4 ms·

Image is really a lot more important than conventional wisdom would say it is (and people would hope, since judging people subconsciously on appearance isn't ve

Image is really a lot more important than conventional wisdom would say it is (and people would hope, since judging people subconsciously on appearance isn't very fair), and a lot of people get a long way based mostly on image. People who are perceived as more attractive really are treated better for no real reason apart from that, and there are negative stereotypes associated with baldness. In fiction there are tons of evil bald villains, but not that many bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else? And when the heroic character is bald, it's almost always combined with being jacked and tough - whereas being fat or skinny and bald is almost always a negative. Think Baron Harkonnen or Blofeld.

WA 2y ago
So you're essentially saying, baldness doesn't really matter, but posture and overall good shape do. Presumably, add clothes and manners and you're set, no matter if you're baldy or not.
- bleakenthusiasm 2y ago
  Well, that also limits you to basically one style of looks. And that style is kind of hard to sustain, so if you don't really like it, it's a major PITA. Kinda surprised that Captain Picard wasn't mentioned though. He actually is a hero who is bald and not steroid-levels of jacked.
  - TeMPOraL 2y ago
    It's who came to my mind first. Also, there's this gem: At a press conference about Star Trek: The Next Generation, a reporter asked Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry about casting Patrick Stewart, commenting that "Surely by the 24th century, they would have found a cure for male pattern baldness." Gene Roddenberry had the perfect response. "No, by the 24th century, no one will care." (Via https://boingboing.net/2015/07/08/star-trek-creators-perfect-c.html https://boingboing.net/2015/07/08/star-trek-creators-perfect...)
    - Gud 2y ago
      Which is absolutely bullshit. You’re not going to change millions of years of evolution by going to star fleet academy. I’m bald and although I’m blessed with a great skull shape, and being blonde haired also works to my advantage, I would lie if I said I wouldn’t be more attractive with hair.
      - hawski 2y ago
        If I understood it correctly humans in Star Trek are evolved. We found our way and went ahead as a, more or less, post scarcity society.
      - TeMPOraL 2y ago
        > Which is absolutely bullshit. You’re not going to change millions of years of evolution by going to star fleet academy. The very premise of the show is that humans found a way to mostly move past the worst parts of their nature. Not just in Starfleet, but in general. At least wrt. outside differences, I suppose it gets easier in a world full of "human with rubber forehead"-looking aliens.
        Gud 2y ago
        Would be curious to know what that way is, because it’s not exactly made clear in the show.
        Izkata 2y ago
        It's left a little ambiguous because obviously they don't know what would really work, but the timeline was roughly: WWIII -> Post-Atomic Horror -> First contact with the Vulcans, then the whole push into space getting humanity to pull together over the following couple of centuries would be when this happened. It wasn't just cultural stuff like caring about baldness, during that later period all sorts of things were solved, like hunger and various diseases. Basically we had to hit our lowest point before we could get better.
- ffgjgf1 2y ago
  Also presumably various other facial features that are more or less immutable.
thanatos519 2y ago
My appearance is carefully refined to disappoint and frustrate people who expect me to care about my appearance. This optimizes for my time, and connection with people who are more interested in what I say and do. Oh, and low carbon footprint. I have male pattern baldness, long hair (ends unceremoniously chopped once a month for easier brushing) and silly facial hair shaved once a week. Random t-shirts, thrift shop jeans, and technical outerwear, all worn until they start to disintegrate.
- tlonny 2y ago
  preach, brother
- Propelloni 2y ago
  Reading this, I can't help but think that you probably spend more time on and care more about your appearance than random person. I hope the equation works out for you. That being said, appearance is a disguise we choose -- wittingly or unwittingly -- and I think that's just fine.
- Gud 2y ago
  There is also the argument that we owe it the world to be our best selves. Beautiful people makes the world more beautiful.
- rfrey 2y ago
  > people who expect me to care about my appearance You seem to care about your appearance a lot, and also seem to be putting a lot of effort into cultivating a particular image. There used to be a lot of punk rockers in high school who "didn't care about fashion" but somehow all dressed exactly alike and had very similar haircuts.
programjames 2y ago
> but not that many bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else? Can't forget Aang!
- kayodelycaon 2y ago
  He's basically a monk. That's basically another category of people where it's acceptable to be bald.
Reason077 2y ago
> ”bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else?” Bruce Willis was pretty great, and pretty bald, back in the day.
NicoJuicy 2y ago
I think there's biological proof that baldness with men isn't that bad "image" wise. As far as I know, baldness is with women and men... And the reason why you don't see many bald woman is..
gadders 2y ago
>> whereas being fat or skinny and bald is almost always a negative Being fat or skinny is under you control. Losing your hair (absent miracle cures) really isn't.
bravetraveler 2y ago
Everyone that looks good bald has otherwise ridiculously strong features. Ignore the movie characters for a moment
- mortenjorck 2y ago
  There is a lot of truth to this comic: https://imgur.com/J3FHs7J https://imgur.com/J3FHs7J
  - klyrs 2y ago
    There is. Dad-bod guy is attractive to some people; hunky guy has more universal appeal. Bald guys can be hot, but they've gotta work on themselves (just like the rest of us) if they wanna get there. But it's weird, when I try to imagine Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel with hair, they do lose a few points of attractiveness! I've got freckles; they really work the same way. Got bullied for them all through childhood. Hot girls with freckles are hot and people love their freckles. Drab girls with freckles get picked on and their freckles are gross. In adulthood, nobody's picking on me for having freckles, but I hear how other adults talk about their attraction to other people. Fortunately I'm firmly middle aged so my prospects tend to be less focused on appearances by definition.
jodrellblank 2y ago
> “not that many bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else?” Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Patrick Stewart (Picard, X-Men), Bruce Willis (Unbreakable), Tilda Swinton in character as the Ancient One, James Avery (Uncle Phil), David Suchet (detective Poirot), Thing (Fantastic Four), Draxx (Guardians of the Galaxy), Dr Manhattan (Watchmen), Lawrence Fishburne (Morpheus, The Matrix), Vin Diesel (Riddick, Fast and Furious), Kratos (game God of War), > when the heroic character is bald, it's almost always combined with being jacked and tough When a heroic character has hair they’re also often jacked and tough; that’s part of the hero type not the hairy type; plenty of characters are haired and wimpy losers.

