One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to action movies/TV shows is when the female characters have long hair and they don’t tie it back. It drives me insane to watch because of course their hair always looks nice (that entertainment magic!) but I know how impractical it is.
Listen to me: long hair is annoying. I know this because I have long hair. I love my hair, I do, but my left wrist always has two hair elastics on it because there are moments I just gotta tie it back. Like sometimes I have to tie it back when I’m studying or writing an essay because even constantly looking down at my keyboard or a book causes my hair to fall in my face. I also tie it back when I sleep because I don’t like it choking me when I turn my head.
And while I love seeing more and more amazing ladies in midst of the action on various superhero shows and whatnot, I get so annoyed watching a lot of them engage in combat and quick movements and knowing that in real life, their movements would be very hindered because of their long hair. It’s very impractical in battle.
The other night while watching the mid-season finale of Agents Of SHIELD, I tweeted this upon seeing one character have her hair back in a braid:
I love that Yo-yo’s hair is braided back when in action. Finally a character who gets how annoying hair is. #AgentsofSHIELD @YOSOYCORDOVA
— V Donovan (@coolbeans_4) December 7, 2016
(Natalia Cordova retweeted it and my mentions blew up and my night was officially made)
A braid is even better than a pony-tail because that way the hair is constricted even more. I personally do not like my hair pulled back in a pony-tail and I try to only do it when I’m alone. I just don’t think it suits me. So when playing quidditch, I’ve been experimenting with only tying the front part back, which frees my peripherals (and is also a look Yo-yo has rocked). But if I ever really needed all my hair back, of course I’d sacrifice my vanity for the greater good.
Here are just a few characters off the top of my head who would benefit from doing the same.
But not all characters are disappointing me. Here are a few more gals off the top of my head who’ve at least done something to help, even if it’s not the best:
And then there are the ladies who know what’s up. They know to tie back their hair or have a haircut that is ideal for their line of work. Here are a few:
Hair is a great thing and I have no plans to lose mine, but it is a hassle and it is a thing that interferes with action and I wish the makers of these shows and movies would stop trying to pretend it’s no big deal. I don’t care if the characters are like me and don’t look their best with their hair back, I’d rather everyone be safe and functional than attractive. If surgeons have to tie their hair back when doing surgery and the teenager who serves my nuggets at McDonalds has to wear a hair net, I don’t understand why the people who save our fictional worlds can just run around with their hair flapping all about.
If I have to hit up Walmart and buy hair elastics to send to TV and movie sets I will, just let me know.
Is anyone else bothered by this? I mean, I guess dudes who’ve only ever had short hair don’t fully understand (which is probably one reason why it’s happening), but I hope any male readers I have read this and get a feeling for what I’m feeling. But while we’re on the topic of males, this problem can affect y’all too:
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I completely agree with you on this!
Thanks! Good to know other people are bothered too.
Movies are fantasies, they are not intended to reflect reality.
Of course I know that. But a lot of the movies are made to seem like they could be real. So I’m just saying it’d be nice to take this realism a step further in a way that isn’t a fantasy at all.
I’ve definitely never thought about this, but I also don’t watch action movies often. At first I was thinking this is not a big deal, and truly, it isn’t actually. But I think it does send a subtle message about beauty that kind of annoys me.
Maybe the equivalent is a war movie where the men entering battle are shirtless and don’t carry shields. Great in my fantasy world, but hard to take seriously ha.
Food for thought. Thanks.
Yes, there definitely is an underlying message about beauty. I didn’t want to get too into it in my post, but yeah, it’s silly that these ‘hot’ girls are always shown with perfectly silky, neat hair despite being in battle.
Omg since I was a kid, I would always complain about how can those women fight with their hair all over the place!! Cause they look “fancier”? Like man, why? Those movies aren’t real, but at least they could be realistic and put them a hair tie!! Glad someone agrees with me!
Loved this post!! XD XD
Thanks! I’m glad you mentioned noticing this as a kid because it proves how all females understand this.
Yasss!! And no problem!! XD
Yeah I can’t sleep if my hair is flowing freely everywhere, it needs to be tied back. Yet, these chicks are fighting crime with wavy hair everywhere, its madness.
Right?!?!
Omg finally someone who feels the same! I have incredibly long hair and I swear, I curse out these people every time I watch the actor swinging around with hair that never get tangled! Like, how is that even remotely practical. Nice post!
The tangled factor is the other thing! Nevermind the vision, how much effort do these girls have to spend just to comb out their hair after a fight?
I was watching Legends of Tomorrow last week, effectively screaming at the screen because Sara’s hair – whilst totally beautiful – was flying everywhere when she was fighting Malcolm Merlyn. You’d think that somebody trained in the League of Assassins would tie back their hair when they know they’re going into a fight.
You’d think, but alas. Long hair also is easy to grab so it’s only a matter of time before it’s used against them.
I completely agree! I have short pixie hair now, but when I had long hair it was constantly flowing every which way! Plus, it’d tickle my face and I absolutely hated that.
I hate the tickle too, which is why I have to tie it back when I sleep. Going from long hair to a pixie cut must have been a huge decision! I don’t think I could ever do it!
That and running in high heels… More than once I thought: braid that hair and get some sneakers! Just like how some super buff guys are going around in leather jackets. Um, get something breathable that doesn’t constrict your movements. Kthxbai.
Haha all good points. But with heels and leather, practice and control can help a bit, but you can’t control the wind or how your hair decides to flop. Imagine how productive and skilled our favourite heroes would be if they dressed for the occasion?
This bothers me, too. You can’t see! How can you fight if you can’t see? Makes about as much sense as running from dinosaurs in a jungle wearing stilettos.
What a comparison! Exactly.
Hahaha I love this post. But unfortunately it mostly comes down to movie tricks.. Most of these high action shots require stunt doubles at some point, so it’s easier to hide a face with hair flying in front of it! That way they can roll seamlessly from one shot to the other while getting really believable shots.
Alright, I’ll give you points for that answer, as I never did consider stunt doubles. However, if they can hide a male’s face without long hair, they can hide a lady’s.
So true!!! This post immediately reminded me of detectives in crime shows like Kate Beckett in Castle who are always wearing heeled boots when following leads and then, of course, have to chase the suspect and lag behind because they can’t run properly. But my goodness, the hair factor. I have had long hair my whole life and I just don’t get it. I find characters in Lord of the Rings to be the worst for this. Come on, Arden, riding a horse through water while fighting and holding onto Frodo and still having your hair all smooth and flowing. Maybe it has something to do with being an elf, but even the guys have the perfect hair going on.
I actually did look up a few LOTR gifs when I wrote this post but all the ladies I saw had the front part of their hair pulled back. I saw the movies but I don’t really remember them….
I LOVE the movies so I have marathoned them enough to think of all the hair catastrophes that could have been avoided.
I agree. As a girl with long hair, I will say it’s impractical. I tie my hair even when I’m doing something and feel my hair will just be in the way.
Exactly. It’s really too bad that there isn’t some real life superhero lady who can prove to everyone just how awful long hair can be.
I totally agree with you! Although I have short hair, one side is longer than the other, so I need to pin it up if I want to make some sports. Otherwise, it’s a pain and I cannot do anything practically. I even pin it up when I work!
See, even short hair can be in the way! Thanks for commenting! 🙂