it wouldn't be "good TV" if there were only subtle differences.

I always have a different beef with these sorts of shows. As someone who enjoys alternative fashions, man oh man are they NOT nice to people who express themselves creatively through fashion! Or at least WNTW is. I used to watch "How Do I Look?", the first season with the host with the lovely accent, and she always seemed to try to help contestants feel better about themselves. The WNTW hosts just rip people apart, put them in trendy pantsuits and cut their hair, and call it good TV.

[HadessThera]

I think it's the drama factor but also, sometimes the people being made over have DESTROYED their hair in more ways than one so in order for it to look healthy and pretty again sometimes the best choice is "the chop", I've been there and have tried to cling to length over health and eventually I did chop it all off into a super short pixie and it looked waaaay better for it, but it was my personal choice, I do feel like if her hair is healthy and beautiful that it can be unreasonably cruel to hack it all off without warning or giving her time to emotionally and mentally prepare and then still expecting her to act excited about it.

[Lostsoule77]

I think it's one of the easiest big changes that you can see. It really changes what a person looks like. Unfortunately for the women on the shows the cut isn't always right. I've seen where they've done it and it was a major improvement. Of course, I've also seen it where the after cut was horrible! I think most of the time it's just ok.

I always said I'd love to be on WNTW, but that I wouldn't want my hair cut. I know that's one of the first things they'd want to do. :(

[HintOfMint]

It's the shock factor and the most conspicuous way to change a person's appearance.

Also, short trendy hair looks more "done" than long free-flowing hair. Long hair can look high maintenance in a fancy updo or super-styled curls, but usually, long hair looks more casual and doesn't look like a lot of work went into it. Short hair not only looks more styled but chances are, it needs more styling to look a certain way. Bangs need to be shaped, waves are blown out, flat irons for the short bits, pomade, and volumizing sprays and this and that....

[ArienEllariel]

It's the shock factor and the most conspicuous way to change a person's appearance.

Also, short trendy hair looks more "done" than long free-flowing hair. Long hair can look high maintenance in a fancy updo or super-styled curls, but usually, long hair looks more casual and doesn't look like a lot of work went into it. Short hair not only looks more styled but chances are, it needs more styling to look a certain way. Bangs need to be shaped, waves are blown out, flat irons for the short bits, pomade, and volumizing sprays and this and that....

I suppose but who wants to go through all that every day? :ponder: I sure don't! Been there done that (or at least tried) and had it completely flop on me instead. Long hair is so EASY. :)

[CurlyCurves]

Omg, I just watched that hair butcher video. It made me so angry, I just wanted to drag Tyra off that stage and shake her. What is WRONG with her?! That poor girl.


But if they volunteered to let Tyra Banks, who isn't a hairdresser, cut their hair, it's their problem. That girl looked good with shorter hair, even the way Tyra had hacked it off.
Personally I love watching hair makeovers. If people feel like making a change in their appearance, it's always interesting to me to watch them being transformed.

No, the girl wanted her hair cut off for LOL. I doubt she expected, or deserved, to have her hair mutilated by a psycho. It's all very well and good to say 'it's her problem', but how would you feel if that happened to you?

Personally, I think she looked better with her natural, long hair, but that's just me...

[bte]

It's because a big chop is a very obvious big change, and the whole thing is designed by stylists and the beautician industry. Why don't they call them uglicians?

[HintOfMint]

I suppose but who wants to go through all that every day? :ponder: I sure don't! Been there done that (or at least tried) and had it completely flop on me instead. Long hair is so EASY. :)

I don't either! Hence my tailbone length hair that I put into a damp bun with some leave-in and that's about all I do for styling... well, that and blowdrying my bangs or putting them in a headband. But that's television, subtlety does not go over well, neither does "low maintenance." I'm not the one going on a makeover show, looking for a grand change, they are.

[MonaMayfair]

Omg, I just watched that hair butcher video. It made me so angry, I just wanted to drag Tyra off that stage and shake her. What is WRONG with her?! That poor girl.



No, the girl wanted her hair cut off for LOL. I doubt she expected, or deserved, to have her hair mutilated by a psycho. It's all very well and good to say 'it's her problem', but how would you feel if that happened to you?

Personally, I think she looked better with her natural, long hair, but that's just me...

