Hair

[Will-Mun]

WOW... I never thought this discussion would make ten pages. Man...

So, I want to kind of... make a bit of a statement. It seems that someone, not pointing to names, is a bit...heated. And I really don't want to see this thread of mine end up locked because a flame war broke out.

So let me just say this to remind people... It IS just hair... And if it came down to it, I would get it cut.

What my original complaint was that I hated that a company wants to try and control how I look, like a little drone. I think most everyone has agreed. Lets try not to get angry at people who happen to AGREE with us, but also look at the other side of the debate.

Most everyone who posted on the companies behalf, has said that yeah, it's a shitty deal and shouldn't be that way.

Telling people they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to see the other side of things, is sort of like trying to say you should be ashamed for having long hair.


Oh, and popcorn people... No thread jacking! Baaaaad thread jackers!

[Jester]

I have been making so many serious posts lately, that I just can't resist this.....

Continue, Will. Please.

[Estil]

Hey, wasn't there a congressman a few years back who had a mid-back length ponytail?

[Strange Magic]

Wel...When I made the original post about folks being ashamed of themselves I did back off from the incendiary language I wanted to use. I stated my case and even made reference to being only from my point of view...i was then asked to provide examples of why I was angry and I did. Again with no direct names and even a acknowledgment that while it's MY particular hot button,it's probably a small thing in the grand scheme of things.
But the whole point is that I said my piece,provided examples when asked and still maintained a reasonable demeanor about it...
what more does anybody want or expect?

[Ree]

what more does anybody want or expect?

How about, since you've made your case...several times over, in fact...you drop it now.

I think you're kind of preaching to the choir a bit, at times, and for those who don't agree, you're not gonna convert them.

This isn't a debate site. That's what fratching is for.

[Pagan]

It is perfectly within the employer's rights to allow women to weark skirts but not allow the same of men.

What about kilts? Sorry, I couldn't resist that one!

Hey, wasn't there a congressman a few years back who had a mid-back length ponytail?

Yeppers, that was Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell from Colorado. As an aside, I find it rather ironic that he was a senator and that his last name derives from the Gaelic for "crooked mouth"!

On the subject of hair - I seem to remember that back in the 70's when more men with long hair were being seen that there was a big stink (and I think a court case) about hair nets. Seems that women, no matter how long their hair was, had to wear them, whereas men didn't. I think that did come under gender discrimination.

Our company doesn't give a flying fig apparently about hair length on men. Nope, they're too hung up on how many earrings you're wearing. What's funny is that when I worked for Dillard's (which is much classier), they didn't give a crap about how many earrings I had!

[Strange Magic]

How about, since you've made your case...several times over, in fact...you drop it now.

Please Edit Quotes

Actually I would have hushed earlier if I was not asked for specific examples by Rapscallion. I had to back what I said or it would be totally without merit.
I may have hammered on the topic but I tried to appear as a reasonable person as well.

[Gurndigarn]

I would like to somewhat disagree. No, it isn't there yet, but long hair, etc., are far more acceptable now than just 20 years ago.

True. It also depends on locale. I've bounced around the midwest and plains states. They tend to get fashion trends much later than the coasts, especially the west coast. Definitely later than Key West, too.

Long hair on male customers is something that doesn't make me blink. With employees, I went with "tuck it under the collar" so long as my superiors don't mind, and so long as it looked OK. I did get more picky with facial piercings*, especially nose rings** and tongue studs, but I allowed the professional vampire tooth caps. For some reason, company dress codes didn't cover that particular issue....


* At least while they were on the clock.
** Which I really don't like. Why do you want me to look at your metal boogers?

[Jester]

True. It also depends on locale. I've bounced around the midwest and plains states. They tend to get fashion trends much later than the coasts, especially the west coast. Definitely later than Key West, too.

True to a degree. However, we get a lot of people from other places down here in the Keys, both to live and visiting, and many of them are men with long hair, from all over the place. Also, Phoenix (which is hardly as liberal as Key West) has a lot more guys with long hair that are "acceptable" than when I was in high school, for example. Heck, during my road trip to Ohio this summer I didn't notice there being less longhaired, tattooed, or pierced guys than I normally do, anywhere I went between here and there.

Also, look how long hair, tattoos and piercings have evolved in professional sports, among other things. What was once very odd is now barely even a blip on the radar.

Heck, nowadays we have pregnant soccer moms....with tattoos. And businessmen....with long hair. This is not just Key West I am talking about, either. I remember seeing much of this on my trip around the country in 98-99, and since then in many of my trips to various places.

Now, obviously I don't live in the Midwest, so maybe it was just the places I was at that I was seeing these kinds of things, but not all of these places were spots you would call major metropolitan centers. Canton, Ohio, for example, while not exactly rural, is very Middle America....or so it seemed to me. And even there, long hair on guys didn't seem to raise any hackles.

Of course, maybe I just don't notice the people who have a problem with this sort of thing. Certainly a possibility. I don't know. What are other people's opinions about the attitude of people (not just companies) in various parts of the nation towards this kind of thing. Hasn't it changed? Or am I more insane than even I thought?

[Gurndigarn]

Of course, maybe I just don't notice the people who have a problem with this sort of thing. Certainly a possibility. I don't know. What are other people's opinions about the attitude of people (not just companies) in various parts of the nation towards this kind of thing. Hasn't it changed? Or am I more insane than even I thought?

Oh, peoples' attitudes have changed considerably. And will continue to, as they always have. I bet in the past there were older generations complaining that the younger generation didn't file their teeth properly... and four generations later, they were complaining that the younger generation were filing their teeth, just like a bunch of heathens.

I think this thread has had two arguements going on simultaneously, with confusing forming where they crossed. One being "Is long hair on a male bad?", and the other one being "Is it wrong for a company to have grooming standards that I disagree with?" (and subthread "Is it wrong to have different grooming standards for males and females?")

[Will-Mun]

Okay, I think this may as well be how do you say, the begining of the end of this thread... Because I got my hair cut.

Like I said, my girlfriend wanted me to do it, and I did... And I must say...

Whatever.

No, it actually DOES look good, but in the end it's HAIR, and I just didn't get it cut cause I'm lazy and haircuts in general are just an uncomfortable nuicence in my life.

My girlfriend absolutely loves it and says it makes me look ten times better, do it's not all bad.

[NightAngel]

Quoth Husband of NightAngel:

"It'll grow back."

[siead_lietrathua]

just for lolz, my wrkplace can sometimes be strit when it comes to hair color. yet i came in today with bright green/blue hair... and noone thought it odd.
maby it just suits me, lol

[Reyneth]

I donated 12" to LoL a few years ago - but then started hearing things and reading things....

http://badhairday.typepad.com/bad_ha...of_love_i.html

there are conflicting posts on that blog, though. I wish I could find the article that made me decide to not donate to them again. This person ran the numbers and from LoL's figures on their site, determined that less than 10% of the donated hair gets made into wigs for children. I highly doubt that 90% of the stuff donated is of such poor quality that they need to sell it to make extensions. Convenient.

There are other hair-donating charities out there, but without the general name recognition of Locks of Love. If I ever decide to do it again, I'll give to one of them instead.

[Reyneth]

My girlfriend absolutely loves it and says it makes me look ten times better, do it's not all bad.

So it sounds like a happy ending!