WA 2y ago

So you're essentially saying, baldness doesn't really matter, but posture and overall good shape do. Presumably, add clothes and manners and you're set, no matter if you're baldy or not.

bleakenthusiasm 2y ago
Well, that also limits you to basically one style of looks. And that style is kind of hard to sustain, so if you don't really like it, it's a major PITA. Kinda surprised that Captain Picard wasn't mentioned though. He actually is a hero who is bald and not steroid-levels of jacked.
- TeMPOraL 2y ago
  It's who came to my mind first. Also, there's this gem: At a press conference about Star Trek: The Next Generation, a reporter asked Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry about casting Patrick Stewart, commenting that "Surely by the 24th century, they would have found a cure for male pattern baldness." Gene Roddenberry had the perfect response. "No, by the 24th century, no one will care." (Via https://boingboing.net/2015/07/08/star-trek-creators-perfect-c.html https://boingboing.net/2015/07/08/star-trek-creators-perfect...)
  - Gud 2y ago
    Which is absolutely bullshit. You’re not going to change millions of years of evolution by going to star fleet academy. I’m bald and although I’m blessed with a great skull shape, and being blonde haired also works to my advantage, I would lie if I said I wouldn’t be more attractive with hair.
    - hawski 2y ago
      If I understood it correctly humans in Star Trek are evolved. We found our way and went ahead as a, more or less, post scarcity society.
    - TeMPOraL 2y ago
      > Which is absolutely bullshit. You’re not going to change millions of years of evolution by going to star fleet academy. The very premise of the show is that humans found a way to mostly move past the worst parts of their nature. Not just in Starfleet, but in general. At least wrt. outside differences, I suppose it gets easier in a world full of "human with rubber forehead"-looking aliens.
      - Gud 2y ago
        Would be curious to know what that way is, because it’s not exactly made clear in the show.
        Izkata 2y ago
        It's left a little ambiguous because obviously they don't know what would really work, but the timeline was roughly: WWIII -> Post-Atomic Horror -> First contact with the Vulcans, then the whole push into space getting humanity to pull together over the following couple of centuries would be when this happened. It wasn't just cultural stuff like caring about baldness, during that later period all sorts of things were solved, like hunger and various diseases. Basically we had to hit our lowest point before we could get better.
ffgjgf1 2y ago
Also presumably various other facial features that are more or less immutable.

