For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 25, 2022

in one way other another

Understandable to a degree in 1977. A period piece now.

Had a classmate in high school (long ago) who got lots of flak for wearing his hair Beatles-style.

Looks very much like a Dorothy Hamill “wedge” cut.

Oh, I think it does … at least, in his case!

His hairdo reminds me of the day our school science class went to the science museum, and what your hair looks like when you put your hand on that electric charged ball (forget what it was called) and it sends a million volts of static electricity through you. Every kid that did it went home with a hairdo looking like that because it lasted for 3 or 4 hours!

When I was in school, a punk like that would have been thrown out—bodily!!

The British 80’s Punk Scene called. They want their hair back.

The more outrageous styles tell you that the kids are trying to push their parents away, or provoke them. I knew a few kids whose parents didn’t react at all to them, no matter how weird they got. Those kids ended up on the streets, of their own choice. :( Never saw them again.

Every decade has its quirks. There are some that were in 2016 that really look funny today.

Lynn’s Comments:

Here I drew a young man I had seen on the street. His hair was multicoloured and standing like a fan—straight up and rigid. I figured that you don’t go out in public like this unless you want attention, so I asked him how he had done his hair. His answer was, “wood glue and bingo dabbers.” What fun!

That style tells you everything about the person and it goes with the t shirt

Well, as long as he thinks he knows what he is doing, he’s happy. I mean really. Those spikes take some time to sort out.

And then there is that hairdo that looks like a frisbee glued to the top of your head. Worn by orange-faced snob-a-lots.

An old piece about what it means to stand out:

Those who had the pleasure of watching Glenn Miller saw a rather ordinary-looking man wearing wire-rimmed glasses and Army dress blues. They also saw a man who could conduct a big band orchestra like no one before or since. Others who stood out from the flock included Joe Dimaggio, Aretha Franklin, Benny Goodman, Ernest Hemingway, Zora Hurston, to name a few examples. They were recognized for excellence.

Some people wear modish clothing or dye their hair green, orange, purple, blue, you name it. They somehow think mediocrity will gain new credentials through exterior costumes. But this is nothing more than the same person with a funny-colored head.

The athlete who earned the MVP award has somewhat grasped the concept of individuality, as has the student who earned above-average grades. So has one who can design a space shuttle, the Boy Scout or Girl Scout who has earned the paramount rank of Eagle Scout or Gold Award, respectively, or the kid who can name all fifty States of the Union and their capitals. Those who act or dress outlandishly are just along for the ride.

You realize that will be someone’s husband one day?

Oh, his hair says he’s working on funky.

Junior there better enjoy his hair while he still has it.

You’re right. A big dumb ass just walked by.

No no, you ARE correct……

To each his or her own hair…..style?

is that their teacher? There was a guy in Jeopardy for a few days who had a Mohawk that was dyed different colors and Ken Jenni fs couldn’t stop mentioning the hair style each day he was champion. As they say, looks are deceiving. Our looks shouldn’t define who we are.

Or maybe it is!

Discovering boys is one th ing.Wishing you hadn’t is following close behind.

No, I think in this case she’s right.

In my day we had tie-dyed T-shirts. I made lots of them with permanent batik dye available at art stores

I think that shows very much where his head is at!

He has never had a personality

In the sixties, when most all parents and employers got their panties in a bunch because young men wore their hair longer than the social norm I thought “At least when this generation has kids of their own they won’t freak out over a haircut” and a lot of them did! Mohawks, green hair, spikes like in the strip, then piercings, etc. were met with outrage. I think it is fear at the bottom of this: that one is making oneself ‘voluntarily unemployable’. Those last two words were used to deny unemployment at that time to males with long hair.

Any Hairstyle can be fixed with a #1 buzz cut.

This is the first appearance of Duane, the only one of the new characters that Lynn Johnston introduced this week that will stick. Say hello to Duane.

Oh I don’t know I’ve seen some doozy haircuts around here as of late. Besides been through the sixties learned to be tolerant.