Thought-provoking blog post on "laughable" hairstyles

[Beets]

I really enjoyed this blog post (http://www.hairpolitik.com/black-hair-politics/the-ghettoification-of-hair/) from hairpolitik.com, and would be curious to read others' feedback, too.

The author's main point, as I see it, is that our hairstyles are class markers, and that we reinforce a social hierarchy that is built around being able to approximate "normal" when we decide that people with very unusual hairstyles are stupid, wrong, or deserving of ridicule.

[racrane]

I feel this is absolutely right in how people view society in general. One must fit in at all costs. Hair is no different. It's almost as if you don't use extensions, dye and heat you're not normal. I think if you want that, great. But do it for yourself, to make you happy - don't do it to fit in. Most people do it because everyone else does it that way. But growing my hair long and natural makes me happy. I don't do it for anyone else. It's for me.

[GlassWidow]

That was an interesting blog post - thanks for sharing!

What struck me was that no one would bat an eyelash at any of those hairstyles pictured in the blog if they were on some incredibly tall and thin woman on the runway at fashion week (in fact, they'd probably get a standing ovation). If they're on a "normal" person, though, all bets are off, so the "laughability" of hairstyles becomes extremely circumstantial. There are many offshoots to that discussion, I think, but to stay on topic I'll go with this: the societal norm is that unless you have power/wealth/fame, blend in. I think these hair styles are not necessarily considered a marker of low class, but are ridiculed because someone without the perceived necessary power/wealth/fame chooses to wear one.

As a side note, I thought the zipper hair styles were quite creative and very visually interesting!

[Delila]

Is there any chance I'll ever be wearing an over-the-top hairstyle? No. Such things are not for me.

On the other hand, I think the world would be a much more boring place if everyone agreed with me on that point.

Lots of people have a much more casual attitude about their hairstyles that I do, and they seem to enjoy creating new looks and basically playing with their hair. It's fun for them, so I can't see it as a bad thing.


All the people I've known who routinely wore styles that are/were way beyond the general norm have been artists of one form or another.

OTOH, I've known a lot of art students who create an outrageous look for themselves primarily because of a sense of peer pressure. I'm not sure that's necessarily a good thing. (I believe that artists who follow the crowd and ignore their own instincts really aren't artists at all, but maybe that's a discussion for another thread, on another forum, LOL!)

[KatiSasha]

If the question of creativity is at hand, it is clear that a certain degree of it was achieved. While I reserve the right to question the motives. Seeing a walking (non remunerated) advertisement for a candy bar once is amusing and creative; seeing several in the same group - conformity? lack of own thinking? fitting in?

One could argue either way - just look at us and the fascination with long hair that could very well be misinterpreted by someone on the outside. To each their own :)

[Copasetic]

WOW. Such a great article. Totally different from what I expected. The author makes a great point. Hair is a signifier of class just like clothes are. There are entire blogs devoted to mocking certain hair styles, which just drives me insane.

[spidermom]

As someone who spent a lot of time on the being laughed at end of the spectrum, I don't judge based on appearance, and I don't care if anybody takes issue with my appearance. Let 'em point and laugh; it's their problem.

[elbow chic]

Yup, totally awesome blog post. To me it's like the "people of Wal-Mart" blog; virtually none of those people are anywhere close to middle-class and so the whole dang blog is just about making fun of poor people, which is neither subversive nor edgy nor interesting.

[Nae]

I like those hair styles! How much fun?! There is a girl in one of my classes and she comes in with a different neon colored "ghetto style" almost weekly. I look forward to seeing her, she even matches her outfits and makeup to her hair. It is the most awesome thing ever! (She likes my hairsticks too.) I think we amuse each other.

It bothers me that anyone would look down on her for being the awesomely creative person that she is. This was a great blog post, thanks for sharing.

[spidermom]

It bothers me that anyone would look down on her for being the awesomely creative person that she is. This was a great blog post, thanks for sharing.

Absolutely; double that.

[selderon]

I thought the zipper hairstyles were awesome in an artistic way. Others, like the helicopter, I was fascinated by... who comes up with this stuff? What kind of mind wakes up in the morning and says, "I think I'll sculpt my hair into a helicopter today". LOL I guarantee that person doesn't spend a lot of time bored. That's a creative mind at work.

