Flippy - I Rant, You Read

I asked my nephew, Michael, for his permission to post the picture he took of his hair.  If I wasn’t so lazy (and, so old), I’d love to do this to my hair.  I think I’d probably go more for blue tips, but I think his hair looks fabulous.  My mother, however, hates his hair.  She seems to think that it’ll stop him from getting a job or that people will think he’s…, I don’t know, different?  Well, he’s only 19, which I think is an excellent time to have a cool mohawk.  If he finds the right job atmosphere, he’ll be just fine with his hair.  In fact, if his hair prevents him from getting a job that he’s qualified for, he shouldn’t want to work for that employer anyway.  Hair is not an indicator of work skills.  As for what people will think he’s like because of his hair - if they can’t see beyond the hair that he’s a smart, kind, creative (clearly, huh?) and just plain good kid, then who cares what “they” think anyway?  This picture is a bit dark, but in real life, he doesn’t look the slightest bit scary.

Last year, when we went out to dinner at the Gold Coast buffet, we saw a whole family with mohawks - from adults to little kids, there were a bunch of them.  They must spend a fortune on hair gel, but they looked so cool together.  I wish I’d had a camera with me, because in my lifetime, I don’t think I’ll ever again see a whole family that’s been mohawked.

If you saw a kid with a mohawk, would it affect what you thought of him/her?  If you were hiring, would you hire someone with a mohawk?

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(19) Comments • Permalink

1. I think his hair is awesome! I’d hire someone with a mohawk - but then again, I have my hair dyed blue right now.

   It’s sad how much hairstyle influences available career options. There’s a guy in my band with really long hair and he’s more or less stuck with the job he has because he’s so limited in where else he can go and still keep the look.

   Average Jane  on  11/14  at  08:20 AM

2. Wow - that’s pretty awesome hair.

   I would totally hire someone with that kind of mohawk. Because getting your hair to look like that shows determination, resolve and an attention to detail - all desirable in an employee.

   roro  on  11/14  at  09:56 AM

3. I wish I could do my hair like his!  Awesome!  But I have so much gray, mine would be black and white and red…I’d look like a turkey feather!

   heh

   mikey  on  11/14  at  02:59 PM

4. This letter is being written by “Flippy’s Mom” and “Michael’s Grandmother” as a rebuttal to Flippy’s blog about Michael’s Mohawk.  I do not “hate” his Mohawk, I just don’t think it is appropriate in most places of business, if he ever plans to get a job in the “real world”.
   I love Michael.  He is a handsome, artistic, very bright young man capable of doing almost anything he sets his mind to.  If his purpose is to attract attention, it does do that.  I still don’t believe that most people see his true character and talents through the spikes of his Mohawk.  We, your family, know how great you are and love you, Michael, but we would hate to have others misjudge you.
   Love,
   Mom and Grandma

   Michael's Grandmother  on  11/14  at  04:24 PM

5. I have to say, the ‘do would TOTALLY affect what I thought of him. 

   I’d think, “Whoa! Cool! My kind of people!”

   Helly  on  11/14  at  04:37 PM

6. Kristal has gotten her two little boys’ hair cut into mohawks (at their request) and they looked absolutely adorable.  Would i hire someone with a mohawk?  Well, I’ve never in my life been in the position of hiring anyone, so i can’t speak from experience.  It would depend on the job, though.  In my own job, I don’t want my appearance to distract anyone from what I’m there to do.  So, I wouldn’t get a mohawk, although I don’t think it’s forbidden in the employee’s manual.

   Nancy  on  11/14  at  10:01 PM

7. Oooo! His hair rocks! I love the red!

   I’m a NaBloPoMo blogger too! I’ve randomly tagged you to participate in the meme going around! see details at my blog!

   chronicler  on  11/15  at  12:05 AM

8. Okay, I’ll do the meme tomorrow.  Such a weird coincidence that you did a big review of Fresh and Easy on Monday, then signed my blog today, on the same day that I stepped into my first Fresh and Easy.

