Can you think of a time in a movie when a woman “reinvents” herself and cuts her hair short? I’ll give you a few bonus points if there’s also a dramatic scene of the actual hair cutting.
Chances are, a few examples came to your mind. In movies and TV shows, a woman cutting her hair tends to show that she’s either had some sort of emotional turmoil or is rebelling against someone or something. It’s rarely that she wanted a new style for the heck of it.
The transformation doesn’t stop at just cutting hair either. There are also instances where a female character’s curly hair is straightened and she’s suddenly “beautiful” as if it was her hair that made her unattractive, such as Mia’s transformation in the “Princess Diaries.”
This particular type of transformation also brings in some dangerous eurocentrism, showing people that only straight hair is attractive and that curly hair is something that needs to be “fixed”.
These examples in media are repeated over and over in real life. Many times, when a woman cuts her hair, people ask for her motivations and tell her she was more beautiful before. While there are definitely instances where a woman cutting her hair is some life altering experience, but the vast majority of hair cutting isn’t for any life changing reason. Apparently, wanting to try something new isn’t a good enough reason to chop off one’s locks.
And why is this?
For the longest time, Western culture has proclaimed long hair to be the image of femininity and youthfulness. There are even evolutionary theories that state how men (and women) see hair length and quality as an indicator of reproductive fitness. Humans, however, are not ruled by evolutionary biases and are able to move past them. Evolutionary theory doesn’t exactly explain why a change in hair in the media is seen as a personal transformation.
It is more likely that this idea stems from the fact that many cultures believe that hair is a major signifier of personal identity. A person’s hair and how they style it is completely unique to them and a change in routine can signify a desire for personal change. There are cases, though, where the reason is a bit more dramatic. Maybe they just left a toxic relationship and want to start fresh. Maybe they wish to change their gender presentation. Maybe they want to rebel against traditional western beauty standards.
Based on the weight society places on hair, it’s obvious why movie producers would want to use it to signify a metaphorical transformation. Especially since hair is so important to many people, the use of this technique ends up resonating with more people. We should be careful to recognize that these beauty standards can have a negative effect on a woman’s self-worth when these dramatic conclusions make their way into our reality.