hair as a metaphor

[Natasha (candygirl)]

Should we mention Patty's Rapunzel wig too? After she debated whether to cut her hair short in the pilot, she reverts to long hair if only for a night. Does this signify her desire to return to her youth, a time when she didn't have to make decisions like firing Boyd? That perhaps she feels her short hair is a symbol of the no-nonsense business woman who is her husband's supervisor?

[Natasha (candygirl)]

I just watched Other People's Mothers (or Mother, singular, according to the box set menu) and noticed that Angela has a small braid on the side of her face when she goes to Rayanne's party. My hair theory is getting blown to bits.

The tie-dyed shirt seemed to come out of nowhere, considering the rest of Angela's plaid wardrobe, and it was one of the few things that she wore only once during the entire show. I did like the fact that the characters wore the same clothes throughout the season, unlike other shows where they would have us believe that everyone has a bottomless closet that fills up with the latest trends each morning.

Another retraction from me: the shirt Angela wears in Other People's Mothers is the shirt that Rayanne wears the day after the Dead concert in Father Figures (interesting symmetry - the same shirt makes the rounds in the episodes with parental titles?). Does this mean that Angela borrowed it from Rayanne (a la the bustier in the Pilot) or that Rayanne gave it to her or that Rayanne bought one for herself and one for Angela at the concert (unlikely since she was mad at Angela at the time)?

[Guest]

. And when she gets dressed up for Jordan's Meet the Parents night, she puts on the black dress but I think that she leaves her hair down as usual.

Yeah, but it's curled up to look more sexy

[newmaks23]

I completely agree with this...after seeing the pilot I went through a stage where my hair always reflected my mood/personality at that time...scary thing is that i'm now 23 and i'm still doing it.

[north_Star98]

So...I've noticed that Angela NEVER has her hair up throughout the whole series except...at that little clip while the credits are rolling during "The Zit" episode. I think that's the only time at least.

What are your thoughts about her hair never being up? Do you think her hair is a mask sheilding her from the outside (part of her innocence) since it often times falls in front of her face, causing her to move it out of the way in order to see beyond herself (to try to break away from her innocence in a way and move into the real world).

First her hair is down the entire episode...shadowing her perception of self confidence and beauty. At the end of the episode...she has her hair partly up...signifying her realization that she, too, could possibly be beautiful. And...During that clip at the end of the episode when she has her hair up (exposing her entire face) for that moment...her unconscious acceptance that she is beautiful and confident.

What are your thoughts?

[chaseface888]

I do remember Rayanne straightening her hair one other time in the show somewhere around father figures or the substitute, besides the end, what does that mean?

And possibly does Danielle's long hair and need to vary it from day to day signify a connection with Rayanne? I always though Danielle would grow up to be the wild one. Remeber in Weekend:

[Danielle looks in on Rayanne, then walks away]
Rayanne : Wait, come in.
Danielle: You're awake?
Rayanne : I can't sleep. Too bored to sleep. Could you do me a favor?
Danielle: I could for money.
Rayanne : Girl after my very own heart. Okay, here's what you do. You go
down to the liquor cabinet. You give me a bottle. Anything brown.
I'll give you a dollar.
Danielle: Nope.
Rayanne : Two dollars.
Danielle: It's wrong to drink.
Rayanne : You have a real miserable side to you, you know that?
Danielle: My parents say you're a bad influence. I heard 'em talking about
the things you do. Why do you do 'em?
Rayanne : I don't know. See, okay, when I look at myself, I see everything
in, like, slow motion, and I think, "Something has to happen."
Only, it never does. So I have to make it happen.
Danielle: Wow. [grabs the Cracker Jack] They're brown.
Rayanne : That they are.

[Switchfoot's gal 101]

Yeah maybe she would grow up to be the wild one, because at the end of the "weekend" she says "what are we gonna do next weekend?" and angela says "WE aren't doing anything" and the danielle says "maybe we could see what Rayanne's doing, I like rayanne". But during "halloween" she dresses up as Angela, maybe that means she envies her and will grow up to be just like her older sister. I don't know. . . . any comments??

