Don't watch "What Not To Wear" on Friday!

I saw the preview - the woman hasn't cut her hair in 30 years and they chop it off! (of course) I'm sure she'll get a trendy, choppy bob that needs tons of product - I wonder how thrilled she'll be...

Hello Nyght,

I had heard about this upcoming TLC presentation.

For those who don't wish to watch the show, I support that decision.

While it promises to be unpleasant, if nothing else it might serve as example of how the populace is instructed to think about long hair, and the people who have it... as if those of us with long hair don't already know that a certain portion of the population already has a strong dislike for it. Sort of a gruesome reminder of the disrespect -- being ingrained on impressionable minds -- for our choice in hair lengths.

It takes courage to keep one's hair long in this society, what with Lox-uv-Luv guilt trips imposed by short-haired do-gooders, and cruel insults delivered -- without request -- by "friends" and "well-meaning" co-workers and family members. I say f'em all. They can take their scissors and stick 'em where the sun don't shine.

I don't feel strongly about this topic. Really.

Reminds me of an "Oprah makeover show". I like Oprah a lot, but of course don't agree with everything on her show.

One of Oprah's employees had a sister who "hasn't had a real haircut since 1982". She/her sister's daughters) complained that she was "living in the 1960s" because of her very long hair, as if you should look the way everyone else does! Conformism I tell you! Anyway, they had been pestering her sister to get a haircut and the sister said "now I'm ready!" So they surprised Oprah's employee by taking her sister and getting a professional stylist to give her a new 'do. When he was finished, out came the sister and gave everyone a surprise. Her hair was now shoulder length with more fashioned bangs than her previous one. I actually found the new style to look good - but that's beside the point. The problem I have, regardless of the apparent satisfaction of everyone involved, was that a person with an individual style was pressured into essentially being "like everyone else". Oh and one more thing. She was given not only a cut, but a dye job, thus joining the legions of women (and men) who instead of sporting their natural colors, accept artifice and put all kinds of chemicals on their head. I was not impressed!

Still long...

before

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/episodes2/belinda/photo_03.html


after

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/episodes2/belinda/photo2_05.html

[QUOTE=arch94] Still long...
[/QUOTE]
Still long? Not to me. Her hair length was reduced to a mere one-third of its original length.

I recorded the show, and watched the recording. Ugh. It should be retitled, "What Not To Watch."

The entire show was basically a puff piece of advertising in support of the fashion industry (and to a much lesser extent -- pardon the pun -- of the salon industry).

This is not my only gripe with the show, but... The virtue of selfless service to family was ridiculed in favor of selfishness expressed by wearing trendy clothes. A sad commentary on our society.

I'm with you Dave.

The after cut is a very nice haircut but it was not needed.

I'm sorry but this is not a Gift. A gift is something you give to the other person because it's right for them and not because it's supposed to make you feel better.

That dress is nice but did a haircut have to come with it?

I did not watch this show because I saw one a few days ago that made me mad. I'm sorry but I do not think you should let people who insult you change your appearance. If that $5000 wasn't involved they wouldn't get away with it.

The only way any of this will ever stop is if you send letters to the shows or magazines or whatever.

I personally have had it. Shows like Fashion Emergency were 200% better than this show because it was people asking for their own makeovers.

Now every show,

Ambush Makeover
Style Court
How Do I Look
What Not To Wear
Talk Shows

nothing but people telling other people to change their look.

I've sat around for 4 years saying we should write letters. I'm done doing nothing.

I watched the program by curiosity.
Belinda cried a little bit but seemed to be pleased
with the final result.
It`s too bad...
What disappointed me, is when the animator
said : `your hair don`t look styled, it looks like
you don`t care `.
But, a long haired person usually takes
a great care of his hair !
And long hair is a style in itself !

So, what a disappointing story !

Well, Im pleased that her new style was still longer than I see most bye-bye-hair show cuts,,,and it did look good on her. It seems as if she wanted to do it so we should be happy for her choice.

I still prefer long hair, but thats me.

I didnt watch the show...so my question for those who have, did belinda do the makeover as a gift to surprize her sister (thus her own choice) or did her sister giver her the makeover.

For anyone with long hair who makes the commitment to cut it (and TRUELY wants to cut it) there should still be crying afterward if it was a big part of their life...BUT i dont think crying is always an indication of what they think about thier new style. Its just a goodbye and a release.

Some Im sure cry from regret, some just cry at thier past and look forward to their new self. In the end its thier choice and some are happy some are not.

