Line #25 Main/EinsteinHair


1	[[quoteright:200:[[UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/einstein_hair.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:200:Can figure out the laws of time and space. A comb, not so much.]]
3
4	->''"You should keep it. Looks more science-y."''
5	-->-- '''The Eleventh Doctor''' to Albert Einstein, ''Series/DoctorWho'', "[[Recap/DoctorWho2011StSSDeathIsTheOnlyAnswer Death Is the Only Answer]]"
6
7	It seems that to properly convey that your male character is an AbsentMindedProfessor or a MadScientist in fiction, you only need one thing: give him Einstein-esque hair. Bonus points if you go for the complete look. Additional bonus points if he uses a Van de Graaff generator or a Tesla coil instead of combing.
8
9	And it actually makes sense given that:
10	* UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein was both an AbsentMindedProfessor and a scientist ([[MadScientist mad]] or not, it is open to interpretation).
11	* He is one of the most ([[SmallReferencePools if not the most]]) famous scientist in history.
12	* His hairstyle was really... idiosyncratic.
13
14	Contrast WildHair, which also indicates indifference to society's opinion, but otherwise has quite different connotations. SubTrope of MessyHair. Compare LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine. See also MemeticHair, which this style can be an example of.
15
16	----
17	!!Examples
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
22	%%* Leo Shishioh in ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' has this.
23	%%* Dr. Agasa of ''Manga/CaseClosed''.
24	%%* Desty Nova has a better groomed than usual version of this in ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita''.
25	%%* ''Manga/DragonBall'': Despite not being a scientist, the old man that [[spoiler:Alternate #17 kills at the end of the Androids arc, or [[SparedByTheAdaptation almost kills on the anime]],]] is a perfect example of this.
26	* Senku in ''Manga/DrStone'' has a more vertically oriented version of this trope, combining it with AnimeHair. He seems to invoke the comparison to Einstein, given the E=mc^2 written on his clothes and him mimicking the "tongue out" pose in [[spoiler:the first photograph in 3700 years]].
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:AsianAnimation]]
30	* Mr. Slowy of ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'' has frizzy hair resembling that of Albert Einstein.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:{{Film}}]]
34	%% ZCE * Rotwang, the MadScientist from ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', is the UrExample that, in fact, predates Einstein. Albert wasn't even gray yet when the movie came out.
35	%% ** Since it was made in his native Germany, it is possible that Metropolis actually inspired Einstein. Note that on his pre-1927 portraits he usually has shorter hair than later in life.
36	%% ZCE * Franchise/StarWars: Yoda once you get over the fact that he's green. In fact, his character design was partially inspired by Einstein (and bits of Gandhi and LDS President Spencer W. Kimball) to evoke the "benevolent, wise old man" archetype.
37	* Doc Brown from ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' has wild white hair that sticks out in all directions. In 1985, he has a dog named Einstein, who is his first living test subject for his time-travel experiments, and much of the movie takes place in 1955, the same year Einstein died.
38	** The 1955 Doc even comments on the fact that he still has the hairstyle when watching a video of his future self.
39	** Creator/ChristopherLloyd said in an interview that the hairstyle was inspired by a combination of Einstein and Leopold Stokowski (the orchestral conductor in ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'')
40	** In the Creator/TelltaleGames video game series, it's shown that young Emmett first got the hairstyle after an invention literally blew up in his face.
41	** During Brown's [[TheCameo quick cameo]] in the pre-show for ''Ride/TheSimpsonsRide'', he's glad when Krusty has acquired the [[Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide Institute of Future Technology]] and Krusty orders him to get a haircut- it takes him three hours every morning just to get his hair like that.
42	* In the second ''[[Film/ScoobyDooMonstersUnleashed Scooby Doo]]'' movie, while messing with some potions, Scooby gains great intelligence and grows a white "mane" as a side effect.
43	%% ZCE * Prof Jacob Barnhardt in ''Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951'', who's clearly a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of Einstein.
