Recently I came across an article on the popular college
website, TotalFratMove.com, that got my attention. The article, titled “Why
Girls Should Not Cut Their Hair Short” discusses different reasons why the
author, Roger Sterling, and guys in general don’t like when girls cut all their
hair off. As soon as I started reading the article, I was outraged with the
comments this guy was making about beautiful celebrity women who chopped their
long locks for an edgier pixie cut. His commentary on actress Jennifer
Lawrence’s haircut, for example:
“If
you have any female interaction on social media, whatsoever, you may also have
seen Jennifer Lawrence’s new ‘do. Though every chick on the planet begs “Can we
just be best friends? Why is she perfect?” you’d only bang her if she lost ten
pounds. Now, shedding some lbs. might not even do it. Lawrence didn’t go full-on
pixie short, but the results are equally disastrous. Should have cut her dessert
instead.”
He
goes on to ignorantly title sections of the article things like, ‘You Will
Stand Out, But Not In A Good Way,’ ‘They Amplify Your Flaws To Other Girls,’ and
my personal favorite, ‘If Celebrities Can’t Pull It Off, You Can’t.’ Personally
I love the look of long, flowing hair, and I definitely have an emotional
attachment to my own hair. But why is a woman’s hair such a big part of her
feminine identity?
I know
that I would never cut all my hair off because it would not look good with my
facial structure. In the article, Sterling says, “All of those odd insecurities
you have about your looks are only highlighted with short hair. Other girls
will notice them immediately as well.” However, if you are one of the few girls
that can pull off the pixie cut, I think that is a sign that you are a truly
beautiful woman. Without long locks to hide behind, obviously one’s features
are more visible to others. In my opinion, pulling off short hair is the
ultimate sign of not only a beautiful face, but a confident personality as
well.
First off I can't believe that someone would say that, not only the short hair but to add that her weight is to high. I myself have cut hair shorter before (shoulder length) and were the girls would compliment, my guy friends would almost always say the liked my long hair better, and that I shouldn't have cut it. I think the reason for this is that the general idea or beauty norm for girls is to have long voluminous hair, almost as though hair is half of a girls identity.
ReplyDeleteCosmo posted a video discussing the newest trend of the pixie hair style on celebrities and men's opinions on the short hair look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad9VpSJ7Vi0
In the video men say things like, "blondes should have long hair," "feels like your kissing a guy," "shows way to much forehead and it freaks me out." For reasons we can't explain most men find short hair on girls unattractive. So be careful ladies, your gonna need some confidence to deal with the negative opinions of men on your hair.
I think your post is really eye opening and shocking. I cannot believe that someone would post something like this. Those comments are completely ignorant and uncalled for. In lorber's article of defining gender, there are cultural constructs on gender and it is just something that you "do." This shows that you make these decisions about your gender and body because it composes who you are. So, when you say that you will not cut your hair short because it would not look good on you compared to your long hair, this is just something that is a part of what makes you, you. This kid is extremely ignorant for saying these comments. Jennifer Lawrence has stepped into the limelight as being someone that is a role model to girls everywhere and I am glad that she has been able to challenge those cultural constructs that are considered the norm. It just goes to show that women can be who they want to be and they should receive complete acceptance because of that.
ReplyDeleteWhat is even more disturbing than the original article are the comments that other users have posted in the comment section. Numerous users make comments calling anyone who objects or disagrees with the article a "feminist whore" or a "lesbian." Why is it necessary to attack those who believe that a woman should be able to express herself in any way (in this instance through her haircut) and not have to worry about her physical attractiveness being judged by not only men, but anyone?
ReplyDeleteA great majority of the celebrity women who decide to cut off their hair are forced to do so because of the damage caused to it over time. Though we associate celebrity women with flawless hair and makeup, dying their hair for roles and exposing their hair to excessive heat damages it, leaving them with fried/dead hair that needs cut in order to grow properly. Is this craze driven by women who truly believe that it is a beautiful look, or by those who are in desperate need to regrow healthy hair?
So, what does this all mean when women who are not celebrities cut their hair short? A New York Magazine article (http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/08/what-a-pixie-cut-means-when-youre-not-famous.html) believes that a woman with a pixie cut can only be thought about in the following ways: not sexy, a lesbian, as suffering some sort of life crisis, or as an exceptionally brave individual. As long as the haircut is associated with the previously listed personal characteristics, women will face questioning when deciding to chop off their hair, which is an act that could benefit other women. Every two years, I have 10 inches of my hair cut off and donated to Pantene so that women who have lost their hair from illness do not have to go bald if they do not want to. Should a woman donating her hair to a better cause be questioned by her actions because men will no longer find her sexy?
As a side note, if any female is interested in donating their hair, please do research on the company or organization you are considering sending your hair to for it to be turned into a wig. The popular group "Locks of Love" has been under scrutiny lately because they have started charging women for their wigs, which is why I made the choice to donate to Pantene when I donated my hair in August. If you feel comfortable and confident with shorter hair, consider donating yours to help another woman regain her confidence!