For some unfathomable reason, the Lifestyles editor of the
Schenectady Sunday Gazette decided to feature the article
“Caution Bad Hair Day” yesterday (by Elysia Nest, H1, Dec.
11, 2005, $ub$cription only!) The article rehashes findings
from a 2000 study by Marianne LaFrance of Yale University’s
Gender Communications Laboratory and from a March 2003
‘Hair Drama Stress Survey’ conducted on behalf of Sunsilk
hair care products.
Since understanding human nature makes us better lawyers,
judges, haijin, and persons, I thought I’d salvage the time wasted
on that article by sharing it with you. Also, if misery loves
company, and we all love a little schadenfreude, knowing the
pain that bad hair causes others might be personally rewarding
for all of us.
A quick look at LaFrance’s Impressions column in the Lamas
Beauty Magazine, (Oct. 2003), reveals that “bad hair days “affect
individuals’ self-esteem increasing self-doubt, intensifying
social insecurities, and becoming more self-critical in general:
“Interestingly, both women and men are negatively
affected by the phenomenon of bad hair days,” says
Professor LaFrance. “Even more fascinating is our finding
that individuals perceive their capabilities to be significantly
lower than others when experiencing bad hair.”
day caused both men and women to feel they are not as
smart as others. Surprisingly, the impact on performance
self-esteem was more pronounced among men.”
rassed, ashamed or self-conscious when experiencing bad
hair. Men on the other hand, feel more nervous, less con-
fident and are more inclined to be unsociable.”
be more negative about oneself. Specifically, results
indicate that a ‘bad hair’ day leads individuals to find more
personal character flaws that go beyond their appearance.”
The Sunsilk study found that “More than one in five women (22%) will cancel a
date or hide to avoid seeing someone they fancy, if they are having a bad hair day.
And one in 20 would actually give up sex or their boyfriend in exchange for great
looking hair for the rest of their lives.” Even worse, “nearly all women (97%) believe
that having attractive hair is essential to their self-esteem, and it therefore acts as
an emotional barometer – a simple means of gauging their well-being.”
According to Dr Aric Sigman, psychologist and body language expert: “Hair is the
only fashion accessory that is part of a woman’s body and, as such, she takes it
more seriously. . . . She knows that people will make judgements about her based
upon the state of her hair and – more to the point – she makes judgements about
herself based upon the state of her hair.”
“tinyredcheck” The study also found that “Amazingly, one in ten (11%)
women would rather suffer PMT than endure a bad hair day.”
[Over at Acronym Finder, your Editor concluded that “PMT”
probably means Post-Millennium Tension, Pacemaker-Mediated
Tachycardia, or Pre-Menstrual Tension (UK Variation of PMS).]
Before you accuse me of misogyny or male chauvinism for stressing these
results, please let me repeat the sentence above from the LaFrance Study:
“Surprisingly, the impact on performance self-esteem was more pronounced
among men.”
Although I make light of the Bad Hair Day issue, let me confess that
I also empathize. My three-dimensional, curly-brillo Sicilian hair was
impossible to tame in my youth and is impossible to tame as it rapidly
abandons my pate. Believe me, I can relate. I just hope that age has
given me enough common sense to laugh rather than cry on my own
bad hair days.
again, the bald barber
cuts my hair
too short
as the professor speaks
only his bald spot
is illuminated
bad hair update (Dec. 13, 2005): a pair from ed “the walking saijiki”
markowski:
late day showers…
my hair gel
reactivates
winter pines…
the ski instructor’s
spiked hair
holiday rush
the barber speaks wistfully
of the sixties
“holiday rush” – bear creek haiku (Winter 2004)
George Swede bonus (forget this hair stuff):
the frozen breaths
of the carolers disappearing
among the stars
A cloud, a gull, a sail
all
in the last sunbeam
“the frozen breaths” – Almost Unseen
“a cloud” – Mainichi Daily News Dec. 5, 2005 (No.678)
potluck
when I could have been clicking through the new links collected by Walter
Olson, at Point of Law, on Alito and Antitrust. You know, some of my very
worse bad hair days happened while I was an antitrust lawyer. Don’t remind
me! I wonder how many millions of billable hours have been attributable to
Hair Dramas over the past half century? Maybe Walter knows.