   Flippy  on  11/15  at  02:53 AM

9. Really weird! It’s an interesting store. I agree that they should be going with their strengths and giving us some great British imports!

   chronicler  on  11/15  at  10:12 AM

10. It’s Auntie Ilona and I need to put my 2 cents in.  First, I know Michael knows how I feel about him… “I love you Michael” he is very likable and lovable, a great sense of humor, very sweet, handsome, bright, the best smile EVER, stimulating with the “Not” so usual teenage conversation - his is always interesting. He knows how to act for his age (his cousin Zac, my son, is 17 so I know first hand about “True” how teenagers can act behavior).  Michael is unassuming, a thinker with a real good head on his shoulders; the list goes on… his family knows “Michael” and we don’t see the hair.

    However….

    I am a businesswoman.  And no, absolutely not, Michael will not get a job worthy of him unless he changes his appearance.  Michael, I love you but I would not hire you and neither will 90% of the companies hiring unless you work at home.  I have learned business and life lessons from the bottom up, on the streets and true hard knocks (still experiencing that) so I really do know.  I also want to say that I am a 70’s child and was a little hippie girl (not big hips but long straight hair, braless, rebellious with caution ).  So, I really do get the Michael hair thing, although my hippie thing ended at 17 – had to put my bra back on, curl my hair and all that stuff to get a job.  I have experienced success; learned about failure because of my looks and attitude, my rebellious nature hurt me during my early career years. 

    One thing I have always known is that your appearance on the outside is what people all over the world take as who you are on the inside… how do we want people to see us… and yes we should care and we need to tell our children that they should care - it is our responsibility. It’s just that plain and simple.  What you show on the outside, as much as some people don’t like to admit, is how people see us.  Plain and simple!  And in all actuality it is not necessarily a bad thing.  It just all depends who and what you want to be.

    I TOTALLY disagree with the statement of, well if a company doesn’t want to hire you because of your spiked hair, black fingernails etc….well give me a break and rethink that statement.

    Now, if Michael wants to work in a Head Shop, at a punk shop, or inside of his home, well what the heck keep the hair.  If he can use his brilliant mind in any of these places, earn the kind of living HE wants to earn, well then keep the darn hair, black skull headed fingernails, black clothing, spike wristbands. But let me tell you - unless you want to be a singer in a punk rock band – become the next Bill Gates (he cut his long hair) the salary will be at a minimum…unless you work from home where no one can see you.  The question I want to pose to Michael is, is that “Really who your are” – are you still finding yourself – is it important to get a job with the general population right now… Maybe it is not, I think Michael you know that.  Sometimes we hide behind ourselves, by how we make ourselves look to avoid living that which we can really be… because that may take some courage. 

    So Michael, since you aloud Auntie Nancy to expose your hair and we are now blogging for the world to see I want you to know….  When I talk with you one on one you are real – now do you think anyone else knows that… and does it matter… and do you care how people perceive whom you truly are?  I can’t wait to see the true Michael emerge!!!!  You know who to call

    OK - now no correction on grammar or spelling - Just in case Mom/Grandma is reading this.

    Ilona  on  11/15  at  11:19 PM

11. Yeah, but you’re the only one here who wouldn’t hire him based solely on his hair.  There are tons of jobs where hair doesn’t matter, and in general, I don’t think Michael would be happy at a job where his hair mattered.  He could work on computers…and have a mohawk.  He could work at a bookstore…and have a mohawk.  He’s 19 and right now, if he gets a job, he’ll be getting a job to get experience in the working world and to make a few bucks.  He’s not going to be going directly into a career.

    If he wants to be the next Bill Gates, and he has the skills, no one will give a damn what kind of hair he has.  He’s studying computer security at school, and I think that if he can prevent a company from being hacked, they’ll kiss his mohawked head and cherish his black fingernails, that are attached to the fingers that protect their million dollar sites.  He’s not going to be looking for a job in the kind of environment where you work, although if he did, no one would ever forget “that sales guy with the mohawk”, and depending on the product, it might benefit him.

    There are TONS of internet-based companies that would hire someone who didn’t look like they stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.  I was just at a conference full of computer professionals, and the only thing that mattered to them was how well you wrote.

