"We'll have a Muslim President before a Bald President"

[aaron1234]

"We'll have a Muslim President before a Bald President" :eek:

 

Says Larry David in a recent interview.

 

Larry David On Groat's Syndrome, The Bald Community And Curb's Eighth Season

 

Obviously, David is a comedian - and a very good one I might add - so there is some exaggeration for comedic effect going on here. But he is on to something. Since Eisenhower who served from 1953-1961, there has not been one bald man elected president. Ford was bald but he stepped in to replace Nixon, he wasn't elected. Just look at the last handful of presidents - Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Nixon. The furthest on the NW scale is maybe a NW3 (Nixon, Bush Sr. ?) while the majority of them retained their juvenile hairlines. Am I being paranoid or is there some big time discrimination against bald men in the electoral process here? Will America ever have a bald president again?

[TC17]

A few weeks ago a member posted a comment allegedly made by Dr. Epstein regarding hair and hair loss, and how the relationship of those factors to power/authority. Most of the people that jumped in thought Dr. Epstein's commentwas out of line. I, on the other hand, did not. I viewed it as an accurate commentary on our society.

 

When it comes to politicians, I do not believe that a voter consciously considers the amount of hair the person has. And yet, for some reason the percentage of politicans who have retained their hair is significantly higher than that of the general population. Perhaps voters do have a bias towards hair, or perhaps it's simply that those with hair have more confidence, which in turn leads them to pursue careers in politics. I don't think anyone will ever know the answer for sure.

 

And for the record, as a trial laywer, I can say that hair is EXTREMELY important in my profession.

[aaron1234]

Very interesting TC. If I ever need a lawyer I'll PM ya...... as long as you are at least a NW 2.

[usedandabused]

A few weeks ago a member posted a comment allegedly made by Dr. Epstein regarding hair and hair loss, and how the relationship of those factors to power/authority. Most of the people that jumped in thought Dr. Epstein's commentwas out of line. I, on the other hand, did not. I viewed it as an accurate commentary on our society.

 

When it comes to politicians, I do not believe that a voter consciously considers the amount of hair the person has. And yet, for some reason the percentage of politicans who have retained their hair is significantly higher than that of the general population. Perhaps voters do have a bias towards hair, or perhaps it's simply that those with hair have more confidence, which in turn leads them to pursue careers in politics. I don't think anyone will ever know the answer for sure.

 

And for the record, as a trial laywer, I can say that hair is EXTREMELY important in my profession.

 

 

Well this is the problem with this way of thinking that keeps it alive. All of you who think this way are either from or influenced by a generation of people that make me sick. Hair loss is a natural event in for 50-60% of men. If you feel self conscious about yourself like I did, then it is better to concentrate of all the other areas of your life that you need to improve instead of your stupid hair. With all the mental time and energy obsessing about it, you could be getting physically fit, becoming more successful, and working on your personality. If it is thought that baling people look suspicious, then what is thought of people that try to conceal it. My hair transplant is a scarlet letter displaying to everyone in see and meet that I was not happy with myself the way i was and that is more of a turn off to everyone than any amount of hair loss.

 

Dont compare yourself to ANYONE in politics, LOOK at them....most of them are overweight, boring, and liars.

 

My "procedure" is the worst thing ive ever done in my life. It should be outlawed the way it is advertised. THIS IS MAJOR SURGERY and is TERRIBLE for your hair and scalp health forever. I would encourage everyone with any amount of hair to take care of thei hair and scalp they have, because in the long run, it is a much better play. Take saw palmetto, take biotin, put alo vera on your head, brush and massage your scalp every night, rogaine, maybe propecia if necessary......I wish I wouldnt have believed the lies and continued with this route...it was working and now because of the procedure, ALL my gain was lost and MORE. My hair loss was accelerated 10-20 YEARS! PERIOD!

[aaron1234]

usedandabused,

 

So I take it you didn't have a great experience with HT's. Well, my first one wasn't great so I can sympathize.

 

I think the point of this thread is more social commentary than anything.

 

How does our culture perceive - consciously or subconsciously - bald men?