thanatos519 2y ago

My appearance is carefully refined to disappoint and frustrate people who expect me to care about my appearance. This optimizes for my time, and connection with people who are more interested in what I say and do. Oh, and low carbon footprint. I have male pattern baldness, long hair (ends unceremoniously chopped once a month for easier brushing) and silly facial hair shaved once a week. Random t-shirts, thrift shop jeans, and technical outerwear, all worn until they start to disintegrate.

tlonny 2y ago
preach, brother
Propelloni 2y ago
Reading this, I can't help but think that you probably spend more time on and care more about your appearance than random person. I hope the equation works out for you. That being said, appearance is a disguise we choose -- wittingly or unwittingly -- and I think that's just fine.
Gud 2y ago
There is also the argument that we owe it the world to be our best selves. Beautiful people makes the world more beautiful.
rfrey 2y ago
> people who expect me to care about my appearance You seem to care about your appearance a lot, and also seem to be putting a lot of effort into cultivating a particular image. There used to be a lot of punk rockers in high school who "didn't care about fashion" but somehow all dressed exactly alike and had very similar haircuts.

programjames 2y ago

> but not that many bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else? Can't forget Aang!

kayodelycaon 2y ago
He's basically a monk. That's basically another category of people where it's acceptable to be bald.

Reason077 2y ago

> ”bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else?” Bruce Willis was pretty great, and pretty bald, back in the day.

NicoJuicy 2y ago

I think there's biological proof that baldness with men isn't that bad "image" wise. As far as I know, baldness is with women and men... And the reason why you don't see many bald woman is..

gadders 2y ago

>> whereas being fat or skinny and bald is almost always a negative Being fat or skinny is under you control. Losing your hair (absent miracle cures) really isn't.

bravetraveler 2y ago

Everyone that looks good bald has otherwise ridiculously strong features. Ignore the movie characters for a moment

mortenjorck 2y ago
There is a lot of truth to this comic: https://imgur.com/J3FHs7J https://imgur.com/J3FHs7J
- klyrs 2y ago
  There is. Dad-bod guy is attractive to some people; hunky guy has more universal appeal. Bald guys can be hot, but they've gotta work on themselves (just like the rest of us) if they wanna get there. But it's weird, when I try to imagine Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel with hair, they do lose a few points of attractiveness! I've got freckles; they really work the same way. Got bullied for them all through childhood. Hot girls with freckles are hot and people love their freckles. Drab girls with freckles get picked on and their freckles are gross. In adulthood, nobody's picking on me for having freckles, but I hear how other adults talk about their attraction to other people. Fortunately I'm firmly middle aged so my prospects tend to be less focused on appearances by definition.

jodrellblank 2y ago

> “not that many bald heroes - you've got The Rock, Jason Statham, who else?” Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Patrick Stewart (Picard, X-Men), Bruce Willis (Unbreakable), Tilda Swinton in character as the Ancient One, James Avery (Uncle Phil), David Suchet (detective Poirot), Thing (Fantastic Four), Draxx (Guardians of the Galaxy), Dr Manhattan (Watchmen), Lawrence Fishburne (Morpheus, The Matrix), Vin Diesel (Riddick, Fast and Furious), Kratos (game God of War), > when the heroic character is bald, it's almost always combined with being jacked and tough When a heroic character has hair they’re also often jacked and tough; that’s part of the hero type not the hairy type; plenty of characters are haired and wimpy losers.