It's all about that hair!

While our society has not discarded racism, sexism and homosexuality, it has at least been addressing and spreading awareness regarding these. The above-mentioned forms of discrimination are more widely seen and talked about. But, there’s a long list of more subtle forms of discrimination. Some examples are discrimination related to speech, name, attractiveness, language, age, height, etc. One of the most interesting forms of discrimination is the one related to hair. Most people tend to think that discrimination stops at caste, colour and dress. What we don’t realise is that it way beyond all these aspects. People tend to discriminate on the basis of the hair colour, hair texture, hair type, hair length and the mere presence of hair.

Studies and records show how bald men and women are looked at very discriminately. While trends are accepting bald men as being sexy, the women are still seen or perceived to be suffering from some disease. It is sad to see how we assume things about people we hardly know. We usually link baldness with old age or some malignant disease. Especially bald women are almost always seen as suffering from cancer or some disease which is forcing them to go bald or lose their hair. Americans haven’t elected a balding presidential candidate since Eisenhower, in the 1950s.

Bald was the style of “black men” as believed by people for centuries and thus given a derogatory status in the fashion-hungry world. But, the trends began to change in the late 90s when white men copied African American style and began shaving their heads. It took some time, but now there are plenty of bald film stars like Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, and Patrick Stewart, not to mention sports icons Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neill.

So, now we think that having hair solves all problems. Looking further into the matter shows us that having hair doesn’t stop the discrimination. Surprisingly, the hair colour matters too. Especially people who’re “redheaded” are usually targeted in pop culture jokes. People having red hair are called “Ginger” headed people. Idioms such as “beaten like a red-headed stepchild” or “there’s something about the red ones” and stereotypes of feisty tempers and hypersexuality contribute to an ostracism of people with the genetic phenotype for red hair. And the stereotype and discrimination haven't left Prince Harry also, who has been termed by his army unit as “Ginger Bullet Magnet”. The United Kingdom, being the home to the most number of “redheads” is still the place where there is large spread discrimination. It is supposedly increasing day by day rather than decreasing, says Simon Cheetham, founder of www.redandproud.com, a website fighting ginger discrimination.

Further, there is conscious/unconscious discrimination against people with different hair texture as well. Hair texture varies from straight hair to the curlier, kinkier hair. Curly hair also has its own variation ranging from very loose curls to the very tightly packed afro textured hair. Straight hair enjoys a higher prestige and is more widely accepted in both professional settings and everyday settings. This social stigma attached to having curly hair has created an entire economy around hair care products and treatments to straighten hair. And these aren’t cheap. So, people end up changing their hair texture only to please others. A lot of places in the world like the Dominican Republic consider natural hair as “bad hair” and most Africans are forced to straighten their hair in order to hide their African roots and thus save themselves from discrimination. Reel life also projects discrimination against hair texture. Actors in Hollywood face challenges when it comes to having curly hair and the roles that they play in particular films. Actors with curly hair tend to play roles that are sillier and less serious in nature.

 Thus, discrimination is present in one form or another in every aspect of life. Be it more visible forms of discrimination like racism, linguistic, obesity or subtle ones like hair texture, hair colour or hair style. It’s high time we stop it. After all, nobody is born homophobic.

Sabrina

Business tycoon and well respected man, Patrick Jane receives a letter that cuts through his very bones. Along with his reverted money comes doleful news, revealing that Marie has fled from the orphanage. Within the ken of the orphanage, she was last seen on the streets of Rue de Berne, the very famous place for prostitution in Geneva. Patrick immediately sets off to find her.

18 years down the line, a college fling had resulted into an unexpected pregnancy for Patrick’s girlfriend. Marie was born and soon left outside an orphanage in Zurich. His girlfriend had left him soon, never to be re-encountered. Patrick secretly sent money to the orphanage every year. His wife Nadine and daughter Ana were oblivious about Marie's existence and Marie was told her parents died in an accident. Secrets covered the lives of the entire family.

Patrick searches for his daughter only to find her in a brothel. He is agonized as he couldn't adopt Marie; neither will his family accept her, nor would Marie accept him. And disclosing this arcana would ravage both, his life and Marie's too. He couldn't risk his reputation and stable family life anymore.

On meditating, Patrick chances upon an unwonted notion. He decides to disguise as a transgender and befriend Marie. This seemed the sole way to help her. While in his masquerade, he could be a moral support to Marie who didn't have any friend. He had to find a body double that would replace Patrick while he was with Marie. No suspicions would be raised and he could balance both his lives. And the answer to his quest was Claudio, a perfect duplicate of his. Patrick takes the form of a new entity as a transgender- Sabrina.

He provides money to Marie and proves to be a friend to support her. His struggle to equipoise his life with that of Claudio and Sabrina takes form of an inverted U, that starts off on a good scale but soon attracts problems. Patrick supports Marie; mentally and monetarily by being Sabrina. He even takes her out of the brothel and promises a good job. Nobody doubts his absence as Claudio is too good at playing Patrick’s role. But, fate takes Patrick's game in his own hands. Nadine, Ana and Claudio (as Patrick) die in a car accident. The fateful fortuity is all over the news.

For the people, Patrick is dead. His companies are to be vended and hidden in the form of Sabrina, Patrick sees his life being sold while he is still alive. A tough choice was to be made, whether to continue his life as Sabrina or to reveal himself. Finally, money wins the day and Patrick leaves Marie, relinquishes his transgender disguise and reveals that he is alive. The appalling case is taken over by the Swiss Intelligence Agency. And after long deliberations, the identity of Patrick as truly being himself is accepted. Patrick admits of being Sabrina and fathering Marie. And more chaos and rumors start off.

But, amongst vivid rumors and interrogations from the paparazzi, Marie stands alone. Inside the room of her brothel And while the investigation takes place, Marie is reduced to nothing. The mounting exasperation that tightenes in her throat turns in the worst of awful thoughts and in a fit of anger she sets out to confront her father. The doorbell on Patrick's frontdoor rings and when he opens it, his daughter emerges with a pistol.