Men shouldn’t have hair. . . Women should have hair.
. . Says who? Thankfully people are more daring today with taking risks on
going against stereotypical gender looks. Confidence is the key word, women who
go bald and men who have length are confident individuals.
And although there are a lot of people who dare to
be different, there are still the stereotypes that buzz around society. We
blindly live to the expectations of society without knowing it. We abide the
stereotypes given in the world, without meaning too. A bald woman is not seen
every day, what does that mean to you? Is it because women prefer to have hair
on their heads, or is it because that is just the way things normally are.
This is the same for men. Men are described as well
groomed. The average business man will not have hair on his head; rather, the
ideal business man has a shaved head. But, why not have a nice pulled back
ponytail and a tuxedo?
I see no problem with the average man having hair
down his back and the average woman being bald. As long as we keep clean and
feel comfortable within our skin, then what is the problem?
Oh yea, we
are brain washed and immune to the gender roles among society.
Starting today, I advocate for different; by breaking
the stereotypical looks. Ladies and gentlemen, please be yourself and don’t
only live by what you think is right or in the norm within society; instead, do
what makes you happy and free. Men, if hair was ever a thought, it is time to consider
growing out a ponytail. Ladies, if hair is too much for you then change the
look by going bald.
Starting off this blog with a question was a great way to draw me into this piece. I can tell that you are very passionate about this topic. The passion is seen in parts where you directly speak to "ladies" and "gentlemen", I think by directly saying "ladies" it drew me in and gave your blog a tone. Over all I think this was a powerful, and inspirational piece.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! The question made me want to read on. I think another interesting take on this blog is that people think that men with hair down their back makes them "not well groomed," yet all over social media and in the tabloids the fad of "man buns" is everywhere. A ponytail is a no-go, but man buns make girls fall in love? Makes no sense. If you are a girl who can rock a bald head or a guy with a pony then do it!
DeleteA bald woman is not seen every day, because long lustrous hair is one of the places which the male gaze surveys when evaluating a woman's fertility and capacity to bear children. As such, it (along with symmetrical facial features and a waist/hip ratio <1) are incorporated into society's standards of beauty. Women who wish to attract the male gaze also engage in artificial enhancements such as eye makeup and posture-changing equipment like high heels. Since they are cultural norms, they certainly are "because that is just the way things normally are". Asking a general question like whether "women prefer to have hair on their heads" is going to generate a wide variety of individual answers.
ReplyDeleteIn your next paragraph, when you say "This is the same for men" I have no idea what you are referring to when you say "This".
I refute your claim that "the ideal business man has a shaved head." I work in Boston. Most male professionals do not have shaved heads. On the contrary, very few men voluntarily go through the sartorial torture. Instead, men who shave their head tend to do so because the alternative is "male pattern baldness". It used to be only Kojak had a completely bald pate. But over the decades, the trend has been that you see fewer men with bald spots and more with bald heads.
I had a ponytail for most of the years between 1987 and 2007, because it made me feel happy and free. I put up with people mistaking me for a woman, but a lot of men would not be comfortable doing so.
I would conclude with a warning for women under the age of 30 -- if you have short or no hair, then most men will believe that you are making a deliberate statement about your lack of interest in a relationship with them.
It is clear that this post is driven by your personal views. You are obviously passionate about it, which I think is a good thing, but the way this is written comes across as a little bit too hostile. When you say "Oh yea, we are brain washed and immune to the gender roles among society" you seem to be addressing everyone, yet it doesn't apply to every person reading this.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, have been totally "brain washed and immune to the gender roles among society."
DeleteI think it is great that you are advocating individuality and a persons right to choose how they look. In our society, it is strange to see a woman with no hair or a man with very long hair, and it is something that causes most people to do a double take. This double take, however, does not have to be negative, or a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should be comfortable win their own skin, but society today has made it hard for us to allow people to do so. I personally see nothing wrong with a woman going bald but for me i think it depends on the situation for it to be okay , if a man grows out a ponytail.
ReplyDeleteUnder what situations would you not be ok with a man growing out a ponytail?
DeleteThis was so well said. I completely agree with this and it angers me how much people are expected to look certain ways. I don't understand why people have to downgrade others so much just for being who they truly are! Gender is just biology. Not a certain look. Hair is hair and it is able to be altered, so who cares how it looks? If the person is happy with their style, you don't have to like it, and you also don't have to make them feel like crap about it.
ReplyDelete