While all of it makes little sense in movies, short hair doesn’t. Reason why military cuts hair short is so your hair doesn’t get tangled in trees, bushes or fences, compromising you. It’s really of practical nature. But given how many cockups they make elsewhere in movies, I don’t think they were going for that kind of realism.
The Expanse has the justification of it meaning that they don’t have to deal with representing long hair in microgravity situations, but they still have variety like Camina Drummer’s ultra-tight braids and Naomi’s curls which solve the problem without everyone having a crew cut
Man, Cara Gee, the actress that plays Drummer is just so stunning. Aside from her being so much my type, I enjoyed her portrayal of the character. Very commanding on screen presence.
I absolutely love basically every scene she’s in. Especially with how much she committed to the Belter accent
Fa sho, beltalowda
She’s the definition of perfect casting. I also liked how they just kept extending her role because Cara Gee is so good. Drummer’s role in the books is much smaller
Same. Swoooooon much.
same same
In universe, short hair also makes sense in zero gravity. James S A Corey are just on another level when it comes to such details both in the show and in the books. They actually talk about female hygiene products in The Mercy of Gods.
Either short cut hair, or at the very least, done up in a very tight bun, or fairly short ponytail or braids or cornrows or something.
As you say, tangling with the environment or your gear… in a hand to hand fight, you do not want hair that can be pulled or wrapped up, you don’t want long hair getting in the way of reloading a gun, longer bangs blocking your view through binocs or iron sights or a scope…
Also… for tampons and pads…?
The ‘old ways’:
Lint wrapped around wood. Knotted ropes. Papyrus. Paper. Moss. Animal skins.
These were all used before the tampons and pads, with some more … unique solutions beginning to be mass produced in the late 1800s, eventually leading to modern tampons and pads.
So… I guess uh, assuming a post apocalyptic woman’s ‘survival’ stat is high enough, presumably they would return to much more locally sourceable, less complex to produce, decent enough solutions, after the last box of tampons gets looted from the last dilapidated Walgreens.
So… if your character is a postapoc woman badass… you could just add this into your own headcannon as an explanation, of sorts.
… I wonder how many post apocalyptic movies pass the Bechdel test lol.
EDIT: Going a bit further, and arguably off topic…
Common ammunition calibers, cigarettes, condoms, and possibly bandage/compress packs, tampons/pads, bic lighters… maybe also small sewing needle kits?.. would be pretty good candidates as physical commodity psuedo-currencies…
Basically for the reason that they are small, light, easily transportable, roughly standardized, are generally durable if stored properly… and are no longer in mass production… and basically everyone would either directly have practical use for them or know someone who does.
Bottlecaps as a currency would represent some level of general social cohesion beyond and above that, lol.
EDIT 2: … having long hair could …probably become something of a status symbol, as it would only really make sense if you were not roughing it all the time.
Men would also presumably keep their hair and beards short generally as well, and longer hair/beards could also become something of a status symbol as well.
Reason why military cuts hair short is so your hair doesn’t get tangled in trees, bushes or fences, compromising you. It’s really of practical nature
Also gas masks really don’t seal that well with too much hair in the way.
Also I think beard hair is not permitted in military due to gas masks needing to have a good seal so perhaps it would he a good reason for not having long hair as well
Yep i agree! In movies it’s a way to make a woman look strong, because obviously a man’s haircut gives us some of the magical powers of a man.
a man’s haircut
That’s a little sexist. I also completely disagree. Short hair, especially in a military setting, is not about a borrowed appearance of strength, but utility and competence. Early episodes of Stargate SG-1 had some infamously awful commentary about emancipation, but Carter’s (Amanda Tapping) short haircut never compromised her femininity: she wore it like that because she was a frontline soldier and accomplished USAF pilot, and that’s what the circumstances demanded. It would have been weird and against her character to participate in missions with long hair.
Just for fun, this is the “”“improved”“” scene where Carter is introduced, without the part where she talks about her reproductive organs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gR-ouftevE
I think that’s what OP is getting at, that this attitude of “male” haircuts has been used in such a way. They’re not defending it, they’re pointing it out, alongside military doctrine.
Unless I can’t read…?
Yep that’s what I meant
Apologies I should have put an eyeroll or something to indicate tone. What I was getting at is that it’s seen as a man’s haircut so that’s why it’s given to the character.
I still firmly disagree with that point. Maybe it’s just a cultural thing that I’m not getting. I’ve never seen short hair as exclusive to men (other than as a result of male pattern balding because that’s just a weird thing the human body does), nor think that it makes women look masculine. I know and have known plenty of women with short hair and men with long hair, and never thought it anything other than a stylistic choice (barring other practical considerations).
OK thanks for giving me your perspective
This is something I’ve always found a bit perplexing - US female combat troops often have long hair, which they keep up and tight while working.
Both me and my other half often do physical work (I’m a volunteer firefighter, she does arbourist work on the side) and neither of us can stand having long hair … if I were doing military work, I can’t imagine how needlessly uncomfortable that long hair is!