There is an interesting phenomenon which occurs to most people immediately following traumatic events, such as MAJOR haircuts. It is that of profound relief. With all the compliments Belinda received coupled with the finality of the decision achieved, she would be expected to be all smiles. A week or more after reality sets in is when one can begin to determine whether or not a good decision has been made.
If Belinda had been my wife, and she was ambushed and badgered into getting all her BEAUTIFUL treasured hair cut, I'd be more than 5000 bucks worth of sick. Especially if Belinda ends up regretting it. What an incredible downer. Her family should be ashamed of themselves! Bob

I missed your response Erinlynn. According to some folks elsewhere, Belinda at first beeged the show not to cut her hair, but they said the deal was off if she didn't. Sounds kind of abusive to me, and yes, Belinda sounds like a true long hair lover, just like us. Lots of tears to come, I'm afraid! Bob

Ah, if she wanted her hair its sad that she was bullied into cutting it. Speking of bullies. I once heard from a friend that she kept her hair short until highschool becasue a bully always pulled her hair on the bus when she had it long and she was afraid to grow it out until she was away from that person. You know, come to think of it, I had a bus bully pull my hair too, but I just asked the driver to switch seats so i kept my hair.

I think she looks great!!! As far as I know from the behind the scenes of this show (which is not much). They did not tie her down or threaten her life....she had the freedom to walk away too....seems that if she really didn't want to cut it, she would not have allowed herself to be put in that position...like me - no way for nobody would I go within 10 miles of that show set.

She did go though...and for what it's woth she looks 20 years younger.

jacqui

Had they kept her hair waist or butt length, the look would have been the same, only longer in back. And from what I saw, the hair in back was gorgeous! I cannot see the point of cutting that much, except for convenience; certainly not to enhance its beauty. Just my view! Bob

[QUOTE=Erinlynn] Well, Im pleased that her new style was still longer than I see most bye-bye-hair show cuts,,,and it did look good on her. It seems as if she wanted to do it so we should be happy for her choice.
[/QUOTE]
I respectfully... don't feel the same way.

It seemed more to me like she resigned herself to allowing her hair to be cut.
[QUOTE=Erinlynn] I still prefer long hair, but thats me.
[/QUOTE]
That's not just you... I think that's lots of us.
[QUOTE=Erinlynn] I didnt watch the show...so my question for those who have, did belinda do the makeover as a gift to surprize her sister (thus her own choice) or did her sister giver her the makeover.
[/QUOTE]
The whole notion was planned by family and friends. Belinda was surprised to find a large group of people at her home upon her return from attending a church service. She was reluctant to accept their offer of $5000 for clothes -- because it was stated as being conditional upon an agreement to let them do anything to her (including her hair) -- but she relented when the group started chanting their "encouragement." (bleah)
[QUOTE=hairalways] As far as I know from the behind the scenes of this show (which is not much). They did not tie her down or threaten her life....she had the freedom to walk away too....seems that if she really didn't want to cut it, she would not have allowed herself to be put in that position...
[/QUOTE]
Jacqui, you are technically correct -- they did not "tie her down" or "threaten her life." More like they kept after her, pestering, "bullying" her will into submission -- until she agreed to something which she did not believe. (similar tactics imposed -- though much less harshly -- on certain "occupants" of a certain "detention" building located in certain middle-eastern country making the news these days. Ya know what I mean?)
[QUOTE=hairalways] ... and for what it's woth she looks 20 years younger.
[/QUOTE]
The designer clothing and the professionally-applied makeup surely aided this impression...

This is true, if it is a makeover show in the traditional sense, then it should be identified as such. This is what "Ambush Makeover" and the like are for, but "What Not To Wear" is publicized as clothing-oriented. The first impression that you get of the show is that they help you pick out clothing that is figure-flattering (and I do have to say that confronting certain truths about your figure can be traumatizing enough as it is, or at least it would be for me. Yes, I know that [insert flaw here]; now let's spend hours fixating on it so that by the time we've found clothing that diverts other people's attention away from it, I've been made to feel like a frumpy cow because of it). But to spring full-on makeovers on people in the midst of what is presented first and foremost as a shopping spree is misleading. If you don't like the clothing, you can take it off, but you can't undo a haircut so easily. So if they're overhauling everything, they should say so up front.

When will there be a show that promotes fabulous up-dos?

Hmm Dave, since you described it for me I completely agree that she was bullied into it. Thats really unfair. i wouldnt want $5000 for my hair.

I unfortunately was flipping channels and saw the rerun of the part where the cut happens.

Here is what happened in the portion I saw.

You hear a voice in the background saying today is the big day and all this lady is doing is crying. No matter how much she may or may not have liked it afterward the fact is she did not really want that haircut. She may have smiled through the actual cutting but to be crying that much the day of the cutting says that it wasn't what she wanted. I do mean serious crying.

No one in their right mind would go and get a haircut if they were sitting at home crying that much unless they were entering the military or a parent was forcing them. But it definitely would not be by choice.