[Guest]

Yeah maybe she would grow up to be the wild one, because at the end of the "weekend" she says "what are we gonna do next weekend?" and angela says "WE aren't doing anything" and the danielle says "maybe we could see what Rayanne's doing, I like rayanne". But during "halloween" she dresses up as Angela, maybe that means she envies her and will grow up to be just like her older sister. I don't know. . . . any comments??

Unless, the fact that Danielle envies Angela actually signifies that she would indeed become like Rayanne when she grows up, because Rayanne like totally envies Angela, too.And I don't know why but I always thought thought Patty was a Rayanne when she was younger.

[grim4746]

I think Patty was more like Sharon when she was younger. Maybe she had a slightly more wild side but I like to think that Sharon would have become a bit more wild had the show continued. I definitely think Danielle would have turned out to be the wild one. I think she'd have been tough too and smart about being wild. She'd know her limits. Maybe she'd be more of a rebel than wild child.

[Nothingman]

I think Patty was more like Sharon when she was younger. Maybe she had a slightly more wild side but I like to think that Sharon would have become a bit more wild had the show continued. I definitely think Danielle would have turned out to be the wild one. I think she'd have been tough too and smart about being wild. She'd know her limits. Maybe she'd be more of a rebel than wild child.

This has been a presentation of MSCL Girls Gone Wild brought to you by Grim and the letter "J".

[Guest]

I think Patty was more like Sharon when she was younger. Maybe she had a slightly more wild side but I like to think that Sharon would have become a bit more wild had the show continued. I definitely think Danielle would have turned out to be the wild one. I think she'd have been tough too and smart about being wild. She'd know her limits. Maybe she'd be more of a rebel than wild child.

I agree that Danielle would be a rebel if the show continued, and I also think that her jealousy of Angela would continue, which would possibly contribute to her rebellion.I always pictured her growing more and more angry at Angela for stealing all the attention, and that would definitely manifest itself through her behaviour in her adolescence years.Anyway, I think she would be nothing like Angela.

[Jody Barsch*]

Another time when Angela wears her hair up that has not been mentioned yet ih "Halloween" As part of her 60's costume Rickie pulls her hair back in a mary-jane. Also, would the hat she wears in "So-called Angels" apply to this?

Interestingly, in the 1992 version of the pilot script, Angela does not dye her hair red, she strips it white. A significant change from stripping down to the bare bones you, to assuming a new identity by making her true colors.

[TooCool4Skool]

So, I think, as well as others, that Angela uses her hair as a "Security Blanket". She wants to break away from her childhood, thus dying her hair. Yet, she isn't comfortable enough to actually let herself be- thus leaving her hair down. It signifies that she still can't break away from her "Brady Bunch" childhood just yet. And, when she finally does wear it up, she is finally letting herself go. In the show, when she does wear it half up, it shows growth- for example in Zit. When she does something to it- like in Why Jordan Can't Read, and Other People's Mothers, it signifies "the want" to grow.

This would also explain her tendency to tuck her hair back. This shows that she is attempting to break away. She continually tucks it back- trying to "grow up" and become an adult.

On the same note- has anyone but me seen what Jordan does to Angela's hair at the beginning of pressure? He, himself, takes his hand and tucks Angela's hair behind her ear. Now, some may overlook this as affection- which I do agree with, but I believe it is also deeper than that. I think it shows what he is trying to do to Angela. He is trying to make her grow up, and mature, in order to make her ready for sex. I just thought that was so interesting- another little hint of "hair symbolism"

Any takes?

[SanDeE*]

How about the negative view of redheads on MSCL? Patty and Graham don't like Neil's new redheaded girlfriend Cheryl in Weekend, and Hallie, also a redhead, is disliked first by Graham in Self Esteem and then by Camille in... one of the last episodes, I can't remember the title. Isn't it interesting that some of the characters really dislike redheads, and then Angela herself became a redhead? And Patty hates Angela's new red hair in Pilot. What's the deal with hatin' on redheads on this show? (Can anyone tell I'm a redhead? Just sticking up for my follically firey sisters!)

[Nostradamus]

Didn't Camille say something about men only liking long blonde hair? Heh, I always liked Hallie more than Camille. And I definitely like redheads!