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Hey, guys. Had a very nice experience tonight. We took an old professor of mine who's moving back to Japan to the Olive Garden for a sendoff tonight. The first thing I noticed there was an unusually large number of longhairs on the serving staff... three of them (about half the male wait staff) were longhairs. Two had shoulder length hair tied into ponytails, the other had long blond hair tied into a midback length braid. And this is in the Deep South. Maybe we are making progress.
Sweet Home Alabama.
Question for everyone: My son and I were watching "Walker Texas Ranger" a couple of nights ago, and there seemed to be a lot of long-haired men in the episode -- but they were all Bad Guys. Other than "Righteous Indians", I don't see too many guys with long hair being portrayed in a positive light on TV. (And one of those "Righteous Indians" was speaking with a thick Irish brogue. My son split a gut laughing.) Are there any TV shows which depict guys like us as what we are -- honest, moral, mainstream working stiffs who's tax money is just as green as everyone else's??
"Honest, moral, mainstream working stiffs" are boring, so maybe they're a bit tough to find on TV in general, but there are some shows that portray us in a positive light. Shows that show longhairs positively tend to be in three categories:
Another place, another time. Hercules and Xena stuff, and Dr. Quinn.Guys on the fringe. Renegade and Highlander.Teenagers/youth. Seventh Heaven.
I think that it is due to "political correctness", so as to not offend people of color, such as Native American Indians.
Another place, another time. Hercules and Xena stuff, and Dr. Quinn. Such as the seventeenth century, etc.Guys on the fringe. Renegade and Highlander. Such as rebel or hippy; maybe that's why long-hairs are portrayed as outlaws.Teenagers/youth. Seventh Heaven. Pro-youth; save-the-children; hippy; etc.
Another place, another time. Hercules and Xena stuff, and Dr. Quinn.Guys on the fringe. Renegade and Highlander.Teenagers/youth. Seventh Heaven.
If you think that's bad, one of the escaped convicts on "Early Edition" (same night and network as "Walker, Texas Ranger") had shoulder-length hair. Apparently, the show wanted a "token long-hair" to make us believe that there are many long-haired crooks out there. In reality, they seem to be the minority, except on dumb TV shows!
I don't have a TV, so I can't say, but I get the feeling that Dr. Quinn may be an example. How about things like the Partridge Family? I know I'm dating myself with that, but it's all I can come up with.
No TV, Victor? Unusual, but commendable.
I never watched "Dr. Quinn". The commercials for it made it seem hokey, so I never bothered. Also, that's set in another era (as opposed to Xena Warrior Princess, which I think is set in another Solar System). As for the "Partridge Family", yes, you are dating yourself, but so am I since I remember it well. I always felt that although Keith Partridge (David Cassidy) had long hair, the character was pretty much a loser. Besides -- He Was A Rock Star, So That Doesn't Count.
I'd love to see a show featuring a claims adjuster or a pharmacist with long hair, depicted in a favorable light. The trick would be making such a show INTERESTING, which means I should just forget the whole thing.
Well, don't forget "Hercules"!
A few years ago there was a sitcom, "Mr. Rhodes," starring a longhaired standup comic (I think) as a longhaired teacher in a private school. I'd say he was presented in a favorable light, but the show wasn't renewed, so I guess the audience didn't buy it. :)
I was watching The X Files last night (new episode) and there was a blond guy (although he is a regular, the name escapes me)he has just beyond shoulder legnth hair. I counted four negative hair comments directed at him. This has never been true before, I have just seen it this episode. Does anyone know what Chris Carter (creator of the program) looks like? What is his deal against longhairs?
I just watched the NBC Nightly News, and there was a story about how hospital pathology labs are routinely screwing up tests. There was a spokesman for Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Massachussets, who was an M.D., ~age 50 -- with a ponytail. FINALLY. Okay, so the guy was apologizing for his hospital's pathology mistakes, didn't prepare well, and came across as a bit of a bufoon; the point's been made -- WE'RE OUT THERE, AND THE WORLD SEES US.
It seems to me that a lot of the soap operas i catch have longhaired characters, sometimes as villans, but often as not playing positive roles. OK, so soap operas don't portray 'normal people' but i figure they still count.
steve
Yes indeed, there are so few longhairs portrayed in positive roles.
Now I recall an old Quatermas movie which portrayed a blond longhair as his research assistant who heroically worked on finding a remedy to an alien invasion.
Quatermas of course is a fictional British scientist and I think those science fiction movies were made in the 60's.
Talking of longhaired actors, well Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is becoming quite a longhair since he played the part (with a military-like hairstyle) of Micheal Collins' assassin in the movie of the same name and more recently (with longer hair) in the drama The Maker.
In The Maker, he played a decent adopted teeenage kid who did well in school but was being influenced by his older brother (a shorthair) who was a criminal.
Unfortunately in the movie, some of his brother's gang members were long hairs.
Anyways, Jonathan is growing his hair long for a role in an upcoming movie Titus Andronicus (or something like that) and it will be worth noting whether he plays a goodie or baddie.
Click on the link below
http://www.ymshomepage.com/today/rhys.html
BTW. Sean Connery was quite a good longhair in the movie Highlander II, though I regard it as rather corny.
Cheers
Charles
I'm a long hair and I live in Alabama!!! And there a few of us here!!! We just ride around in our turnip trucks all day and go cow-tippin' at night! No actually, I have seen several long hairs here! We are alive and well!
Can't belive how you gays can live in America with allt he prejudices.... :-) :-)