At the risk of being flamed here, I did want to interject for those who didn't actually watch the show (I did) and are getting the descriptions second hand, what happened after the cut. Once the cut and color were done, she repeatedly said how much she liked it, how glad she was that she did it, and how thankful she was to the stylist and show that they got her to do it.

Not contradicting any of what everyone said happened before the cut, because it's all pretty much spot on, but wanted to toss in "the rest of the story". Just thought we should be fair and give the complete picture of what happened so everyone didn't think she continued to cry and just curled up in a fetal position afterward. Again, not saying I approve or disapprove of the show, but simply wanted to fill in the "after cut" portion.

Oh, and if anyone going on this show is ignorant of what it entails simply because it is called "What Not To Wear", then they are pretty darn naive.

JF

P.S. For what it's worth, as Dave said, part of the reason she looked like Sheryl Crow's older sister at the end was the great color and makeup as well. They could have easily trimmed the thin straggly ends, kept it very long, and accomplished a very similar look. That said, though, I thought the new style was very flattering on her.

JF - Iwas going to post what you said above...but I'm wasn't as brave as you! I will now tho. I saw the show last night and she said the reason she cried before the cut was because she wished her family was there to experience this special thing with her....after the cut she could not stop saying how much she loved it....and yes - I am going to be flamed...but that's ok. She looked amazing before the make up was put on. the cut and colr really made her hair look beautiful and healthy...it looked tired and stringy before....

it's just my opinion, but it seems that if I go to the short haired board...everyone bashes long hair and feel all people would look better with short hair...then I come here and it's the same thing...only it;s long hair for everyone regadless of whether it looks nice or flatters.
I think there should be a "beautiful/healthy/flattering hair - no matter the length" board. Where we can admire long and short hair without the fear of being criticized.jacqui

[QUOTE=Viktoria] When will there be a show that promotes fabulous up-dos?
[/QUOTE]
When the general populace (or at least, a presentation's target audience) prefers the value of long hair styling over the dramatic effect of significant haircut.

I can generally corroborate Jerky Flea's assessment of Belinda's post-cut mood; however, it isn't clear to me that it wasn't just her "putting on a brave face," followed by her objectively accepting what had already been done.

Given the show's title, one can't assume that hair won't be included because a person's hairstyle is usually described as "how they wear it."

BTW JF, I don't recall mentioning Sheryl Crow, but, uh.. thanks anyway. My personal opinion was that her hair would have been most flattering with about 6-9 inches trimmed. Had they styled it or showed her various ways to wear it, along with the new clothes, I bet she would have been a whole lot happier -- and she would have looked great too.

Jacqui, FWIW I think there's very little bashing of short hair here, or of long hair at the short board. If you want to see bashing in excessive quantities, stop by the celeb board.

I personally support decisions made free of duress. I don't find joy in people pressuring others on how to wear their hair. I seriously doubt any men in western cultures have experienced pressures to grow their hair long... and not many women, either. Certainly, the percentage of people pressured to wear or cut their hair short far exceeds opposing pressures. I believe people generally would wear their hair longer if they weren't subject to these pressures.

Didn't mean to rant, there. I'm calm, really.

Hairalways i second what you say and agree wholeheartedly. There should be a board to support the best hair style for each individual person.

Some people do look better with shorter hair, some better with long hair...some are lucky enough to look fantastic however thier hair is. But it would definately be nice for us to all to encourage that which looks best on each other instead of promoting one style over another blindly just because we prefer it in general.

Ive seen gals (and guys) who need to cut thier hair becasue it looks truely bad...and ive seen short styles that just look goofy with a persons face and I know they have the hair that would look beautiful on them if grown out. And some people ought to keep thier hair at a midlenght becasue it just frames their face so perfectly.

Hi..ok, I admit that I do watch what not to wear, but I didn't see that episode. I don't always think that the hair makeovers come out nice, but some do. What I don't like is that Nick and Carmandy (sp?) are always saying how the women need to cut their hair shorter, but Carmandy always has long hair. Why isn't she brave to cut her hair? Probably because she knows it took her a while to grow it and she doesn't want to cut it..and that it probably won't look good shorter. So, why can't they give that choice to the women that they are making over? Oh, well..just a bit of griping about that one aspect.

Kathy

Good Point Kathy,

What's good for the goose should be good for the other geese. ;)

[QUOTE=Erinlynn] Hairalways i second what you say and agree wholeheartedly. There should be a board to support the best hair style for each individual person.

Some people do look better with shorter hair, some better with long hair...some are lucky enough to look fantastic however thier hair is. But it would definately be nice for us to all to encourage that which looks best on each other instead of promoting one style over another blindly just because we prefer it in general...
[/QUOTE]
On this board, those who have (or wish to have) long hair are supported in that endeavor. That includes those whom others think would look better with short hair, and even those who think that they themselves look better with shorter hair. Ours is not to question "why long?" Ours is to support their longing for long.