    I’m 43, and *I* wouldn’t want to work for any company that cared about my hair.  It may limit me somewhat, but I would rather work for a company that wants me to be comfortable, than a company that wants me to be their automaton.  By the way, at all the companies that I’ve worked for, including the two law firms, a mohawk wouldn’t have prevented anyone from getting a job there.  In fact, I think we had someone with a mohawk at Jacoby & Meyers in San Francisco.  We definitely had people with wild hair and clothes at United Airlines and Preview Travel. 

    I’m going to go on a little mission and write to some non-stuffy corporations and see what their opinion is about mohawks.  I’m not going to be writing to places like Wells Fargo, where their employees (at least inside the bank) have to wear ties.  Yuk.  However, Washington Mutual allows their employees to wear company t-shirts & polos, so I’ll include them in my correspondence.

    Flippy  on  11/16  at  12:06 AM

12. So your family really does read your blog!  I’m waiting for the response from Michael now.  Come on, Michael.  How is your mohawk affecting your social life?  Have you applied for any jobs?  What happened?

    Nancy  on  11/16  at  07:21 AM

13. As far as I know, Michael doesn’t read my blog.  But, his mohawk doesn’t affect his social life (his friends that comment on his pictures all approve of the hair) - if you saw the girls he dated, you’d know why.  He likes the creative girls.  Cute, skinny, and different.

    He hasn’t applied for any jobs yet, I don’t think.  He just started going to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas this semester, so he’s just getting into the swing of college.  He seems to have transitioned nicely to that, so a job is the next thing on the horizon for him…if he wants to pay for gas for his car, and presents for his cute dates.

    As for my family reading my blog - yes, both my dad and my sister-in-law are regular readers.  My mom generally only gets important print-outs of topics that might interest her.  I haven’t yet been able to get her online on her own.

    Flippy  on  11/16  at  09:22 AM

14. Well, being my father just “had” to read your blog to find out what all the fuss was about. I decided to take a look into it myself..
    So alas, I am here!

    First off, I’ll address the questions that were asked. Then following this I’ll reply back to everything to the best of my ability.

    1) So, has my social life taken any substantial blows due to my hair or general dress?
    No, my social life hasn’t been affected by my hair (let alone my nails or clothing).
    That is, I am very introspective and very reserved in the first place. Often times I don’t mingle with large groups of people. In fact, I’ve kept around a lot of the same friends I’ve had since my early on Elvis-esque hair style days. (elementary and middle school) In which case I was more of a social outcast than now or ever. (And that was as natural as hair got.) In many ways my social life has improved but that isn’t because of the way I look or dress but rather how I changed personality wise.. I’m not afraid to talk to people or make friends.. And I honestly couldn’t care about others opinions of me. In most cases I get a lot of compliments on my hair style. For the general determination it takes to bleach, dye, color, and hawk it.. As someone commented above.. In fact all age groups and sexes ask to touch my hair and it strikes up a lot of conversations..

    The groups of people I have the most problem with in relation to my hair (or clothing) and social acceptance are definitely older aged men and women who are resistant to these types of self-expression.

    (As for the girls I’ve dated.. They weren’t all ‘different’ per say. If you mean that by “alternatively dressed” or in their general wear Aunt Nancy. In any case I don’t have much problem in that area as you’ve said..)

    I am honestly more judgmental of others then people are of me. I really just have a hard time finding people who are intellectual in both school and outside of that. So many people don’t hold “my” interest..

    2) I haven’t applied for any jobs.. So I can’t really tell you about my first hand experience. However, I’ve run across a lot of people with hawks, tat’s, or various other body modifications who either work in the tech or computer based fields or other jobs here and there. (Including the Library, Blockbuster, Massage Therapy, Modeling, Best Buy {customer assistance}, and concept artists.) They all seem to have no problem with getting jobs. But I understand that my hawk is definitely more flashy than most, and I’m sure that will affect my choice of jobs. (If indeed I get a job that requires social relations, I will probably dye my hair one color and shorten the length of the hawk.. However, the amount of time it took to grow it to this length makes me really discouraged to do that..)

    Michael  on  11/17  at  07:29 AM

15. Now.. More often than not is the alternative self expression regarded as a rebellious disregard to many social qualities. However,  I believe it is more so a method of simple self-expression in ways that the ‘average’ lifestyles are incapable of portraying. The rebellious connotation I feel is a strongly embedded stereotype. Alternative lifestyles are not rebellious in nature but only serve to help the individual find balance or personal identity.

