Sooooo why is bald bad?

Red Dog

Red Dog

Well-known member
Why the hell does the general public ridicule baldness? I'm thinking about using this topic for a paper, and just kinda curious what you guys think..

I agree that people with just redonk combovers and monk haircuts are kind of funny, but even slightly balding crowns or sides seem to be criticized or laughed at..

Why do you think people laugh at/criticize bald people??
 
Because our culture has become desensitized to any aesthetic qualities which are now deemed to be 'less than ideal'. As well, balding represents a lack of youthfulness, exuberance, and a lack of alpha-masculinity. The hair falling out symbolizes (ironically) a lack of ideal 'maleness'. Baldness and balding is often conflated with weakness and atypical genetic traits.
 
Red Dog you might want to explore the reasons for the following as well:

Caucasion or light skinned men who lose their hair are considered bald & negative connotations are attached.

However African-Americans or darker skinned men who lose their hair are rarely called/considered bald & there are virtually no negative connotations attached.

Balding celebrities & TV personalities that are Caucasion or light skinned usually wear a hair piece (or opt for hair transplants). Matt Lauer a host of NBC's Today show was "forced" to get hair transplants on the sly (and it hasn't been admitted publicly because it is still viewed as shameful).

Bald(ing) celebrities & TV personalities that are African-Americans or darker skinned men never cover it up and the fact that they have no hair doesn't seem to harm their career.

Just food for thought...
 
Mulletsoldier said:
Because our culture has become desensitized to any aesthetic qualities which are now deemed to be 'less than ideal'. As well, balding represents a lack of youthfulness, exuberance, and a lack of alpha-masculinity. The hair falling out symbolizes (ironically) a lack of ideal 'maleness'. Baldness and balding is often conflated with weakness and atypical genetic traits.
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I hear ya on this and it seems that you think the public's negative opinion of bald people isn't a well-founded one at all!

The aesthetic part I can give them mainly because there are many people who use the comb-over, hair-plugs, etc. techniques that truly do look bad.. but I think bald guys are typically astute, confident, sharp looking men who are generally well kept!

I find the balding = inferior masculinity ironic just as much.. are older men (correlated to balding) typically just as virile and sexually productive as younger men? I'm not sure where this miconception thing came but it seems to have been stuck in a lot of heads..

I also see the supposed link between baldness and a weakness in genetics -- that the baldness is like a warning sign that a man's genes are of inferior quality? I have read a study that bald men have a slightly elevated risk of heart-related problems but beyond that, is there really a substantial link? I dont think so -- I think your claim is correct that the majority of people have been conditioned to ridicule anything that isn't aesthetic perfection.

Additionally, this drive to ridicule might lead to unfounded or mythical claims that really have no scientific basis yes?
 
datBtrue said:
Red Dog you might want to explore the reasons for the following as well:

Caucasion or light skinned men who lose their hair are considered bald & negative connotations are attached.

However African-Americans or darker skinned men who lose their hair are rarely called/considered bald & there are virtually no negative connotations attached.

Balding celebrities & TV personalities that are Caucasion or light skinned usually wear a hair piece (or opt for hair transplants). Matt Lauer a host of NBC's Today show was "forced" to get hair transplants on the sly (and it hasn't been admitted publicly because it is still viewed as shameful).

Bald(ing) celebrities & TV personalities that are African-Americans or darker skinned men never cover it up and the fact that they have no hair doesn't seem to harm their career.

Just food for thought...
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Absolutely right. This seems to be just another one of the countless double standards that our society upholds. Without getting into other contrasting "acceptable" qualities between white people and black people, the fact that nobody (that im aware of) ridicules bald black men, but many mock the bald white man is certainly a topic for discussion.

One black guy that I go to school with actually had a similar conversation with me about this topic, and I ended up asking him why it was that SO many black people are bald. He said it was mainly due to the unfriendly texture of their hair and it's high difficulty to manage, i.e. it's just a lot easier to not have to deal with it! But as true as this may be, it doesn't function to make black baldness more acceptable than white baldness. I don't think black men have generally rounder or better shaped heads than white men, but there is definitely something (possibly cultural ideals?) that simply makes it more "acceptable" for a black man to be bald than a white man!

I didn't know that about Lauer -- ha I think thats pretty ridiculous to be honest.. are we really that petty that we would not respect/listen to/watch a bald news anchor as opposed to a haired one? NBC thinks so! :D
 
Steveoph said:
To be honest, I`ve been pondering going bald for a while. Truth be told, I`ve always been curious to see just how round my head is ;)
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haha I was reluctant at first as well but I'm so glad I did.. I definitely suggest it atleast once (it grows back :D)..

In all honesty I look more professional and well-kept than I ever did with hair.. I bet you enjoy it if you try it out!
 
When I start losing my hair I'm shaving it all off. I have 4 friends that done this in their early 20's. I'm the last one to have hair and I'm going to be 33 next month. If its going to go, its ALL going to go. Mr. Clean style.
 
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