Double standard?

[uncomfortable man]

I've got another great example of the double standard. I was watching a cartoon with my daughter on saturday morning called Trollz. Well, in the Trollz world-"It's all about the hair". Each character in the cartoon has their own unique and ridiculously large hairdo. They even have a black troll and guess what- he's bald! They could've given him a huge fro, but no. So even in the Troll'z world where its all about hair, the black guy is clean shaven. If that doesn't typify the double standard, I don't know what does. I tried to find a picture of the black Troll, but couldn't find it. Instead I found something a little more encouraging.







Thats more like it...

 

[uncomfortable man]

Let me just say that we teach our children that it does not matter what you look like on the outside, that it is whats inside that counts. Don't judge a book by it's cover. But everything else that proceeds contradicts the original message, to the point where we associate beauty with virtue and ugliness with evil. I think that beauty is a potent form of power, and power corrupts. People who know they are beautiful think they can get away with anything they want and treat people like sh*t in the process.

 

[Bolhed]

It seems every time I watch T.V. there's a black guy with a shaved head next to some white guy with a trendy hairstlyle. Over and over I have observed this on commercials and television shows and am becoming offend with this repeated imagery, because I am a relatively young white man suffering from male pattern baldness (not just a slightly receeding
hairline, or a little on the crown but the full on horse shoe) which pretty much forces me to shave my head. It's bad enough that I'm loosing my hair and the only thing that I think I can do short of wearing a hat to improve my image somehow seems to be soliciting comments from people that I look like a Nazi skinhead or a cancer patient or both. People seriously ask me that. I used to just explain to them that no I don't have cancer or love Hitler, I'm
just a white guy who is loosing my hair so I shave it. But now I'm tired from their stupidity and don't even dignify
their questions with a response, because their just veiled insults anyway, right. So every time I see that bald to the skin black guy right next to that white dude with the spikey hairdoo, the message that comes across to me is that its alright to be bald if your black and completely unacceptable to be bald and white. Anytime I do see anyone who looks like me on T.V. he is a villan,the butt of a joke or is used to illustrate an inferior product. This is my objective observation that is in no way racially motivated. So please, contribute your thoughts on this apparent double standard. Should be interesting.

This is utter truth but I dont know If it will ever change.

Globally. But locally - you can sport bald head, pay attention that you get sun on it so you dont look like ALBINO Nazi Hitler jungen with cancer (LOL, you really made me laugh with those sarcastic remarks :jump: ) and sport it.

You get a lot more style options as bald.

Thats the way I look at it because I refuse to live in a world that will be ruled by stereotypes such as white baldies are either seriously sick, or manic, or Nazi.

And black arent. Black people generally are more style concious then whites, I think, and you could take it from them what to do with 0 hairs on your head.

You have all sorts of hats, or not, you can sport some beard, goatee, stub, maybe earring? Anything you do - will be noticed. That can't be bad.

Why that can't be bad? Because you know you're getting noticed. And you get noticed by your style. Which is not extreme, don't get this twisted, but merely different then regular "semi-short hair" troops that are walking around you.

Don't make it an issue, make your weakness into your strenght. This might sound like a pep talk washed up, but it ain't.

You got one life to live, you got thru amazing odds of making it from that tiny little you know what to a baby, you live your life the way you want it. Be yourself, don't be anybody else.

If your hair fallin out, deal with it the best way you can. Try shave. But don't feel sad bout it.

Double standards are put there but shallow ones that are doing everything TV is telling them to. And that spells insecure.

Whoa. Am I in a mood to type today. :whistle:

 

[HatPrisoner91]

It's just how it is. Black people look good bald because the skin is dark. So it doesn't stand out. White people (unless they are tan) can end up looking like a cancer patient or a neo nazi. Some (saw a guy like this on the train today) look like a pedophile or something.

 

[barcafan]

How does being a pale bald man equate to being a pedophile.