44	* Larry of ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' had a similar haircut, making it a rare example of the hairstyle being applied to an imbecile.
45	* In ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'', Frederick Frankenstein has a wild mane of hair after embracing the family tradition of Mad Science.
46	%% ZCE * Mac from ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'' manages to have this, despite not actually having hair.
47	%% ZCE * Sherlock in ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', as played by Robert Downey Jr., has this type of hair.
48	* Wheeljack (aka Que) from ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' has wiring on his head that gives him this appearance, which matches his scientific background and somewhat eccentric attitude.
49	%% ZCE * Professor Flitwick from the first two ''Film/HarryPotter'' movies had this sort of hair.
50	* Yahoo Serious once claimed to have chosen to portray (a [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy completely ahistorical]] version of) UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein in ''Film/YoungEinstein'' specifically because he's got the same hairstyle.
51	* In Creator/RankinBassProductions ''Willy [=McBean=] and his Magic Machine'', MadScientist [[ObviouslyEvil Rasputin Von Rotton]] has this trope, and a scene showing the moment where he truly goes insane has his hair suddenly sprouting like it's been plugged into a Van de Graaff generator. At the end of the movie the KidHero has an OhCrap on seeing his new history teacher has this trope, only to reveal himself as someone else when he turns round ([[BaitAndSwitch then Von Rotton enters the room as a guest lecturer]], but fortunately he's done a HeelFaceTurn).
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
55	* ''Literature/AllTheLightWeCannotSee'': Werner is described as having white hair, which was the color of Einstein's hair. Werner is also a bright boy with an interest in science and a talent for radio technology.
56	%% ZCE * Both the Indian shaman and his granddaughter in ''Literature/GivesLight''.
57	* BigBad Dr. Murik in ''Literature/LicenceRenewed'' has what is described as a mane of white hair, cementing his status as a genius nuclear physicist.
58	* A ConversedTrope in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', where one character mentions the "German sage with the mad hair" who taught that matter can neither be created or destroyed.
59	* ''Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy'': In ''Johnny and the Dead'', Albert Einstein's distant cousin Solomon (who was a taxidermist by trade, but also something of a philosopher; after all, you have a lot of time for abstract thought when you've got your hand up a dead badger) is described as having "a mass of white hair in that dandelion-clock style known as a Mad Scientist Afro".
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
63	%% ZCE * Dr. Forrester from ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.
64	%% ZCE * ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': When Shepherd Book doesn't have his hair tied up, it looks kinda like this. The sight was freaky enough to send River screaming for cover in the episode "Jaynestown". Granted, he is not a scientist but a priest...
65	%% ZCE * Charlie Eppes in ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'' tends to have this sort of hair.
66	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
67	%% ZCE ** The First Doctor has the same hairstyle as in the page image, but combed.
68	%% ZCE ** Professor Kettlewell in "Robot".
69	** In "The Deadly Assassin", the Fourth Doctor claims that his hair curls up whenever he's onto something. Considering his hair is a big, chaotic mop of curls, the presumed implication is that the Fourth Doctor is never not onto something.
70	** In the mini-episode "Death Is the Only Answer", it turns out that the Doctor gave Albert the idea once a time travel experiment-gone-wrong made his hair frizzy. He tells him to keep it because it 'looks more sciencey'.
71	%% ZCE * Leonard Hofstadter, in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has a little of this going on in early seasons, as if he is a fledgling Einstein who hasn't quite got there yet. It is noticeable that, later on, Penny, in a spirit of IWantMyBelovedToBeFashionable, appears to have curbed this.
72	* Sadoc Burrows from ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' has a bit of dome similar to Albert Einstein and grizzly curly hair reminiscent of the Mad Scientist Afro. He is the only gray-haired Harfoot and the closer thing to a scientist the clan of hobbits has, as he is a very erudite {{Astrologer}}.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	%% Entire folder of ZCE [[folder:Music]]
76	%% * Music/LudwigVanBeethoven.
77	%% * Edvard Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King) looked like a combination of Einstein and Twain, and his hair sure reflected it.