 

I was having a political discussion with a friend of mine tonight. She was talking about her governor disparagingly has "the stupid bald guy". Now what if someone who didn't approve of President Obama referred to him has "the stupid black guy"? That would rightly be deemed as a racist statement. But is it not still a form of prejudice when using derogatory remarks about a "stupid bald guy". I would not so jokingly call that baldist!

 

You are taking the discussion in a different direction - how should we the hair-loss sufferer be responding to it? This is a good, fine, decent conversation to have.... just not the one I had in mind for this thread.

[recedingboy]

Look at Joe Biden. V.P.'s clearly had a transplant. Bald as heck in the back, but pretty respectable hairline for his age.

 

Now that I think of it, Politicians do have an ironically high number of people that have great heads of hair. Maybe when we see a full head of hair we see dynamism, drive, energy. When we see a bald person maybe we are thinking that they are old and will not be effective.

[TC17]

The Body Odd - Couch potato voters swayed by candidates' good looks

[aaron1234]

recedingboy... you're right on with Biden. I think his hairline looks ok.. not great. But it works for him. Also, keep out on an eye for Chuck Schumer from New York. Definitely has a transplanted hairline and is really balding behind it.

 

Great link TC. When everything is so competitive these days there is no doubt one must look their absolute best to achieve their fullest potential no matter what career they choose. That is definitely one reason I'm doing all these HT's before my career gets started.

[67mph]

A number of balding and bald guys have had a shot at being prime minister here in England over tha last 30years, not one of them was succesful, coincidence? ...i don't think so!

[ziggy00]

"We'll have a Muslim President before a Bald President" :eek:

 

Says Larry David in a recent interview.

 

 

As someone who has seen almost the entirety of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, I think it's important to understand Larry David's character to understand what he's saying. In both shows (it is generally accepted that George Costanza is Larry David), Larry creates this paranoid, "everyone is out to get me" character. He acts like people with hair are in a secret club that discriminates against bald people. But in the episodes, it's usually the bald character's own fault for whatever conflict occurs.

 

I think the INTENDED meaning of that quote is people with thinning hair can blow something as little as hair loss way out of proportion. Even though most people don't notice Larry David's hair loss (I don't, unless he mentions it), he takes it so seriously that he'll accuse others of hair discrimination.

 

It's funny because in his shows, the only thing that holds George or Larry back are themselves. And there's the takeaway lesson: we are often our own worst enemy. So if we get HT, we should do it for ourselves, not for others.

[Janna]

Aaron,

 

Great topic and great discussion going on. I have to contribute here cuz I love Curb and neurotic Larry.

 

TC17, we get our fair share of patients practicing law, even female lawyers.

 

Recedingboy makes a good point about what we as a society may or may not perceive of balding men being past their prime. Its what we hear all the time when patients speak about why they want a hair transplant - to look younger. Look at the booming business of botox, fraxel and other cosmetic surgeries to improve our look or to look younger. Most people want to stay looking young. The "look" is very important in our society and hair is part of the look. Is it sad that our society places such importance on looks? Of course, but as a society, we all get caught up in it.

[aaron1234]

Right one Janna. And in this modern age of cosmetic medicine there are far more options than ever before. My philosophy is if you can look better than why not. Of course, it could be a slippery slope for those prone to be addicted to plastic surgery.

 

And ziggy I think your analysis of Larry David's comedic approach to baldness is spot on. His obsession of it makes it a bigger deal than it actually is to anybody else. Aren't we all a bit guilty of that?

[Troll]

Not only do you never see a bald president, you never see a:

 

short president

fat president

unmarried president

grossly ugly president

 

Let's remember, hair is only ONE of many attributes that correlates with physical attractiveness.

[TakingThePlunge]

What about this guy??

[67mph]

How's the receding/diffuse thinners/balding types looking this time round over in states guys, anyone at all on the norwodd scale in with a shout?

 

...i don't think so.

 

Point's being proven.

