If you were watching the Oscars or on social media within the past two weeks, you probably have seen the Jada Smith/Will Smith/ Chris Rock situation.
But quickly it was revealed that Jada had been diagnosed with alopecia which is why she had been losing hair. Regardless of the joke, for me, it put into question the relationship between hair and femininity.
Growing up, I have always heard that girls have long hair while boys have short hair – this idea was often reinforced. But the thing is I had short hair growing up, not like the Dora haircut, I am talking about a full-on buzz cut; and for much of my childhood, I was called a boy.
Obviously, as I got older and could take care of my own hair, my parents let me grow my hair longer. Ever since middle school, my hair has been in various different lengths. But still, when I cut my hair shorter, I always feel like I am less feminine. But why is that?
A common understanding comes from evolutionary psychology- it is said that men were often attracted to a youthful and healthy appearance; long and thick hair was often an indication of that. But does that mean that our beauty and femininity are dependent on how men perceive us?
I think as we entered more modern times, especially as women has entered the workforce, we have seen shorter hairstyles. With this in consideration, I think we are moving toward the concept of femininity being less physical and more about how we feel and perceive ourselves. I would argue that this is why anyone can be feminine, yes, even men, and it should not be a weakness.
All in all, there shouldn’t be a single definition of femininity, neither should there be a single indicator of femininity. This idea that femininity is restricted to certain aspects is both oppressive and archaic, femininity is powerful.