I didn't see the whole show, just that one clip (which had no sound, maybe it was my computer) so I didn't know why she was having it cut. It WOULDN'T happen to me because for one thing, I wouldn't have my hair cut for charity, I'm not that selfless (though I'm getting bored with it again now it's got past waist length) and for another I wouldn't let Tyra cut my hair (and I LIKE Tyra!)
She could have just stormed off the stage when she saw Tyra with the scissors, that's exactly what I would have done with no hesitation!

[CurlyCurves]

I didn't see the whole show, just that one clip (which had no sound, maybe it was my computer) so I didn't know why she was having it cut. It WOULDN'T happen to me because for one thing, I wouldn't have my hair cut for charity, I'm not that selfless (though I'm getting bored with it again now it's got past waist length) and for another I wouldn't let Tyra cut my hair (and I LIKE Tyra!)
She could have just stormed off the stage when she saw Tyra with the scissors, that's exactly what I would have done with no hesitation!

It wasn't your computer, the video was without sound. The actual girl from the show commented on the first video, though.

Haha, I'm not that selfless either, at least, not when it comes to my hair, unless I want to actually cut it.

I still don't think it's fair to blame her. She probably had no idea what she was letting herself in for, and was probably too shocked to stop her. Also, she commented saying something about the contract.

Tyra is the one we should be blaming, not the victim.

[Pumpkin3826]

This drivers me bonkers!!! :poot: They always make is seem like it adds youth to your face by having short hair. I think Long hair makes people look younger! I wish those make over shows worked harder at enhancing natural beauty instead of just putting on a bunch of make up, chopping off hair and giving people uncomfortable clothes to wear that they will never wear again. Lol.

[Stray_mind]

Well, for girls with long hair, they chop them off, for girls with short hair, they put in extensions. It looks more Dramatic. I think people who sign up for it know what they can expect..

[Stray_mind]

This drivers me bonkers!!! :poot: They always make is seem like it adds youth to your face by having short hair. I think Long hair makes people look younger! I wish those make over shows worked harder at enhancing natural beauty instead of just putting on a bunch of make up, chopping off hair and giving people uncomfortable clothes to wear that they will never wear again. Lol.
Yeah, actually when i cut my hair to above CL, it added me years. But that was a benefit for me, since people never take me seriously and think i am a teenager.

[Xan]

I was a little sad when they cut this girls floor length hair on Tyra.

Removed link to video. Please note that haircutting videos are not allowed on LHC!

[spidermom]

Since I lost my joy for long hair, I love to watch makeover videos. I hated them before.

[*Wednesday*]

I was a little sad when they cut this girls floor length hair on Tyra.


I remember that show. I thought they would go to her waist. No. They went to the nape of her neck.

[JadedByEntropy]

If hairstylists want to cut long hair short so they stay in business, how do the specialist long-hair salons, e.g. George Michael salons, survive? :hmm:

because they recognized the need and are now the only ones who can be trusted-because its in the name. and people are willing to shell out crazy money to be pampered at salons and have a brand name on what they grew themselves. There are ways to cut long hair that are fancy, but anywhere else you're putting your hairs on a chopping block to some sicko with thinning shears

[Celtic Morla]

They do it because the change is dramatic and looks change drastically with all the makeup the new hair and new clothes.

Its why I started avoiding hair salons because all they wanted to do was chop and dye my grey hair!

[Twig]

I wish they'd make over a man once in a while. Some of these guys could seriously use a makeover, which IMHO is kinda sexist. And there always seems to be someone pushing their friend, family member, etc. into getting the makeover.

[EdG]

Here is the solution: just throw away the television set.

You will be happy that you did.

Ed (television-free since 2001)

[yahirwaO.o]

Here is the solution: just throw away the television set.

You will be happy that you did.

Ed (television-free since 2001)

Bravo!!!!!!!! Seriously TV is so dumb and pointless, I don´t care about it either!

... and maybe shorter hair needs more appointments to hairdresser in order to keep it nice, so they don´t want to give up on their bussiness. Lazy Long hair is so practical and minimal most of the time!

[Aunt Rapunzel]

Here is the solution: just throw away the television set.

You will be happy that you did.

Ed (television-free since 2001)

I've been television-free since right around 2000, or 2001. I don't miss it in the least.