Bald looks 'bad' (even in these cases not always) when:

extremely lumpy or long head

very pale

very skinny body

chubby face

 

[HatPrisoner91]

Depends on what the guy looks like. I saw a guy who was pale and bald, very tall and had a beard today. He looked like a cross between a lumberjack and a pedophile of some sort lol.

 

[Eureka]

Or we just have incredibly narrow minded opinions on what someone looks like and how it equates to what type of person they are.

I feel like we are always whining about how unfair it is, Yes lot's of commercials and television shows and movies and video games and magazines, along with all other forms of pop culture media, place bald as being a negative. But that's life, people are discriminated against for a multitude of reasons. Being bald may be one of them but it's one of many, Short people are discriminated against as well, jeez theres like a zillion reasons why people see someone, and make up an opinion on without ever talking to them.

Although I will agree that baldness is one of the more annoying ones as opposed to someone who has some tattoos or has done prison time. With baldness it's genetically predisposed at least for male pattern baldness, We didn't do anything to ask or deserve it, it's simply our genes. Unlike a tattoo where someone made a choice, and should go in realizing some people are going to make predisposed decisions because they have one.

Still though not everyone thinks this way, and it won't go on forever, Although For most of us it won't change in our lifetimes.

 

[uncomfortable man]

Damn, I thought this thread was dead. Thanks for reviving it. What HP said about the pedophile lumberjack just goes to show how everyone makes knee jerk judgments of others based on appearances. People just love to label and categorize, so much so that it has almost become involuntary. The problem with doing this is that it is usually based on stereotypes. And although there certainly are stereotypical people out there, there are just as many that aren't. I just think it is inherently unfair to judge someone for reasons that are beyond their control. What is it about a bald head that screams- loser, weirdo, freak even pedophile to these people?

 

[HatPrisoner91]

Uncomf man,

I agree it is unfair. The difference between me and other people is when I saw him, I only thought it. I"m not a jerk who would make fun of him even when I did have hair. I don't believe in hurting people unless they do something bad first. Then I go for the throat.

But I mean some people just look bad bald, or bad fat, or bad pale, or bad with a beard, while others look good.

 

[s.a.f]

I agree it is unfair. The difference between me and other people is when I saw him, I only thought it. I"m not a jerk who would make fun of him even when I did have hair.

99% of people would'nt have any opinion on a strangers hairloss.

 

[uncomfortable man]

Uncomf man,

I agree it is unfair. The difference between me and other people is when I saw him, I only thought it. I"m not a jerk who would make fun of him even when I did have hair. I don't believe in hurting people unless they do something bad first. Then I go for the throat.

But I mean some people just look bad bald, or bad fat, or bad pale, or bad with a beard, while others look good.

True, some people will never look "good" in most peoples eyes, just as long as everyone doesn't equate looking bad with being a bad person.

I agree it is unfair. The difference between me and other people is when I saw him, I only thought it. I"m not a jerk who would make fun of him even when I did have hair.

99% of people would'nt have any opinion on a strangers hairloss.

I disagree. Opinions are like assholess, 99.99% of us have them. They only last for about three seconds though.

 

[s.a.f]

Opinions are like assholess, 99.99% of us have them. They only last for about three seconds though.

Exactly who cares about the hair of someone walking past them on the street. But Hatprisoner finds the need to write a post about some bald guy he saw, this is not normal behaviour.

 

[HatPrisoner91]

99% of people would'nt have any opinion on a strangers hairloss.

That is not true at all depending on where you live

In major US cities, I would say 99 percent of peopl WOULD have an opinion on a strangers hairloss (depending on the guy who has it).

 

[HatPrisoner91]

Exactly who cares about the hair of someone walking past them on the street. But Hatprisoner finds the need to write a post about some bald guy he saw, this is not normal behaviour.

Um most people comment on it. I have known bald guys throughout my life. Many of them. And every single one of them have been joked about many many many times. Might not be normal for you.

People notice things about people. Not everyone but many do. People notice people who look good, who have nice bodies, who look bad, etc...