I thought the hair style featuring the $10 bill was interesting too. Women used to wear their dowry in the form of jewelry. This is a bit more direct.

None of the styles struck me as enhancing the natural beauty of the wearer. They all seemed like costumes or masks to hide what's inside. We see that all the time: the punk, the goth... I could go on.

[selderon]

To me it's like the "people of Wal-Mart" blog; virtually none of those people are anywhere close to middle-class and so the whole dang blog is just about making fun of poor people, which is neither subversive nor edgy nor interesting.

I dunno. I know a number of middle class people of Wal-Mart. They typically have given up trying to be attractive because they believe they are worthless or ugly or that spending time on their appearance is shallow or encourages others to be shallow.

[elbow chic]

I dunno. I know a number of middle class people of Wal-Mart. They typically have given up trying to be attractive because they believe they are worthless or ugly or that spending time on their appearance is shallow or encourages others to be shallow.

My definition of middle-class is a bit narrower than a lot of people's. I know a lot of working poor and working-class people who THINK they are middle-class but are, IMO, actually nowhere close.

(if your main source of income is social security and collecting scrap metal, you are probably not middle class, for instance.)

[Nae]

Remind me not to go on the People of Wal-Mart site anymore. I just recognized someone that I see in our local store all the time. I hope she never finds out, poor lady. She is just a older lady in her 60s or 70s who is rocking some pink hair. *sighs* Really nice too.

[C.H.]

Thanks for sharing this interesting blog post. I know for me personally, however flawed this may be, I tend to look down on flamboyant behavior. Being around such people, I feel imposed upon. Why does one need to draw such attention to oneself?

It's interesting to think about self-expression vs. an unhealthy need for attention. Yet until reading this post, I don't think I fully appreciated the sheer creativity of these styles or the strength of character required to wear them. I just thought, well these people are operating under a different aesthetic. But they're still aware of the mainstream, they know they're not in it and still have to pay a price for it.

[mrs_coffee]

That was a great read. I love nonconformists and enjoy seeing people wear styles that are different and "out there." It's fun and interesting and brave.


Yup, totally awesome blog post. To me it's like the "people of Wal-Mart" blog; virtually none of those people are anywhere close to middle-class and so the whole dang blog is just about making fun of poor people, which is neither subversive nor edgy nor interesting.

I can't believe I've found someone else who doesn't find that blog funny. People seem to think I'm some stodgy stick in the mud because I find that site offensive for the exact reason you stated. I hate the fact that it's okay to laugh and make fun of disadvantaged people who are probably just doing their best to get along. When I think about how someone would feel if they recognized themselves in one of those pictures, it makes me sad.

[pepperminttea]

A great blog post, thanks for the link! :) I'm really intrigued by the hairstyle with the zipper, I've never seen anything like that before, it's such a cool idea to have the hair cascading out at the top, like being a walking piece of art.

Off topic, but I really dislike 'People of Walmart' too. Just makes me sad to see so many people reduced to the clothing they wear of how they style their hair. It's so dehumanising.

[mellie]

Very interesting, the whole site actually. The posts about "What black men think about natural hair" and "Anchors spark natural trend on-air" was very eye-opening for me. I had no idea that natural hair was so uncommon amongst those with ethnic hair, and that it could be considered not as beautiful as processed hair or wigs. I hope that the natural trend continues! The first video on the "Anchors spark natural trend" brought tears to my eyes, that the little girl finally felt beautiful with her natural hair (as she certainly is!), only when her mom decided to go natural.

[pink.sara]

As someone who has always been a bit punk and always had hair bordering on bonkers, I loved this post. So funny and so true.
Sadly having "ghetto" hair is something that some judgemental people are always going to look at as signifying you are lower class or in some way stupid. I just see it as being creative.
But then perhaps my extreme lengths, colours and dreadlocks have not earned me the same discrimination or derision because I'm White, well spoken and well educated?!
It's true that all the way through college my (black Dominican) best friends weave earned her far more teasing than my dreads, despite me being Far more outlandish. It's like stereotypes from trash shows like Jerry Springer made it acceptable to mock people.
If you want helicopter hair, fair play, that takes Guts!
Here's to you multicoloured bonkers hair wearers of the world, you made me smile :beerchug:

[skara_brae]

Some of those hairstyles look pretty cool! I don't think all of them are entirely flattering on the people, but then I'm not exactly a fashionista myself, so who am I to judge?

