Are things different in the UK and the US?

[Boondock]

I live in the UK, and whenever I read threads in this sub-forum I can't help but wonder what planet people are living on.

Where I'm at ,baldies and receding folks get a few jokes chucked their way, get ripped on by their friends, and have a slightly tougher time with women. That's about it.

When people rip on us, it's no different to when people are short, get a bad haircut, get drunk and embarrass themselves, or get with an ugly chick. Blokes will always rip on you for stuff like this. It's a friendly piss-take. The key point is: if the problem was a serious one, nobody would be making a joke out of it. You don't see people nudging their mates and saying "Did you hear? John's got cancer! LOL."

Whenever I read this forum, I also notice that a lot of the time it's the UK folks who are telling people to calm down. Saf, Dave and others often seem to chime in and tell people to relax a little.

My first thoughts were perhaps that the UK crowd were just a bit more thick-skinned. But I do wonder: is baldness actually a worse handicap in the States? Do people look down on it in a genuinely serious way, unlike the sort of semi-joke it is over in Europe?

What do people think? It wouldn't be the first time cultural differences have affected people's attitudes.

 

[DoctorHouse]

As a person who lives and was born in the US, when I aways encountered a person from the UK, they were always very cheerful, courteous, and kind to me. They carry a more friendly attitude vs the typical US resident. But of course every situation does have their exceptions like Rheinblick........ :whistle: However, this is just what I, MYSELF, have experienced. I also know for a fact that people from the US seem to be sue happy and threaten to sue anyone that does them wrong. The UK people don't have the same attitude because their justice system does not allow for such stupid frivolous lawsuits like here in the US. If I am wrong about that statement, any UK person can chime in and refute it. Our justice legal system here is one big joke. And the lawyers here are such bottom feeders. The US government caters to people who don't even live in the states so the US natives tend to carry a "chip on their shoulder" all the time because they feel our government should be taking care of the US born citizens first on the priority list. And the way things are now here economically, people are even more depressed than ever. I have never been to the UK so I really can't answer the opening threads question? I would be interested to hear from someone who has lived in both places to see what they think. And let me emphasize that the above statements are how I perceive things in "my world". I am no way trying to painting a negative picture about the US. I am very happy to be a US native citizen. I just wish things were different here and I hope I will never see the US become another Third World country.

 

[uncomfortable man]

I could dignify your response by explaining that the US does in fact have a shallow culture, and that I am a product of that environment but I much rather observe that if you hate me so much then I must be doing something right.

 

[Bald Dave]

I live in the UK, and whenever I read threads in this sub-forum I can't help but wonder what planet people are living on.

Where I'm at ,baldies and receding folks get a few jokes chucked their way, get ripped on by their friends, and have a slightly tougher time with women. That's about it.

When people rip on us, it's no different to when people are short, get a bad haircut, get drunk and embarrass themselves, or get with an ugly chick. Blokes will always rip on you for stuff like this. It's a friendly piss-take. The key point is: if the problem was a serious one, nobody would be making a joke out of it. You don't see people nudging their mates and saying "Did you hear? John's got cancer! LOL."

Whenever I read this forum, I also notice that a lot of the time it's the UK folks who are telling people to calm down. Saf, Dave and others often seem to chime in and tell people to relax a little.

My first thoughts were perhaps that the UK crowd were just a bit more thick-skinned. But I do wonder: is baldness actually a worse handicap in the States? Do people look down on it in a genuinely serious way, unlike the sort of semi-joke it is over in Europe?

What do people think? It wouldn't be the first time cultural differences have affected people's attitudes.

I agree that in the UK hairloss is seen as a little joke and thats it! I use to carry a massive chip on my shoulder and get all sensitive about the whole thing and my friends, family, work colleagues would think i was mad to even care about such trivial stuff. I have now realsied that they were right and that it really is nothing to worry about and its completly natural!

