Rapunzel has let down her hair

Last week I spoke about society’s obsession with hair. Britney Spears made head lines last week by ditching her hair extensions for a new, baldheaded look. Her hair, which she shaved off herself in an L.A. hair salon, is now up for grabs on an internet auction site for USD $1 million.

Time magazine dedicated a small spread to Britney’s more recent antics last week, which range from “her impulsive 55-hour first marriage to her unconventional parenting techniques with her second hubby”, “pantyless cavorting” and finally, her “self-administered buzz”.

This is not the first time that we have seen Hollywood go bald. Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, and Sigourney Weaver have all shaved their heads for the big screen. For their characters, it represented an expression of power and independence, in place of femininity and vulnerability.

Head shaving is neither a recent phenomenon for women. In certain religions such as Buddhism and Christianity, head shaving is a purification process, which symbolizes a rejection of vanity and sexuality, and an acceptance of chastity.

Clearly, Britney Spears has not accepted chastity but it is easy to understand the reasons behind her self-destructive behaviour. At 25, Britney already has two failed marriages and two kids to account for. She has been criticized for being talent-less, a bad mother, fat, and most recently, for losing her mind.

Baring her scalp may be her own backlash against the media. Perhaps it represents a new beginning. But whichever way you look at it, this young girl has let her hair down, in a clear cry for help, and how has the public responded? By selling counterfeit Britney hair on eBay.