# Is Senator Barbara Boxer's hairdo "a veritable rats nest of white femininity"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806 "2010-06-11T15:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/1 "2010-06-11T15:34:04Z")
[Per this article’s take on the whole Carly Fiorina comment flap](http://trueslant.com/laurieessig/2010/06/11/what-if-i-like-barbara-boxer-but-not-her-hair/) is Senator’s Boxer’s hair not appropriate to her status? > [@](#): > > Ms. Fiorina is the former Chief Executive of Hewlett Packard and her hair says as much. It’s not just short (obviously she lost it during the chemo), but it’s also kinda butch (there are ways to cut short hair to signify “femininity” if one wants or needs to). There’s a no nonsense feel about it, especially because it is also undyed. Honestly, I like Ms. Fiorina’s hair. Like President Obama’s closely shaved locks, her hair says “really, I just have way more on my mind than my hair.” It also signifies an unwillingness to look “younger” or “softer” because she’s a woman. > > Senator Boxer’s, by contrast, is a veritable rats nest of white femininity. It’s dyed blond, to signify “youth” and “innocence.” It’s clearly marked as feminine, but also feminized- not the practical hairdo of the hardworking, but the sort of hair that gets in the way, has to be tied back, slows one down. > > Don’t get me wrong- my hair at the moment is more like Senator Boxer’s than Ms. Fiorino’s. It’s longish and kinda girly and is always in my way. And I far prefer Senator Boxer’s politics and policies to Ms. Fiorinio’s- who quite honestly scares me a little. But Senator Boxer ’s hair says “young girl” when in fact she’s one of the most accomplished politicians of our time. It’s time to lose the little girl blond, the come-hither messiness, and show that a woman in charge need not try to look as if she’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/2 "2010-06-11T15:38:11Z")
Why should anyone care? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/3 "2010-06-11T15:44:01Z")
I recently went to her wikipedia and noticed her hair. I thought it was dark brown, when did this change? I don’t think Fiorina looks butch, either. We shouldn’t care, but people do just like their care about how Obama looks in a swimsuit. I have serious doubts about either Senatorial candidate’s critical thinking skills, so although I don’t care about hair, that’s what they’ve offered thus far. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/4 "2010-06-11T15:49:15Z")
Photos of the two: [Carly Fiorina](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=carly+fiorina&aq=0&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=carly+fi&gs_rfai=) [Barbara Boxer](http://www.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hl=en&source=imghp&q=Barbara+Boxer&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) Of the two, I’d say that Miss Fiorina’s hair looks far more tended to, stylish, and effeminate. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/5 "2010-06-11T16:05:31Z")
I know a lot of people who were at HP when Fiorina was there, (now mostly spun off) and at the time they complained that while she was laying off people she was spending tons of HP money on hair stylists and corporate jets. This was before the cancer. They all pretty much universally hated her guts. They contrasted her to the CEO of the Agilent spinoff, who flew commercially and rented cars when visiting plants. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/6 "2010-06-11T16:07:20Z")
It’s kind of amazing to me the way Fiorina keeps failing upwards. If she loses the California race will she end up nominated for President next? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/7 "2010-06-11T16:32:07Z")
Higher. Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/8 "2010-06-11T16:45:05Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Photos of the two: > > [Carly Fiorina](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=carly+fiorina&aq=0&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=carly+fi&gs_rfai=) > > [Barbara Boxer](http://www.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hl=en&source=imghp&q=Barbara+Boxer&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) > > Of the two, I’d say that Miss Fiorina’s hair looks far more tended to, stylish, and effeminate. Looking at both image pages, it looks like they have the same exact hairstyle. But what do I know, I’m a man. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/9 "2010-06-11T17:06:29Z")
I’m a woman and had the same impression. Both have bland, blondish, unoffensive, shortish hair. What could there possibly be to hate? How strange. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/10 "2010-06-11T18:36:23Z")
The article states that Carly Fiorino recently changed her hairstyle because of chemotherapy. The hairstyles in the google image search isn’t what she has now. ---
**Author:** ![Chickie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chickie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickie)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/11 "2010-06-11T18:40:38Z")
Uh, are we noticing the hairdo on the chick who wrote the article?? Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/12 "2010-06-11T19:00:51Z")
I noticed she changed the spelling of Carly Fiorina’s name to Fiorino. An unconscious de-feminizing? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/13 "2010-06-11T19:15:08Z")
I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, call Barbara Boxer’s hair “feminized- not the practical hairdo of the hardworking, but the sort of hair that gets in the way, has to be tied back, slows one down.” It’s your basic business-woman cut and far more ‘practical’ than, say, Sarah Palin’s. Now personally I can’t stand Barbara Boxer, but I cannot find anything to object to in her hair. I do like the bald/shaved look in women, though, and I think it looks very feminine too. If only I had the right-shaped skull I would so do it. This paragraph really bugs me: > [@](#): > > I like to think that my unwillingness to commit to the central lie of American femininity- that we “naturally” look this way- without the aid of cosmetics, hair dye, razors, tweezers, and increasingly Botox- marks me as a heretic (or, for those of you who enjoy a bad pun, hairetic). Yeah, whatever, that is so pretentious I can’t even stand it. Is the fact that I don’t dye my hair at all some sort of radical political act? I just like my hair the color it is and have never wanted to dye it in case it doesn’t come back. I hope it makes me better than her. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/14 "2010-06-11T19:19:24Z")
I wouldn’t hit either one of them, if that’s what you’re asking. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/15 "2010-06-11T19:38:49Z")
Huh. Sen. Boxer’s hair _used_ to be dark brown. I wasn’t aware she’d changed it. What really concerns me is the author’s statement that “A dark blond or light brown make me nearly invisible- neither sexy nor smart- just a blank slate which I must fill out with sartorial signifiers and actions.” I have dark blond/light brown hair. Am I unintentionally giving off “boring person” vibes? I’ve been thinking of dying my hair a dark brown for a long time, but I’m concerned that I’m too lazy to maintain it. Now I really want to try it. I’m curious to see if there’s actually a noticeable difference in people’s behavior toward people with different colored hair. People who have dyed their hair a lot, what do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/16 "2010-06-11T19:39:17Z")
Man, that’s ridiculous. What’s wrong with either of their hairstyles? Fiorina caught a news cycle by her catty comments, but I think it’s an absolute non-issue. If anything, it seems that Fiorina might get a little bit of blowback for being so petty. As for the columnist: slow news day, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/17 "2010-06-11T19:50:43Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > If anything, it seems that Fiorina might get a little bit of blowback for being so petty. Yup. [this article from NPR](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127768519&sc=fb&cc=fp) just popped up on my Facebook feed. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/18 "2010-06-11T20:03:31Z")
Imagine if a Senator made a catty remark about Sarah Palin’s hair. Fox News would be sobbing with hysterical outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/19 "2010-06-11T20:05:53Z")
I would say the quoted article is a veritable rat’s nest of overstated tripe and awkwardly forced imputations of significance. It strikes me as a sound example of writing something – anything – for the purpose of getting enough words down to get a paycheck, as opposed to writing something that makes sense, matters, or means something. As for the columnist: she should talk! Her style doesn’t say “let’s get down to business” or “I’m feminine.” It just says “blah.” Even so, that doesn’t make it inappropriate for her profession. What a tool. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806/20 "2010-06-11T23:49:33Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I know a lot of people who were at HP when Fiorina was there, (now mostly spun off) and at the time they complained that while she was laying off people she was spending tons of HP money on hair stylists and corporate jets. This was before the cancer. They all pretty much universally hated her guts. They contrasted her to the CEO of the Agilent spinoff, who flew commercially and rented cars when visiting plants. My brother’s long term GF, the not my sister in law, has worked at HP for years. Carly is universally hated by all who have had the hell of working for her. Carly (don’t wanna risk misspelling her last name) must have paid for this piece to get people talking about both candidate’s hair so that Carly’s inappropriate open mic catty remarks will fade into the background of an astroturfed “genuine” debate about their hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-senator-barbara-boxers-hairdo-a-veritable-rats-nest-of-white-femininity/542806.md?page=2)