 

57mph

[thanatopsis_awry]

As someone who has seen almost the entirety of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, I think it's important to understand Larry David's character to understand what he's saying. In both shows (it is generally accepted that George Costanza is Larry David), Larry creates this paranoid, "everyone is out to get me" character. He acts like people with hair are in a secret club that discriminates against bald people. But in the episodes, it's usually the bald character's own fault for whatever conflict occurs.

 

I think the INTENDED meaning of that quote is people with thinning hair can blow something as little as hair loss way out of proportion. Even though most people don't notice Larry David's hair loss (I don't, unless he mentions it), he takes it so seriously that he'll accuse others of hair discrimination.

 

It's funny because in his shows, the only thing that holds George or Larry back are themselves. And there's the takeaway lesson: we are often our own worst enemy. So if we get HT, we should do it for ourselves, not for others.

 

Nice. And awesome thread.

 

To add, both Curb Larry and Costanza Larry are exaggerations of Real Larry; Curb Larry being a more hyperbolic version of Real Larry, and Costanza Larry being hyperbolic to the point of caricature and sheer insanity.

 

Costanza Larry was like creative napalm -- an extension of Real Larry's various thoughts and whims of personality that could be stretched far and away; and which reached to points of virtual insanity.

 

Curb Larry is more of a creatively enriched extension of Real Larry's real life, and interactions with real life (vs Costanza Larry, which was more inwards, reflecting Real Larry's thoughts and creative whims, and naturally prone and possible to be taken to exceedingly zany heights).

 

Curb Larry actually dealt with bona fida "discrimination", and affronts to the bald community. I don't doubt that several of these scenes reflect what Real Larry really feels, and what he has really dealt with. One episode, where he is berated and insulted -- with the highlight being his baldness; and at the same time, deals with cops, one with hair and one with a intentionally shaved head, who are oblivious to his feelings over being insulted for his baldness, and show an utter lack of empathy/understanding to his situation.

 

No doubt, I don't believe Real Larry actually whimpers and cowers in fear over the "discrimination". But no doubt, I think Real Larry is exercising his real demons and tribulations of living with baldness through the creativity in his work.

 

It's also absolutely true that there is something to say with Costanza Larry -- a paradigm of false paranoia, and self-destruction -- who so often complains about being bald. It could be truthfully inferred that this is a statement to the: in real life, nobody cares about your hair nearly as much as you do.

 

Costanza Larry (imo) is likely a hypothetical exaggeration of what Real Larry could have seen himself becoming, and being -- if he succumbed to the extremes of his feelings, and submitted to the honestly harsh realities of being bald. Submission being the key. As much as Curb Larry gripes and toils about being bald, he has never submitted to it -- like Costanza Larry has.

 

Certainly, Curb Larry -- a more accurate assimile to Real Larry -- recognizes those very harsh realities of being bald....indeed, the situations of baldness in Curb most accurately reflect the real thoughts and things bald people experience....And yet, Curb Larry transcends those realities, and lives an altogether more successful, happy, and envious life than Costanza Larry.

 

Real Larry avoided becoming Costanza Larry by shifting the very realities of baldness onto a plane which he had control over (creativity and humor, which everyone has at their disposal, whether they get paid millions of dollars for it or not); and walked that fine line between tragedy and comedy, real and not real, that he ultimately expressed through Curb Larry.

Edited February 28, 2012 by thanatopsis_awry

[hairthere]

Ike was pretty far on the NW scale too.

[aaron1234]

Good call hairthere. Ike was president from 1953-1961 so I'd say he was elected before the "television age" kicked into high gear. The "television age" arguably began circa 1960 when Nixon and JFK had a televised debate. Everyone who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon won - but everyone who watched the debate saw Nixon nervously sweating while JFK was calm, cool, and collected.

 

Nice compare and contrast there Thana.

[BadBeat]

Has anybody seen the Dennis Miller interview with Bill O'Reilly where he talks about his "2500 hair plugs?" He was making fun of Biden's HT but also mentioned his own transplant. I had no idea he had an HT! It looks phenomenal and it was also nice to see such a high profile guy like him be so honest about it.