Explain to me why plastic surgeons are rich, explain to me why cosmetics sell like hotcakes, explain to me why people wear contact lenses over glasses, explain to me why people buy any grooming products. This is the society we live unless you live in some "village".

 

[uncomfortable man]

I'm sorry, but when people look at me funny or cringe at me I can't help but take it personally. This is my number one biggest problem- how to deal with other peoples disapproval of the way I look. I fully realize that you can't please everybody, but to be in a position where your appearance alone displeases a disproportionate ratio of people than normal, then there is a problem. I have this problem, it is MY PROBLEM. I remember saying,"If you don't like the way I look, then that's your problem." but it is not, its MY problem. These people that are so put off when they see a bald man might feel slightly uneasy for a moment, but then they go about their lives with full heads of hair. I am the one that has to absorb and deflect the multitude of bad reactions on a daily basis and I am becoming so beleaguered from it. I do believe that I am living a lesser reality than those who have hair, like my life is not worth as much as theirs. This situation is just so unfair...

 

[Eureka]

99% of people would'nt have any opinion on a strangers hairloss.

Wow S.a.f You must dwell in the clouds with the carebears if you think that

I'd say it isn't the other way either, 99.9% of people don't have an opinion about it, I imagine quite a few people walk by a baldie and never even think twice about it. But the majority of people have an opinion, It's like engraved in our minds to have one. All in all though what s.a.f said may as well be true for as much as it really matters, If someone has an opinion about you it's really inconsequential, at least if it's a random person on the street or in a store, what they think effects your life in no real way, problem is so many of us let it.

 

[s.a.f]

Um most people comment on it. I have known bald guys throughout my life. Many of them. And every single one of them have been joked about many many many times. Might not be normal for you.

People notice things about people. Not everyone but many do. People notice people who look good, who have nice bodies, who look bad, etc...

Explain to me why plastic surgeons are rich, explain to me why cosmetics sell like hotcakes, explain to me why people wear contact lenses over glasses, explain to me why people buy any grooming products. This is the society we live unless you live in some "village".

Because people want to look their best,
but people only care about themselves. Yes no doubt people who look attractive get noticed and there are many benefits to that, but I think non attractive people or non attractive traits such as baldness are paid much attention at all.

If I walk down the street and see a beautiful woman I have a look for a few seconds and thats all, and if I walk down the street and see a fat guy I dont take any notice and I dont point him out to others or make fun of him it simply does'nt register to me.
I dont care if the guy who serves me in the store is bald or if the guy I work with is bald it simply does'nt matter at all.

You seem to believe that bald men face a constant stream of verbal abuse and are hounded whenever they venture outside their front door, shunned by the general public like Lepers or something.
Yes if you are bald at some point you will get someone who will comment about it but its the same if you are tall or short, fat or thin. But its not anywhere near as big an issue as you make it out to be.
The reason it bothers us is because we feel it detracts from our attractivness and we all want to be considered attractive. People take not of those who are good looking but those who are unnatractive

 

[HatPrisoner91]

No I never said they get comments when they step out of their door. But people notice. Even looks at your head is something that gets irritating.

Honestly, if I was fat and people stared, it's my own fault. In 99 percent of cases, you have control over what you eat and exercise. It's not the same. But people do look at bald heads. I've done it (before I was bald or even thought about hairloss) and friends did it all the time. It also depends on how well it looks on them. The same way a guy with a mullet gets people snickering and staring.

 

[ghg]

Yeah I do know what you're talking about when you say stares. I feel I get a lot more stares now that I wear a buzzcut (which is obviously thin). I don't know if it is because I look tough (I think I do a bit) or because they notice that I'm clearly balding or because they can tell that a buzzcut doesn't suit me at all.

 

[emex4]

man, reading threads like this is so horrible. im gonna leave this website now and never come back. you guys all have fun drowning in pity and speculating on how negative the world is. seeyalaterbye