When I went on vacation to Cancun, Mexico I met loads of Americans and I thought they were the most friendliest people I have ever met. Me and my gf made friends with a couple from Michigan and we went clubbing them and went to dinner with them and we found them to prob be the nicest people we've ever met. BTW the American guy was bald and he didn't care one bit about it and he didn't mention it once! So I assume not everyone cares about hairloss in America just like here in the UK!

 

[toocoolforhair]

I live in the UK and hair loss isn't a big deal. I've never seen someone be insulted for suffering from hair loss. The UK attitude to hair loss can be best seen in the Peter Kay sitcom Phoenix Nights. A bouncer is going a bit thin up top and his colleague cracks harmless jokes about it. Everything regarding hair loss is said as a joke.

Funnily enough the only person I know who insults me for being bald/balding is my own mother. When I first shaved my head she said I looked like a thug, and when I shaved it even shorter she shook her head and said I've ruined my looks. She was not joking. I have an older brother with much more advanced hair loss (must be a norwood 7) and even he gets the brunt of it when he shaves his head. She'd rather he had a combover or the clown look.

Luckily on the whole people are indifferent about hair loss. I'm surprised there seems to be such a big contrast between the UK and the US. I've actually been to the US a few times and I never noticed any problems for bald guys. With my buzzed down norwood 3 I never ran into any problems; on the whole everyone was very friendly.

 

[treeshrew]

In the uk if you look like a dog turd without hair then you get sh*t. If you look like Bruce Willis or just old then you dont.

This.

You cannot paint all bald men with a single US/UK brush. Baldness is never good, but it can drastically differ depending on your existing body. If you're stout/thick to begin with, you might get a few jokes cracked. If you're already freakish looking, combined with baldness, you're going to have a much rougher go US or UK.

The other thing is that baldness itself is often not the sole cause of getting sh*t from other people. The baldness causes insecurity, fueled by comments, which manifests in an introverted personality, which leads to more comments and thus begins a vicious cycle.

I've gone through periods of depression (unrelated to baldness) where it is hard to smile and crack jokes, and I feel distant from people, especially new people. My coldness causes them to retreat, which in turn causes more depression because I want to connect with people, which makes me more depressed, and the cycle continues.

 

[Boondock]

^ I can understand this viewpoint, but I think it refers to how baldness affects your looks more generally. If baldness takes 1 or 2 points off your looks (in contrast to the minority of guys to whom it ADDS points), you're going to be treated slightly worse just because you're perceived as less attractive. But that isn't people "treating you badly" in any malicious sense; it's just that you aren't catching their eye as much as before.

The kind of negativity I'm discussing relates to people being criticized specifically for going bald or being bald. It seems to me that only American users of this board seem to experience abuse and alientation at the hands of others for baldness. Across the pond, we might get a few less dates, but the only "insults" we get are harmless jokes. The whole thing is perceived as just a joke, and people rip on balding guys mainly because it's hillarious when they're over-sensitive about it (i.e. because the observers can't understand WHY they're so sensitive about it). This seems to me a fairly big distinction. Many of the troubles UC and others report are things I cannot imagine over here.

 

[Bald Dave]

Alot of people exagerate their problems and blame it all on their hair. They think the grass is always greener but until they look at the bigger picture its not. I use to think that I am a guy with no girl, no prospects, no future etc and blamed it all on my hair which is ridiculous! Life isn't easy and you can't expect it to be handed to you on a plate. We all like to live a happy and prosperous life but it ain't gonna happen by dwelling on hairloss!

 

[Obsidian]

Alot of people exagerate their problems and blame it all on their hair. They think the grass is always greener but until they look at the bigger picture its not. I use to think that I am a guy with no girl, no prospects, no future etc and blamed it all on my hair which is ridiculous! Life isn't easy and you can't expect it to be handed to you on a plate. We all like to live a happy and prosperous life but it ain't gonna happen by dwelling on hairloss!