[ShirleyAnn]

I've been television-free since right around 2000, or 2001. I don't miss it in the least.

I have been cable free since Nov 2013 and TV free for 3 or 4 Months. I don't really miss it as all I watched was the big bang theory, 2 broke girls, and the news.
I stopped watching the news (and the TV) after hurricane Irma, I guess due to media overload (I live in central Florida) I just couldn't stomach the news anymore. 2 broke girls is cancelled, and I can always keep up with the big bang theory, and Dr who on the internet.

[EdG]

Bravo!!!!!!!! Seriously TV is so dumb and pointless, I don´t care about it either!


I've been television-free since right around 2000, or 2001. I don't miss it in the least.


I have been cable free since Nov 2013 and TV free for 3 or 4 Months. Hi-five to the television-free! :hifive:

Of course, the industry responded by trying to turn the Internet into Television 2.0. We must not let mindless television content invade our computer screens! ;)
Ed

[luvlonghair75]

I don't understand a big chop to be considered a "makeover". If anything, it's a makeUNDER. IMO! lol I'm seriously thinking of going TV free. There is seriously nothing on that's worth wasting my time when I could be doing SO many other things. Something to seriously consider! HMMMM!

[Dark40]

I notice a lot on TV shows where make overs are involved anyone with long hair always gets it chopped off by the stylist.
This morning it was a lady with beautiful long blond hair and the stylist dude was like "We need to change this, long hair is boring" so he chopped it up to her shoulders, added bangs, etc etc

I just find it amazing that "long hair" is boring when hardly anyone has real long hair these days! It's anything BUT boring to me!

I think it's because the stylist want to keep up with the latest trends. But I'm like you, "It hurts me to see them chop off something I really want too!" That's why today I don't go to visit any hair stylists. I do my own hair and trimming or cutting if there is a need.

[leayellena]

Shaving hair was the trend of the last summer together with the bun drop challenge. Go figure...

[Hairkay]

As long as there are willing people to participate in these shows for their 2 minutes of fame and allow this to happen it will continue. This isn't entertainment for me so I've quickly turned off or switched channels. In fact I gave up watching tv since there was very little that I wish to watch. I careful select my entertainment now,show by show, clip by clip. The only hair cutting I'm watching is when someone has thought it over and decided to do it for themselves. My days of being the extremely passive watcher are over.

[Hexen]

I guess to adhere to the essence of the word 'makeover' (and ratings, and endorsements) these media outlets try and doll up their subject for the rest of the spectators, of which the subject is actually one themselves, in such an allotted time and grandiose manner, that their only option is to instantly take away/cut, from something that they know is beyond their ability to 'instantly create'. But if the one receiving the procedure is truly happy with it, then the ones that care about that person should be happy as well. But that stands to reason why staff always seems to lop the locks. They take it,...coz they cant make it. Hence i'm not a huge fan of the atypical 'takeover'. Or maybe even more accurately stated, im not a huge fan of the some of the criteria so often required as to be atypically eligible for the makeover.

[victorian girl]

On Russian TV there's a makeover show, that I don't get at all (even though sometimes they give helpful advice). Everything looks like a court, and the person stands there while the "judge" and the "prosecutor" tell them how awful and unfashionable they look and inquire them about how it all happened. It focuses on clothes, and we don't see the makeover process itself - just the end result: three outfits chosen by the person themselves based on the "procecutors" advice, and then three outfits chosen by stylists, with professional make-up... and, of course, haircut. But I have a feeling, that there should be a couple of episodes with long-haired ladies... the thing is, that "prosecutor"s tips are usually relevant to this person's and viewers' issues, and I'm sure they must've given tips about dealing with longer hair without cutting it all off. The thing that really saves this show is that the hosts are real fashion experts, who are professional and famous anyways, and not just because of this TV-show. I really should search for their long hair tips on their website, though!

ETA: Yes, I found it - tips for growing long hair, for cutting layers while saving the length, DIY hair masks, oiling, careful detangling from the ends up... I suppose it might be a cultural thing - viewers would be appalled if they'd cut someone's long hair without their consent, long hair is still viewed by everyone as something to be proud of. But they also state that "women with thin hair shouldn't grow it long" - so maybe that's why they cut it so often. (how silly)