This may belong elsewhere, but it seems like it should have a factual answer.
Can someone please tell me what “American Hair”, as refered to by many Brit and Euro dopers, is?
The curiosity is killing me (also, I’m wondering if I have it despite not being American.)
Think Donald Trump. It’s BIG hair, that either doesn’t move, or moves in and unfeasably-predictable manner.
Like this:
http://www.crazyabouttv.com/Images/dallas.jpg?
If you need a female example, think Dolly Parton.
Perfect!!!
Ahh.
So it’s probably more aptly called Southern American hair - 'cus I think it’s only in the more sourtherly states that people still wear their hair like that (big, hard) with any regularity, no?
You gonna call Trump a southerner?!
Nah, you can find big hair in Jersey, Long Island, the Midwest and Dundalk/Essex.
Is American Hair the same as American Cheese?
Humm. Interesting.
Well, I suppose that I now know that I don’t have American hair.
I wonder why it’s still popular, 'cus it really seems to take a lot of effort to get it big, and it doesn’t feel very good, and it tends to look sort of odd.
It’s not popular. Anywhere.
Gentlemen like Donald Trump have bad toupees. And from European accounts of American tourists all having “American Hair”, I’d wager there’s significant selective memory going.
I don’t have big hair but I understand it. Having a lot of hair around the face softens it and draws attention away from imperfections. That’s why most glamor shots usually have a lot of artfully arranged teased hair. Trouble is, some people take that to heart and try to have big hair all the time resulting in an over processed teased and shellaced do…
I remember reading an article about different styles popular in different parts of the US, and according to the article, large, hard hair, and heavy makeup were still the popular look in places like Dallas. Not so?
OK, think of it as an equal to ‘British Teeth’.
Indeed. Well done.
Can’t speak for Dallas … but some other Doper probably can.
I can only speak for Mississippi and southeastern Louisana. It’s not that big hair is unknown down here, it’s just that it’s marked for derision down here, as well.
I admit to no clue as to the real meaning of “American hair” but I’d like to toss in the idea that treatments in movies to men with obviously thinning to gone hair is getting increasingly annoying. And politicians. When you see candid shots of folks like Paul Newman, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood and Al Gore and then see them with all sorts of hair in their next movie (or public appearance) it strains the willing suspension of disbelief. I can acept wigs and toupees for the sake of a role (as in Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson and others) but it blew me away not long ago to see Travolta within a span of days go from almost bald to full thick hair on Letterman and some awards show.
Big hair on women is less annoying to me. Dolly especially. She has hair?
On her chest?
Where I come from we call it trailer park hair.
I’ve always thought of John Kerry as having American hair. Otherwise, I can’t really describe it in words.