Same goes for women MMA fighters.
In other news, my other half looks like Sinead O’Connor when she shaves her hair, while I look more like a Gulag escapee for some reason … so I have to live with a pixie cut or longer.
The trope that bothers me is when they make the single minority character also the lead female character and also the gay/bisexual character.
Conveniently squeezing all the required diversity into one convenient character.
As always, no such thing as a bisexual man.
Yep! Extra points if she’s not white
That was what I meant by “Minority”
Ahhh sorry Delphia missed the word in your comment
The zero body hair always gets me. “Oh god, zombies! Pass me my razor I need to do my legs, underarms and of course my bikini line”
Honestly so lucky that they had all those laser hair removal sessions a year before the world ended 🤭
Absolutely! Even luckier than having a neverending supply of entirely smudge proof make up
It’s simply survivorship bias. The only women who survive these situations long enough to get a movie are the ones who have short hair on their heads, no visible body hair, and makeup somehow welded to their faces. It’s probably quantum, or something.
… ‘quantum evolutionary psychological natural selection theory’ implies that women will naturally evolve… makeup excreting facial glands.
rofl
It’s the only possible explanation for all those future documentaries we’ve seen. Occams razor and all that. Mens’ beards also undergo some sort of evolutionary change that causes them to stop growing at the ‘ruggedly manly’ length, rather than just keeping on going to ‘a bird could, and may be, nesting in it.’
Post Apocalyptic Male Evolutionary Convergence End Point:
Not a movie, but Dying Light 1 made my friend group giggle seeing this NPC quest giver:
Edit: Zombie Apocalypse is the context I should’ve mentioned.
I’ll do you one better!
I’ve extracted and manipulated certain glandular fluids from zombie corpses, experimented… and found that it actually topically removes hair, permanently!
I call it… Ozombic.
… Eh? Eh?
I love it!! You may have the last known tube of toothpaste as a reward. In post apocalyptic society that’s a great honour
… Could I perhaps be allowed back into your community to occasionally discuss women’s fashion instead?
(puppy eyes)
Do you wanna dm me? I’m not sure what you mean
2 tbsp coconut oil 1 tbsp baking soda 15-20 drops of organic peppermint essential oilYou’re welcome.
They don’t often show people scavenging toilet paper or toothbrushes either, it’s just something they skip, not necessarily people not knowing how to write women
Sure ok but if they made movies with stats without make up and hairy legs and gross teeth, all about finding hygiene products in post apocalyptic society… not many people world watch it.
There was a really good Swedish detective true crime drama with the lead female detective or anyone wearing makeup. Yeah they looked wrinky as shit, and yeah they still looked beautiful. It gave the show an open honest feel.
Hairy legs can be bypassed by just having a scene showing a little normal leg hair from time to time with shaved legs from time to time. The audience will figure it out.
Gross teeth I’m not sure what you mean by this. Yes they won’t have perfect american overly whitened tictacs, but have you never met someone with dull crooked teeth and still thought they were still pretty?
I would.
I might be wrong and I’m happy to be corrected here. Isn’t it possible to stop getting your period because of high stress on your body? I would guess living through a post-apocalyptic situation might merit that level of stress. But I could be wrong; I have a pretty cushy life all things considered so it’s not like I have direct experience with this kind of thing.
Humans lived in an environment similar to a post apocalyptic situation for 1000s of years and still reproduced just fine. I’m not saying it isn’t a thing at all, but I don’t think it would be common or widespread.
I’m not an expert either but yeah stress and poor nutrition can mess up your cycle but I don’t think indefinitely.
As in, you might not have a period for several months but sooner or later your endometrium will shed.
Endometrium shedding and taxes, like I always say.
I feel part of the reason pads are discluded would be the same reason taking a shit is. It’s basic function that adds nothing of plot or interest if included, unless it was an actual plot device. Like bears that are attracted to periods. The other tropes though I agree with, and have commented on previously when watching movies. Even non-apocalyptic when women wake up in bed with perfect hair and makeup makes me laugh.
Hi Bosht thanks so much for your interest! It’s a women’s only sub so I’ve had to politely ban you. Have a great week!
That’s fucking ridiculous.
Ban me too then 🙏Posting a meme about how women should be more understood, then banning men for participation and interest. Stupidity.
Thanks for your comment and all the best 😊
Tbf the jackets are usually oversized but the rest is true
I recently got one of those IPL hair removal machines. Hopefully it’ll remove body hair permanently 🤞
(realistically it’ll get rid of most of it, and grow back slower)
I am genuinely not sure if this is viral marketing for The Last of Us or not.
That also bothered me about LOST. Well, that and the fact that the obese character stayed just a obese while being stranded on an island on a fish and fruit diet.
I guess we have to watch people take a shit too, every episode.
I only disagree with the middle comment. You can see the image I linked OP it’s fucking exactly the complaint here lmao.
