For a few years now, I’ve been sporting a hairstyle that I think looks cool. Unfortunately, pretty much everybody I meet thinks otherwise. Being one who generally disregards the opinions of the masses, I haven’t changed it, but I’m starting to think that maybe I should. It’s gotten to the point where, when people are trying desperately to think of a polite way to tell me to get a haircut, I just laugh and tell them that it’s ok; I know it apparently looks ridiculous. My best friend agrees with me that it looks cool, but then, he’s not the sort one wants to trust for fashion advice. The most I’ve had anyone else admit is that if anyone could pull this hairstyle off, it’d be me, but sadly nobody can. Oh, and one person said “I’ve seen worse”. In other words, it’s becoming clear that I’m in the significant minority in thinking that this looks decent.
So, I leave it to you, the folk of the SDMB, to decide: does Roland Orzabal need a haircut? If so, what should I do with it? If not…well, I don’t anticipate a lot of those, so throw in whatever additional comments you want! Whee!
…and as I scan my Vast Photo Archives, I discover that I only have two scanned pictures of myself with this hairstyle. So, you get:
Brace yourself, Roland. Hearing this from an old coot such as me may be painful. Your hairstyle is quite similar to mine. However, mine is swept slightly to the right side. When it starts to get as much altitude as yours in the first pic, I know it’s time for a haircut. When my hair gets that way, people try to tactfully remind me that I don’t have what it takes to wear my hair like Jerry Lee Lewis. Ouch.
According to the opinions I’ve gotten from the people I know, I should get a buzz cut. My only problem with that is that it seems like every male in my age group in the United States either has a buzz cut, or grows a three-foot ponytail to be “rebellious”. Personally, I do what I like, and if that happens to be what everyone else is doing, so be it, but I generally dislike looking/acting exactly like everyone else. I hate the standard tuxedo for the same reason; I always make a few very slight alterations to add some individual style. Sometimes my style sits well with the rest of the world; in this case, it…doesn’t.
Now, I think the whole slick-back thing looks fine as long as you don’t use gel (which I don’t. Yeah, nobody else believes me either, but it’s true). Granted, it’s usually not as poofalicious as it is in the first pic; the second is probably more representative. But hey, I’m not here to defend the hair, I’m here to get it blasted to kingdom come by passers-by (if that be thy will). So continue. Also, suggestions as to what I might do with it that aren’t a buzz cut would be appreciated.
Oh, no, you don’t. All’s fair in love and hair, but comparing me to this guy is just plain nasty. That’s like a mullet with the back folded up and placed directly on top. Sort of a truncated Marge Simpson, if you will. The slick-back is many things, but that, it is not.
How about the shirt? Can we make comments about the shirt?
The hair just says “Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the powerless, the helpless in a world of criminals who operate above the law.”
It says all of that, very quickly, and it says it in the voice off the show, too. If that is what you want people to think when they first meet you - and bear in mind that first impressions last - then you have succeeded. In fact this might explain if you’re been having any odd experiences with people apparently glazing over while being introduced to you. Probably people who are being introduced to you actually don’t hear the first few things you say, because they’re still hearing the “Knight Rider” bit in their heads. It comes in rather loud. The music is optional.
Is there a ponytail at the back or… what do you do? I mean, how is held back there? Do you just brush it there and hold it in place with some kind of product? (these things are foreign to me)
If so, if you’ve actually got fairly longish hair, you may be able to do something else with it.
Ye gods. Yes, I’m also going to reccomend a haircut.
I don’t know where you live, but I haven’t seen a guy in a ponytail who wasn’t also wearing a Nascar shirt and cutoffs for… well, a while. I don’t see all that many straight-up buzzcuts, either. I’m still noticing a lot of short, messy hair, with a lot of guys still doing that “spike it towards the front” thing (which I’m not advocating, btw).
Anyway, there are definitely options beside buzzing it and growing it extremely long. Browse through magazines or something and find a style that you could live with, and, if you’re concerned about what people think, get someone else to look at it to get their opinion on it.
If you’re really worried about losing your style, just try styling it a different way before you go and get it cut. I can’t really tell how long it is from the pictures.
Please, please, please get a new haircut. You are in danger of falling into Donald Trump-mode. Do you have a girlfriend? If not, you now know why. If you do, and she’s not herself style-challenged, take her with you to a good salon and let them have their way with you.
Here’s my personal experience: Any guy who’s hair looks like it takes longer to style that my own, is not a contender. The ex used to spend inordinate amounts of time combing, spraying, smoothing, fussing. I liked him much better when I felt I could grab hold of his hair and muss it up without sending him off to the mirror to comb, spray, smooth and fuss. It should have been my first warning sign about him.
It’s not really that long…three inches at most. The back stops just above my shoulders; you can sort of tell in the second pic. As far as “product” goes, I don’t use any. Getting my hair to look like that takes approximately fifteen seconds. Water, brush back, good to go.
Regarding the styles y’all have suggested: they look good, and I’ve tried most of them in the past (except for the Van Wilder thing), but about an hour after it’s styled, it goes POOF! – straight up. Or rather, perpendicular to my head, so that it’s round. We’re talking big, fuzzy teddy bear, or maybe a peach. About the only thing I can do at that point is gel it into spikes. If you want a picture of that, check out my post on page two of this thread in MPSIMS. It’s part of a Halloween costume, so it’s green, but you can get the idea.
Oh, and as to the shirt: fair point; I was forced into wearing it specifically for that photo. My usual shirts are casual long-sleeve button-downs (like in the second pic), or else solid-color tees. I know I have a decent fashion sense when it comes to non-hair; I’ve get compliments on my style of dress fairly often.
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