Would having this kind of hair prevent people from getting or keeping a job? In some environments, yeah. Meaning that where I live, they will probably be stuck in retail/call centre land, unless they are an artist. The main assumption would be they are goth/punk kids or students who don't need a job yet. But all that is totally something to do with society and our cultural norms.



I can't believe I've found someone else who doesn't find that blog funny. People seem to think I'm some stodgy stick in the mud because I find that site offensive

I find it offensive too. I don't believe in laughing at people for their appearance. Actually, I don't believe in laughing AT people at all. The look on a co-worker's face when I pointed out that he was making fun of a 13-year old girl when he laughed relentlessly at Rebecca Black was priceless.

[WaitingSoLong]

I know there are many threads in LHC voicing that they have been recipients of unwelcome hair comments of some kind. People will always find a reason to criticize. Since the author sort of attempts to break it down psychologically, looking rather at the motive of the heckler and not the wearer, I would say that hair or clothes are often targeted (because the wearer has control or choice) but just as equally natural features are targeted, like nose size or height. Are the heckler's motives really any different? Put downs (even kept silent) are almost always an effort (subconscious or not) make the heckler feel better about themselves.

Perhaps one day (y'okay) the world will learn to accept differences without constantly comparing it to themselves. Perhaps the real question would be why we feel the need to lift ourselves above others and justify the way we are all the time. Everyone has reasons they do what they do. Maybe it is pressure, maybe it is creativity, or a million other reasons. Who are we to judge motives? And what is OUR motive for doing so? Perhaps it is all about acceptance and OH how so many people crave acceptance. Understanding motives is not a bad thing, it can help us relate to others. But the fact is we presume to know motives when we really have no idea. Sometimes the target of criticism has no idea either.

My sister is studying this exact thing in college right now. In fact, her thesis is related to this. She shared a lot of statistics with me about education levels and how people who go against the norm do not advance as well in society until they learn to follow the crowd more. Also about how social classes affect a person's achievements in life, regardless of how intelligent they are. Ironically, the lower class people HAVE to go against the norm (in their class) to rise above poverty. She was able to explain to me why things are the way they are socially in America, why they are perpetuated, and even asserted why they HAVE to be that way and why they fall there by default. It is the whole road less traveled thing and how success by societies standards usually demands conformity. Yet the reknowned are unique. And bascially most people choose to be themselves for at least a short time in life while eventually giving into comformity because they are tired of the fight. Perseverance is lauded because it is hard. Ironally, it is hard because people are critical of someone who won't give into social norms. How is it that society praises and condemns perseverance all at the same time?

I think this is why teenagers are almost universally "rebellious" because they have not yet been forced into conformity and being unique is, inside, a desired trait for most people. And conformity is seen as bad. One question my sister raised was "why do we see conformity as bad?" especially if it allows you to gain success in some way? What is sort of funny about teens, though, is they all strive to "be themselves" and then manage to look exactly like all their friends. And as hard as it is to raise a rebellious teen, I see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult.

Let's see...uh...hair...I think I gave this thread WAYYY too much thought. LOL

[MsBubbles]

I know for me personally, however flawed this may be, I tend to look down on flamboyant behavior. Being around such people, I feel imposed upon. Why does one need to draw such attention to oneself? .

This seems like a fitting time to bring up Brian Eno's Big Theory of Culture (somebody brought this to my attn on a different forum recently):

"'Culture' is everything we don't have to do. Culture consists of the gratuitous stylistic extras that we add to the things we do have to do. You have to eat, but you don't have to decorate elaborately prepared curries with silver leaf. You have to move around, but you don't have to dance. Culture is a biological drive for humans. It is not something that we just add on at the end, after we've dealt with all those survival problems, but something we keep doing all the time."

Not sure if that's a correct quote from Eno but one I could find real quick.

But otherwise, I also get intimidated being around people who crave extraordinary amounts of attention. Although I LOVE some of those hairstyles in that article! Good for them! Who cares? As long as they're not pressuring me to copy them or also 'express myself', they can do what they like.

[heidihug]

I've always been a conformist within my peer group in things of choice - hair, clothes, makeup. This is because other things about me were considered abnormal when I was a child and teen - my features and my intelligence, for example. Making the effort to fit in has social advantages for children and adolescents, to be sure.