***** This

 

[treeshrew]

Life isn't easy and you can't expect it to be handed to you on a plate.

unless you're an attractive NW1 of course!

 

[emex4]

I've always thought it was the other way around. Since I first started browsing hair loss boards 3 years ago, I always thought there were way more UK people than anywhere else. This lead me to believe that hair loss was of more concern in the UK. I also sometimes lurk at the toplace wig forum and have noticed that most of the people over there are from the UK as well.

I always thought that this was partly due to the fact that the UK has such god awful dreary weather and most people that live there are quite pale. And in most cases, being pale with a bald head isnt a particularly flattering look.

Just my opinion.

 

[Hope4hairRedux]

I've always thought it was the other way around. Since I first started browsing hair loss boards 3 years ago, I always thought there were way more UK people than anywhere else. This lead me to believe that hair loss was of more concern in the UK. I also sometimes lurk at the toplace wig forum and have noticed that most of the people over there are from the UK as well.

I always thought that this was partly due to the fact that the UK has such god awful dreary weather and most people that live there are quite pale. And in most cases, being pale with a bald head isnt a particularly flattering look.

Just my opinion.

In america there are places with just as cold weather though?

I think americans have a tendency to sensationalize everything. That said, the US is probably, on the whole, a more shallow and vain culture. But I really dont know.

 

[s.a.f]

I also know for a fact that people from the US seem to be sue happy and threaten to sue anyone that does them wrong. The UK people don't have the same attitude because their justice system does not allow for such stupid frivolous lawsuits like here in the US. If I am wrong about that statement, any UK person can chime in and refute it. Our justice legal system here is one big joke. And the lawyers here are such bottom feeders.

Unfortunately we do, every 3rd tv add if for a personal claims company trying to drum up business with "No win no fee".

 

[s.a.f]

I have and the biggest difference is all the ads for drugs/medicines. Designed at scaring you into taking pills to prevent heart attacks ect.

As far as looks are concerned I dont think theres a huge difference between the U.S and UK, both countries have a very similar mindset maybe with the U.S just ahead on shallowness. But both countries have a huge market for cosmetic procedures.

 

[mr_sparkle]

I think in terms of society the UK has it slightly easier as we don't have the whole hollywood side of it. Sure, we have good looking celebrities, but we also tend to root for the underdog and place huge value on things like being funny etc. It's baffling, but lots of ladies seem to think Ross Kemp is attractive..

However, I think living in California or Vegas or basically somewhere HOT, beind bald would be easier as you can get a decent tan and overall look a bit better. If you can get a good body and get away with wearing vests due to the heat then you'll do a bit better. You couldn't do that in the UK

 

[s.a.f]

It's baffling, but lots of ladies seem to think Ross Kemp is attractive..

Simply because he was in a show (when he was younger) that is very popular with women, and it was the character that they liked, if he was just a regular guy he would just be seen as a ordinary bald middle aged guy.

 

[uncomfortable man]

People can be rude or insensitive about it without even realizing it. I went to get a bottle of two buck chuck (wine) and the lady at the checkout asked for my I.D.. When she looked at the picture (which is my avatar btw) she asked me if I wear the beanie because it's cold or.....Basically implying if I wear it to cover up my hairloss. I asked her "What's with the interagation lady? I'm obviously old enough to buy alcohol." Her excuse was boredom and trying to make conversation. I played along and when I left she called me a "good sport" but I thought her question was rude and insensitive. I mean what did she want me to say "Yeah, I fuckin hate being bald. I hate the way people treat me because of it and I'm embarrassed and ashamed so I cover it up when I go out in public. Got a f*****g problem with that? Mind your own f*****g business b**ch!"

 

[Jokerman]

Maybe she wanted to know if you were a Buddhist?

 

[GeminiX]

@UM Maybe she was trying to start a conversation with you because she liked you; I've often found slightly inappropriate questions to be great ice-breakers during flirting.

 

[DrakeWeAreLEAVING!]

:innocent: