# So Katy Perry cut off her hair... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757 "2017-06-12T05:49:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/21 "2017-06-12T15:13:16Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > No satire, short hair is as much a surrender to the journey to the grave and a solemn acceptance of the overweening dominion of Almighty Death as buying a shroud in advance and wearing it early. Which was a thing. > Miss Perry sometimes looks good, if not to my taste ( her best look was a short-haired blonde look oddly enough — I found her less appealing jet-black on HIMYM ), although most singers cannot be _expected_ to have, say, the beauty of an Avril Lavigne or a Pixie Lott: people demand too much of their celebrities. On the other hand, Miss Swift is ineluctably fake. Not as to looks but as to personality, which is a turn-off. > And for the record, I am male and have always worn my hair as long as possible — cavalier/hippie style — so it’s not that I dislike short hair only on females. Then again, I generally think people should make their own choices. Yeah, I was pretty sure you’re male. And that this wasn’t satire, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/22 "2017-06-12T15:35:53Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > No satire, short hair is as much a surrender to the journey to the grave and a solemn acceptance of the overweening dominion of Almighty Death as buying a shroud in advance and wearing it early. Which was a thing. > Miss Perry sometimes looks good, if not to my taste ( her best look was a short-haired blonde look oddly enough — I found her less appealing jet-black on HIMYM ), although most singers cannot be _expected_ to have, say, the beauty of an Avril Lavigne or a Pixie Lott: people demand too much of their celebrities. On the other hand, Miss Swift is ineluctably fake. Not as to looks but as to personality, which is a turn-off. > And for the record, I am male and have always worn my hair as long as possible — cavalier/hippie style — so it’s not that I dislike short hair only on females. Then again, I generally think people should make their own choices. I was going to say something about how superficial and jerkish your stance is but I must admit the reason I was not a bigger fan of hers when she first made it big was partly her stupid (brunette) Alice in Wonderland hairstyle and little girl sex kitten schtick, so I’m just as bad as you 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/23 "2017-06-12T15:38:00Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > Dont’ understand why people have a problem with women who cut their hair…Not everyone has to conform to ideals of femininity and masculinity. ^ This. > [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > It’s rather unfair on her. No woman can look as good with short hair as with long, and women cutting their hair short is a deliberate acknowledgement of their inevitable aging and losing of sexual attraction. > > However hideously unattractive short hair is, going gently towards old age with dignity and submission shows great maturity. And that choice must be respected. ^ And in this we have yet another statement about how it’s all about the male perspective. I doubt Ms. Perry was thinking of what you find sexually attractive when she decided to cut her hair. You are asserting your _opinion_ that short hair is inevitably worse than long as if it is objective fact. Mind you, I don’t get the meme that a women is supposed to (or, even according to some busy-bodies I’ve encountered, _required)_ to cut her hair at 40, or 50. I’ve known several women in old age who retained their long locks (I had a math professor in college in her 70’s with thick steel-grey hair down to her waist). Me, I’m happily heading towards 60 still with my long hair (waist-to-butt length, depending on when last trimmed). But the guys salivating over long hair don’t have to do the upkeep required. It requires daily brushing, and that requires healthy shoulders and arms. Any woman having arm or shoulder problems is not going to be able to do this and I think it’s a factor in more cases than we realize. Many women experience thinning hair with age, and very long, stringy, thin hair looks like crap (in my opinion). A shorter style allows different styling options, thin short hair (in my opinion) tends to look better, and a shorter length of hair puts less stress on the hair follicles and thinning hair shafts - some women get shorter hair because they simply can’t grow their hair longer anymore, it just breaks off. But hey, none of that is important - it’s all about whether or not she looks attractive to men or not. Or whether or not she’s “surrendering” to old age rather than, say, trying a different look for HER pleasure. Or having a health issue that makes long hair upkeep difficult. Or because she wants a different level of hair upkeep because… whatever. Health. Busy lifestyle. Just freakin’ _tired_ of taking care of long hair. Yeah, it’s a bit of a peeve of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/24 "2017-06-12T16:04:17Z")
Yeah, what Broomstick just said! I’ve had long hair most of my life, and even though I rocked a short 'do for quite a while recently, I’ve decided I prefer it long. Oh, and Evan, I’m 52. Although in your mind, I should be starting on my death march, I have no plans to cut it any time soon. If I do, it’ll be because I WANT TO, not because I’m supposed to because of my age. And in case you’re wondering, this aging gal is sporting a head of thick, shiny, wavy dark brown hair with caramel and blonde highlights. It looks that way because I like it, and that’s always been my only motivation when it comes to how I look. Okay, yeah, it’s great that my Sweetie really likes it, but that’s just a bonus. That being said, I personally don’t like Katy Perry’s new hairstyle. I still think she’s gorgeous, but I just don’t like the hair. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/25 "2017-06-12T16:04:43Z")
She did it in an attempt to get me to notice her more. It’s working. Good Lord, it’s working! ---
**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/26 "2017-06-12T16:04:54Z")
I’m sure if we designed a more perfect world, hair length on a woman would not be an indicator of youth/health, but we have eons of generations that have evolved to find youthful qualities more attractive in women. I don’t think this can be trained out of us males in any way, so while I empathize with the burden of caring for long hair, I don’t really care because attraction is not a logical thing for me. Either I find you attractive or I don’t. I don’t get to choose. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/27 "2017-06-12T16:07:52Z")
My wife said something similar (you girls can be so catty 🙂 ) and I’ll repeat here what I said in response to her, _“She can cut it, color it, or shave her head; she’s still my #2”._ ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/28 "2017-06-12T16:30:53Z")
