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...

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!

arch94 wrote: Still long...

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 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 !

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

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

Erinlynn wrote: 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 respectfully... don't feel the same way.

It seemed more to me like she resigned herself to allowing her hair to be cut.

Erinlynn wrote: I still prefer long hair, but thats me.

That's not just you... I think that's lots of us.

Erinlynn wrote: 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.

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)

hairalways wrote: 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...

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?)

hairalways wrote: ... and for what it's woth she looks 20 years younger.

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.

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.