Shaving your head for charity

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Can't decide if I would or wouldn't want a live web feed.

I could take pics, "sports mode" action shots, quick bursts of me rolling my eyes

 

[coffeejo]

I could take pics, "sports mode" action shots, quick bursts of me rolling my eyes

Ooh, you could become a gif >> ffs.gif

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Ooh, you could become a gif >> ffs.gif

How splendid. The git gif.

 

[Crackle]

I do find myself rolling my eyes more and more when reading the forum.

edit - anyone want to sponsor my eye-rolling*?

*I'll likely embarrass my kids which makes it even more worthwhile

 

[coffeejo]

How splendid. The git gif.

You'll have to do it now.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

You'll have to do it now.

I don't think I could better this one, so I'll leave it be

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I can't help thinking my dad will be terribly embarrassed when he's out with her,

Why is a female with a shaved head such an atrocious thing that you would be embarrassed to be seen with them?

From my post history it is clear I'm not the "pro-feminism" kinda person. But I don't understand why you would be embarrassed. It all comes down to a person not fitting in with social expectations of appearances.

This "embarrassed to be out with her", maybe that is why hair loss during chemotherapy becomes such a huge emotional issue. Yes, there's a lot going on for those people who don't have the choice to shave or grow, but to describe being bald as embarrassing just illustrates the point of why these people suffer so much emotionally with hair loss.

While society may have "acceptable" opinions on what we should look like, and each of us may have a personal preference of what we look like, or want our partners to look like. To be embarrassed of somebody you supposedly love because of a choice they made about hair is quite, well, embarrassing really.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Yes, although of course it’s still a much bigger step for a woman to shave her head than a man… there was an advert on the TV recently that showed a beardy hipster type bloke having his shaggy mane shaved for Cancer Research, and I did think to myself “Wow, what a big brave step that is, making yourself look more presentable for charity”.

This is still preconceptions about what we should look like. What affect does a beard have on a persons capabilities, or personality?

I think it’s still a more powerful statement when made by a female, and even more so when it’s in direct support of another lady friend or relative who’s having to lose her hair through treatment. I quite like the concept done as a supporting gesture rather than a fundraising one.

The statement is only so big, because the pressure to conform is so large. Charities in my opinion aren't helping. "Do this terrible thing, and shave your hair for charity" just reinforces the fact that it is abnormal.

 

[biggs682]

i would do it

 

[PaulSB]

40+ years ago one of my closest friends who was gay. She wore her hair incredibly short just one step from shaved. She always looked fantastic.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

This is still preconceptions about what we should look like. What affect does a beard have on a persons capabilities, or personality?

Sorry, but when did I say it did? I just said he was a bearded hipster type, which he was. Any perceived sleight on his capabilities or personality are entirely your invention.

The statement is only so big, because the pressure to conform is so large. Charities in my opinion aren't helping. "Do this terrible thing, and shave your hair for charity" just reinforces the fact that it is abnormal.

Agreed.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Sorry, but when did I say it did? I just said he was a bearded hipster type, which he was. Any perceived sleight on his capabilities or personality are entirely your invention.

I gained that opinion for your statement of "making yourself look presentable for charity". A comment continuing to reinforce how we believe people should look and present themselves.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I gained that opinion for your statement of "making yourself look presentable for charity". A comment continuing to reinforce how we believe people should look and present themselves.

Not quite. It's my view that he looked more presentable when he had his hair shaved. That's a personal view which we may all exercise, I don't pretend to speak for "we", by which I assume you mean wider society.

Once again, I never mentioned his capabilities or personality, that remains entirely your invention.

 

[Sandra6]

Without knowing your mother and her capacity to make decisions, I can only wonder what's wrong with women shaving their heads, whether or not it's for charity.

There is nothing wrong with anyone, male or female, shaving their head per se - if that is their choice for comfort or fashion, I just find it a bit of an odd gesture to do it for charity, particularly as some people do it just for fun. "look at me I'm doing something so daring" erm, actually , you're not. That said I do think my mother will look ridiculous, hence my dad's potential embarrassment, particularly as she is definitely doing it to draw attention to herself, not the charity.

I'm going to put something to you Sandra, that you might find unpalatable.

In my experience dementia involves losing points of reference. People with dementia panic, sometimes horribly, because they don't recognise what's going on, or even who they are. I think that a person with dementia might be tempted to find, in something quite straightforward, an identifier or key to their place or their identity.

In the early stages of dementia a person might seek to create reference points or identifiers, in the sense of taking something with them in to a terrifying future.

Not unpalatable at all, that is a very astute comment. Thank you.

40+ years ago one of my closest friends who was gay. She wore her hair incredibly short just one step from shaved. She always looked fantastic.

I have a friend who, over the years, has worn her hair shorter and shorter and her mother is quite concerned that she is actually "turning gay"

Anyway, I appreciate your opinions, and you're quite right, it really is none of my business :-) And fortunately for us all, I don't have to be seen with her.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I wonder if we had a poll, how many would agree with @PhilDawson8270's interpretation of your post? It's certainly how I read it...

Post a poll up, and we'll see.

Commendable as it is to weigh in on Phil's side, he's literally read things that aren't there, and then posted them here, almost as quotes.
Can you find the part where I commented on, (or even implied anything about) the man's "capabilities and personality"?