> [@nate](#): > > Either I find you attractive or I don’t. I don’t get to choose. Well, yeah, we know that - what I found (mildly) offensive about Evan Drake’s post was NOT his opinion or sexual preferences, it was his _assertion that they are objective facts_. Just because he (or your) _prefer_ a particular sort or style of hair on a woman does not make it a universal truth. Here’s the difference: OK: “I don’t think woman can look as good with short hair as with long, it’s my opinion that women always look better with long hair” Not OK: “No woman can look as good with short hair as with long.” One is about personal opinion, the other is an attempt to state a universal truth. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/29 "2017-06-12T16:37:16Z")
> [@nate](#): > > I’m sure if we designed a more perfect world, hair length on a woman would not be an indicator of youth/health, but we have eons of generations that have evolved to find youthful qualities more attractive in women. I’d also like to point out that long hair on a main is also a sign of health. A full head of hair is an (unreliable) indication of youth in a man which, while not as important as for women in the sexual arena, has been an issue for men at least as far back as Julius Ceaser asking the Roman senate if he could wear his crown of laurel leaves more often to hide his bald spot. Likewise, hair color (hence dyes) and thickness are also indicators of youth. A woman with short hair that’s dark and thick is going to look more youthful than a woman the exact same age with thin, long, grey hair. It’s not quite as simple as long=desirable. One reason for women to wear shorter hair is to make it look thicker, which looks healthier/more youthful than hair that looks thin. That’s probably also a reason for curling hair being popular among women - it makes the hair look thicker. So yes, I acknowledge than many, many men prefer long hair, but it’s far from the only criteria used in picking a mate, even for one night stands. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/30 "2017-06-12T19:11:31Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Most likely, her publicity staff saw that her Q-Score was dipping compared to her competition. They got together with a bunch of image consultants to see what they could do to refresh her image. The consultants put together a bunch of suggestions, they created some computer-generated images, and ran them by consumer panels in the target demographic. > > The haircut was an element of the look that tested most favorably for the reaction they were trying to get. Then they gave her the makeover. > > Maybe the new look will work. Maybe it will flop. She will probably give interviews to Us Weekly and People Magazine saying that this was some sort of personal artistic choice that she made all by herself that has some deep meaning. Take it all with a [del]grain[/del] block of salt. Interesting. I can’t say I’ve followed Ms. Perry’s career and image all that closely, but I never got an over-managed, focus-grouped, design-by-committee vibe from her. Yeah, she turned the bubblegum dial to 11 and ripped off the knob, but there seemed to be enough self-awareness about it to make me think it was her idea. Of course, maybe that’s just what her handlers want me to think. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/31 "2017-06-12T19:42:56Z")
Shouldn’t this thread be in Cafe Society? With that obvious point out of the way, I’ll state that I find most of Katy Perry’s songs cliche-ridden and/or annoying and her new material hasn’t changed my opinion. I also think her new current hairstyle makes her look less attractive. She looks too skinny even though I’m fairly sure she hasn’t recently been on some sort of dangerous crash diet. That said, neither her music or her hair aren’t the most noticeable things about her and if she had done something to reduce those, that would be an act of career suicide. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/32 "2017-06-12T19:53:07Z")
Looks much better on her than it did on Miley, who just did not have the face for it. I do think it makes her look basically unidentifiable, as she has a pretty nondescript face. There’s a reason she’s often compared to Zoey Deschanel, who is also basically unrecognizable when she changes her hair. It’s not Scarlet Johansson who got a similar haircut and yet is still completely recognizable. I do think it’s weird to announce to the world that the only reason you followed someone was because of how attractive they are to you. Sure, I get wanting to look at their pictures, but why follow them? You just want to look at them, so do that. What they say on social media or get caught doing with the paparazzi is kinda irrelevant. As is their actual career, if you don’t like their creative output. On the other hand, I do think **femmejean** was deliberately making a mountain out of a molehill. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/33 "2017-06-12T20:26:44Z")
She looks good. She looked good with long hair, too. Personal opinion: I’m a fan of short (or even no) hair on women. IMO, very few women look better with long hair than short. More look as good (so long as their hairstyle is in harmony with the rest of their look) - Perry fits here. A lot look worse. (This is where Miley Cyrus sits, IMO, since she’s been brought up several times.) ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/34 "2017-06-12T21:03:46Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > No satire, short hair is as much a surrender to the journey to the grave and a solemn acceptance of the overweening dominion of Almighty Death as buying a shroud in advance and wearing it early. Which was a thing. Audrey Hepburn would like a word with you, but she’s far too busy and popular to find the time. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/35 "2017-06-13T01:43:01Z")
I think KP looks great with the new short haircut. I like the short all over better than when she had one side that was longer. I’ve always liked very short hair on women if they have the features for it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/36 "2017-06-13T01:48:30Z")
She still looks good but I think she was better with longer hair. But either way, my opinion couldn’t be less-strongly felt. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/37 "2017-06-13T01:48:59Z")
Is Zooey Deschanel’s hair also short? because I still think they’re the same person. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/38 "2017-06-13T01:58:56Z")
She’s a very pretty woman. I’m actually more squicked out by her purple eyeliner and mascara than her hair. The 90s do not need to be emulated. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/39 "2017-06-13T02:17:46Z")
[Yum!](https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Katy-Perry-Fallon-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757/40 "2017-06-13T02:19:43Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > [Yum!](https://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Katy-Perry-Fallon-2.jpg) That does look good on her in that pic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-katy-perry-cut-off-her-hair/788757.md?page=3)