More and more, though, as I've grown older and found my way in the world, I've taken to rebelling against the norm. My hair length is the most obvious example. As for clothes, I now wear comfortable things. But I am eyeing the purchase of several outfits that are more "me" than anything I've ever worn in the past. I won't be getting tattoos. But I am still mulling getting my ears repierced so I can wear big awesome earrings, for example.

It's difficult to be outside the norm in the corporate world. I will dye my hair until after I retire, I am quite sure, as ageism is alive and well, for women especially. It's a difficult balancing act. Until I get into a position of more power/pay scale, I will likely conform more often than not, with my rebellious acts limited to my hair and my clothes. Once I achieve my career goals, I know that a little bit of rebelliousness will be much more likely to be tolerated than it would now.

[Intransigentia]

I just have to echo, what an excellent blog post and what insightful comments here! I, too, really don't like sites like People of Walmart, PoorlyDressed, etc. They really do seem to just mock people who are eccentric, poor, fat, or otherwise marginalized. Kids get more than enough of that on the playground; adults perpetuating it on the Web is just gross. Srsly, how can you be an actual grown-up and not get that?

[May]

Yup, totally awesome blog post. To me it's like the "people of Wal-Mart" blog; virtually none of those people are anywhere close to middle-class and so the whole dang blog is just about making fun of poor people, which is neither subversive nor edgy nor interesting.

That website people of walmart dot com is disgusting. It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that many of those people have debilitating health disorders, are morbidly obese, elderly, or perhaps *gasp* unattractive to the masses. I feel sick when people make fun of the less fortunate or the less conforming. Do they think someone wants rotting teeth or a stretched out body :( I hate it!

[Unofficial_Rose]

Yup, totally awesome blog post. To me it's like the "people of Wal-Mart" blog; virtually none of those people are anywhere close to middle-class and so the whole dang blog is just about making fun of poor people, which is neither subversive nor edgy nor interesting.

Not just me who thinks that's cruel, then. Good. Ah, I see May and Intransigentia above do too. Oh, the perils of commenting before reading the whole thread :)

[WaitingSoLong]

I have never heard of these websites or blogs or whatever they are. How does one find out about them? I have no intention of seeking them out. I have already been disgusted with my fellow man lately for other reasons. People can really make me angry, they use every opportunity to try to take advantage of others and I just want to be an honest simple person and they are like cockroaches...everywhere.

[skara_brae]

I have never heard of these websites or blogs or whatever they are. How does one find out about them?

People at work send you a link and say "hey, this is funny, check it out!" and naively you do... Only to never return to the site again while they spend the next three days straight talking about it...

[rhosyn_du]

That is an awesome article. Thank you so much for sharing!

I find it really interesting that several people seem to equate outside-the-norm fashion choices with attention-seeking. I know a lot of people whose clothes and hair are far from conservative (myself included, at times), and almost all of them are introverts who base their fashion choices on what they find attractive, not how other people might react to it. I actually find myself really annoyed that I can't dress the way I would really like to without attracting attention.

[RitaCeleste]

I am so lucky I live in Georgia. People will look you in the eye and nod and go on. You might get a compliment. Then the attention goes away. Its just not polite to bother people. Outrageous dressing gets a few double takes and that's about it. Its kinda funny, but we are taught not to bother people, let them shop and do their thing.

[mrs_coffee]

I have never heard of these websites or blogs or whatever they are. How does one find out about them?

People posted links on my Facebook wall.

[LaceyNg]

great blog post, thanks for sharing, OP!

i've often felt the same way about my own "abnormal" looks. at 24 with a baby, i'm begining to get looks from people that suggest i'm "too old" to have the piercings, tattoos, bright colored clothes, etc. i've been faced with the very real choice of looking how I want to look, and taking out the piercings, covering the tattoos, and wearing more "age appropriate" clothing. but to what purpose? so someone ELSE thinks it "looks better"?

screw them!

of course, thats not to say that for any future job interviews i wont be weating long sleeves, etc. :p as sad as it is, i realize that i'm judged by how i present myself, and other people apparently see me as a lazy teenager :shrug:
once people get to know me they'll realize they were wrong. and if they DON'T get to know me b/c of their preconceived notions of me, their loss!