I just read a Fox news article questioning whether America is ready for the first bald president in nearly half a century. It was so dumb, I had to offer at least a brief reaction. The comic relief is welcome, if that’s all it is.
In a world ready to burst at the seams with war, in a country that is purportedly in need of tax reform, medical reform, social security reform, educational reform, political spending reform, tort reform and every other kind of reform the Right, Left or anyone in-between can dream up, could anyone actually be concerned with engaging in ‘the Follicle Follies’? Personally, I never really thought about baldness in terms of the presidency, especially in view of the fact that nearly 40% of the American male population suffers from this ‘affliction’, to say nothing of a few women who have opted for the style. A number of actors, on both the large and larger screens, have made a fortune either in spite of or because of the fact that their foreheads extend all the way back to the napes of their necks.
Actually, it’s a terrific look when you consider the alternatives of Matt Lauer showing up on T.V. every morning for years with his goofy ‘pin-head’ haircut or the new James Bond for whom I longed to buy a comb throughout the entire movie. That’s not to mention the ’spikey’ look sported by so many guys on the street, dread-locks, pigtails, ponytails and the just plain bad haircuts that today are ‘in’ and when I was a kid would have gotten me marched back to the barbershop demanding a prompt refund. I know ’shrinkologists’ like to make a big deal out of the subliminal effect that haired vs. hairless may have on the average citizen, but have you taken a good look at the average citizen lately? It’s like the Star Wars bar scene out there!
Having survived the drawl of Jimmy Carter and sleaze of Bill Clinton, looking at the prospect of enduring Obama’s ears and Shrillery’s pants suits, I think the American voter will do just fine with Rudy Giuliani’s or Fred Thompson’s [I think he'll announce when the time is right] thinning domes. In fact, in the age of the so-called T.V. presidency, Thompson already hit a high water mark when he starred on Law and Order. Just in case you have any lingering doubts about the power of the polished pate, ‘bare’ in mind that our national bird is the Bald Eagle!
R.S.F.
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