    The space in which people occupy in the world can often times be seen as confusing, unusual, or even unjust. With ones own ability to change themselves they have the freedom to feel as if they control the sway of social appearances and in a way no longer lack power to change that world around them.

    It is simply an embodiment of the idea of feeling accepted for being yourself. So, with that in mind it’s exactly what the majority strives to do but in a different fashion and sense of what ‘normal’ is.

    It’s following any expression of human characteristics through the freedoms of physical exemplification of both art and style onto the body.

    The only reason any of it becomes “different” is when culturally the representation of ideas aren’t “mainstream”. This is typically why certain people get hired for whatever jobs anyway.. Men over women.. Whites over Blacks and so forth..

    Of course it will limit my choices.. I understand this and I am willing to change somewhat in order to ‘fit in’ because of how judgmental others are of this ‘look’. The way change and difference causes anxiety and how people attempt to cope with that.. But I am without fear of judgment for my difference.. It’s only required of me to be a working independent in society as of now..

    I do disagree with “One thing I have always known is that your appearance on the outside is what people all over the world take as who you are on the inside… how do we want people to see us… and yes we should care and we need to tell our children that they should care - it is our responsibility. It’s just that plain and simple.  What you show on the outside, as much as some people don’t like to admit, is how people see us.  Plain and simple! “

    In fact, I believe with the coming generations.. Unlike Ilona, the idea of self expression should be accepted no matter how different we ‘look’ from one another.. We should teach the younger generation that it’s okay.. In fact it’s only because we separate these ‘social’ characteristics from person to person and “SPECIFY” what difference is that ultimately causes repression and intolerance.. Difference > Anxiety > Coping > Defense > Intolerance > Hate..

    No one person can decide what another’s paradigm or outlook on life is. So each one person is always subjected to anothers personal biases and therefore from one person to another these qualities of alternative may be seen as extreme or mild depending upon you! In which case they should be.. IF we increasingly make such things more ‘regular’ and ‘normal’ no one would feel the need to be afraid of such things as mohawks , painted finger nails, lip piercings, tattoos, or colored hair.. And such change would allow for more freedom of self expression.. And relax a lot of social tension..

    Now, off to sleep I go.. I’m expected to go to breakfast in 4 hours.. Well rested.. And with my oh so happy chipper face to brighten everyone else’s day.. I apologize for any typo’s or any confusion I may cause.. but BLAH I’m tired, rebellious, angry and disgruntled!

    Michael  on  11/17  at  07:30 AM

16. I meant “Shouldn’t be” in my second to last paragraph..

    Michael  on  11/17  at  07:35 AM

17. Thanks for speaking up for yourself here, Michael.  I didn’t know that you’d be asked to come here by your dad, so I assumed that you wouldn’t read it, even though it’s also linked from my MySpace account.  But, I’m glad that you read it, and I’m glad that my perception of you seems to be fairly spot-on.  As for the girls you date, most of the ones that I’ve seen are skinny, cute, and different, meaning not afraid to express themselves with creative hair, makeup, or clothing.

    I also disagree with Aunt Ilona’s statement:  “One thing I have always known is that your appearance on the outside is what people all over the world take as who you are on the inside… how do we want people to see us… and yes we should care and we need to tell our children that they should care - it is our responsibility. It’s just that plain and simple.  What you show on the outside, as much as some people don’t like to admit, is how people see us.  Plain and simple!”

    I don’t know, but maybe I grew up differently and had to see beyond just the outward appearance of people.  That pretty delicate looking girls could be excellent athletes.  The really butch looking girls aren’t always rough ‘n’ tough.  I think growing up gay & Jewish, two things that I could hide if I wanted to, proved to me that you can’t judge a book by its cover…and why would you want to anyway?  It used to be that having a tattoo was this huge verboten thing, and now more than 50% of the population is tattooed.  It seems that there’s an age indicator to the people who don’t approve of a mohawk in the workplace.  Except, I’ll bet Mikey would hire Michael, but I think Mikey’s probably almost always the exception to any rule.

