by
I Googled the word hair the other day, and I couldn't
believe how many websites came up. There were sites
devoted to hairstyles, hair loss, hair care, hair
problems, hair products. even Websites where you can
purchase human hair.
I asked myself: What's the big deal about hair?
Hair has always been a touchy subject. Religions
around the world forbid women to show their hair in
public. In America, hair has often been a political
symbol-remember the pompadour, the Afro, hippie-hair,
or the Mohawk? Hairstyles told the world what side
you were on.
(bring up Hair Song (from musical): Lyrics: "Gimme
a head with hair, long beautiful hair Shining,
gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen Give me down to
there, hair!......hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair"
Before I shaved my head eight years ago, I had hair
like that. I let it grow long and wild for a couple
years and kind of got into it. But it turned out I
wasn't the hair hippie I thought I could be, so I cut
it all off. At first I was afraid of what people might
think of me - it wasnít a political act at all--Just
something I felt like doing at the time. But
afterwards, people started approaching me-almost
everywhere I went. It seemed like everyone had a
comment, or an opinion, a reaction. Mostly it was
women, who would say-they wished they could do
something as crazy as shave their heads.
And that's when I realized, that, like it or not, hair
is a big deal to most people. How we wear our hair
is a conversation piece. it's a social act. It's how
we project ourselves to the world. And it invites the
world to project itself onto us.
(Hair)
In 1968, Hair was about what was happening. It was
about a young guy facing the draft during the height
of the Vietnam conflict. It was about Americaís
cultural revolution, self-expression, Love--for your
brother, your sister and yourself. Hair was freedom.
And long hair was radical.
America is again engaged in an unpopular war, but long
hair isn't swinging in the streets. The anti-war
movement is smaller and less unified now, and so far,
there's no new Woodstock. Hair isn't the radical
political statement it once was. Now, everyone's
playing it safe. Even celebrities and rockstars, who
used to be on the cutting edge of style and
originality, all look the same these days. And
Shoulder-length, sitcom, reality-show,
middle-management hair is king.
I asked myself: where's the fashion rebellion and
purple hair?
During the Reagan era, people expressed their
frustration with the social conformity of the
conservative agenda with creativity and daring-they
let it all hang out like the kids in Hair did, but in
the more aggressive style of the punk and hip-hop
Eighties.
Many Americans say they disapprove of President
Bush--But you wouldn't know it by looking at their
hair. Fear is in the air, and it seems like people are
censoring themselves before someone else censors them.
(bring up Hair)
Like the saying goes: everything old is new again. As
for me, I'm keeping my head shaved until America is
once again safe for freedom of expression. and crazy
hair. I'm Jess Mador, Columbia Radio News.