    I don’t like lip or nose studs, but it wouldn’t stop me from hiring someone pierced.  In employees, I would look for the same thing as in friends - smart, funny, reliable, considerate and skilled in a variety of ways.  The outsides don’t matter to me.  I would want someone to feel comfortable being themselves if they were working with me.

    At our conference last week, which was full of people on the cutting edge of a new industry that requires innovation, intelligence, persistence, the ability to put ideas into words, the determination to keep at it.  Of the HUNDREDS of people we saw, and the dozens we met - two were wearing jackets.  My boss and one other guy.  That’s it, in the whole building.  It was a conference where all that mattered was what was between your ears.  Period.  Michael would’ve felt completely at home.  We’re kind of people who work better in comfortable clothing and shoes.  We don’t have to squelch our personalities to be just like everyone else in a stuffy environment.  Scroll through some of the pictures from http://startupweekend.com/ (not where we were) - these are the best & the brightest, and I see a whole lot of t-shirts and tennis shoes.  Those are the people I see as Michael’s future peers, not the bankers at Wells Fargo.

    I’m proud of Michael for being who he wants to be.  Not what any of us want him to be.  He’s not your average guy, and that’s exactly how I like him!  When he starts working in his chosen career, he’ll naturally lean toward wanting to work with people who are more like him.  My guess is that he’s going to end up in a job that requires many brainstorming sessions, and if he keeps the mohawk, that’ll allow the steam to more easily release itself from his head.

    Have fun at breakfast…and don’t be grumpy, grandma doesn’t like that.  A guy with such a cool looking mohawk should be showing his pearly whites.

    Flippy  on  11/17  at  08:35 AM

18. Wow… this blog entry is rockin’!  And I have two minutes for two cents.

    I’ve worked at three TV networks and three radio stations (all in major cities), and the only people in suits were upper management and the sales staff.  Otherwise, it was jeans and t-shirts and comfortable clothes for everyone.  Those newscasters you see on TV, like John Roberts, they’re wearing jeans under the desk.  Some of them might be wearing shorts in the summer.  I think any career field which requires “creativity” is going to be flexible about employee dress.  I also think back about the twenty or so jobs I’ve held over my lifetime, and the only ones which had dress codes were sales/customer service positions (for example, I worked in two different camera stores and a music store).  Even in the camera store, I only had to dress “up” if I was behind the sales counter.  If I worked in the photo lab I could wear jeans, even though I was still visible to the public.

    As Flippy said, I do believe Michael could work at a coffee shop, a bookstore, a music store, or even a pet store in a sales position with his mohawk.  And if he’s not in a direct “contact with customers” job, I don’t see why his hair would even be an issue.  He could work on the line at GM and make $28 an hour with a mohawk.  He could do computer repair.  He could work in a company’s IT department.  He could probably even be a real estate agent and make a decent living just by attacting clients who felt comfortable with him.  I’d still rather have a young guy with a mohawk to hang out with than some stuffy old dude in a suit.  I don’t think a suit is an indication of skill or knowledge.

    I think there’s been a real shift in society over the past twenty years that a lot of older people,like our parents, know nothing about.  Our fathers spent their entire lives putting on suits every morning because it was expected - it didn’t make them any more productive.  In contrast, my younger brother is a computer programmer for a banking software company, and he wears jeans and band t-shirts to the office.  He teaches training seminars across the country in jeans and t-shirts, and his employer is happy with how he represents them.  I love that many facets of industry are finally becoming less superficial.

    Leigh-Ann  on  11/17  at  08:39 AM

19. I wasn’t asked!.. I read this all on my own.. My Dad however took up valuable time reading everything on here.

    Funnily enough he ‘read out loud’ the stuff that seemed to be more geared towards his opinion of my hair and dress..

    So I told him, I was gonna go be in another room until he got off my computer, then I’d come back and read it for myself. In which case I did..

    I felt obligated to reply more or less because it was about MY hair =P..

    And as for my GF’s being alternative.. Karolina wasn’t.. Neither was Heather.. (Though I’m not sure if Heather qualifies.. She was more of a ‘hippy’ Beatles loving type.. Who either fell out of the 70’s or Victorian time period..)

    Alright, I don’t want to be late for breakfast!
    I’ll probably reply more later.

    Michael  on  11/17  at  11:55 AM