78	%%[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Pinball]]
81	%% ZCE * Seen on the TimeMachine-inventing scientist of ''Pinball/TimeMachineZaccaria,'' who combines this with a KubrickStare and BaldOfEvil to look menacing.
82	* [[MadScientist Dr. E. Shock]] of ''Pinball/StrangeScience'' has a scalp of cropped white hair.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	%% Entire folder of ZCE [[folder:Theater]]
86	%% * Non-mad scientist example: Creator/CirqueDuSoleil acrobat/clown Brian Dewhurst often styles his naturally gray hair this way as part of his onstage look -- ''Theatre/NouvelleExperience'', ''Mystere'', etc. In the former show, he played an elegant but eccentric chamberlain from a MagicalLand.
87	%% ** Le Vieux, the clown caretaker from ''Theatre/{{O}}'', also appearing in ''[[Film/CirqueDuSoleilWorldsAway Worlds Away]]'', also has hair like this.
88	%%[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Video Games]]
91	* Dr. Wily of ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' has an [[{{Flanderization}} exaggerated]] form of this trope, with a more prominent bald spot and both his hair and mustache being bushier. His first name is also Albert, making him practically an evil {{Expy}} of Einstein. Nobody's quite sure why Capcom made the villain so clearly Einsteinian, but a popular (half)joke theory is that it's some lingering anger over the Atomic Bomb.
92	%% ZCE ** In the same vein Dr. Light's first name is Thomas, a reference to Thomas Edison. Ironically, Edison is now considered something of a patent troll who stole most of his inventions.
93	%% ZCE * Doctor Zelinsky of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3''.
94	%% ZCE * Potential resident Dr. F ("The F stands for ROBOTS!") of ''VideoGame/MySims''.
95	%% ZCE * Nicolai from ''Space Colony''.
96	* One of the stock NPC scientists in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' looked like Einstein (and his model is even referred to as such in the internal files).
97	* The original ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' represented scientists with Einstein-like figures wearing a lab coat and having their hair a mess.
98	%% ZCE * Dr. Pettrovich Madnar in ''VideoGame/MetalGear1'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''. Madnar's portrait in [=MG2=] was actually a digitalization of Einstein's. Then again, Snake ''was'' Mel Gibson...
99	%% ZCE * The InvisibleToNormals therapist {{NPC}} in ''VideoGame/TheSims'' 2.
100	* The Science booster pack in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' includes 'Mad Science' hair which is pure Einstein.
101	%% ZCE * Ripper Roo has one in ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' to go with his higher education studies.
102	* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': An Einstein-esque wig was part of Medic's costume for the 2011 Halloween event.
103	%% ZCE * Kalrow from ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has this type of hair.
104	%% ZCE * Nagito from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' sports this hairstyle. It fits his personality quite well.
105	%% ZCE * Ludwig von Koopa of the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series has this hairstyle, in an obvious ShoutOut to Beethoven.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Webcomics]]
109	%% ZCE * Dr. Germahn from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''.
110	%% ZCE * Uncle Otto in ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault''.
111	%% ZCE * Dr. Zweistein from ''Webcomic/TheFan''.
112	%% ZCE * Webcomic/BobAndGeorge's Dr. Wiley [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000409 Lampshaded]]
113	* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Agatha has some hair sticking out upwards the top of her head. According to WordOfGod, that's because a MadScientist must have mussy hair, so basically it's the long-haired female version of this trope. [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20131023 And her hair is determined to stay that way.]]
114	%% ZCE * Dr. Universe from ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'' sports red Einstein hair.
115	* Dr. Stein of ''Webcomic/BloodStain'' doesn't bother with personal hygiene despite his work in science. The webcomic's creator, Sigeel, jokingly justifies his messy hair by drawing him with shampoo that makes his hair resemble bramble.
116	%% ZCE * Apparently, there is [[http://static.nichtlustig.de/toondb/010117.html#restore some controversy]] about which hairstyle is to be prefered for mad scientists, and the discussions are [[Webcomic/{{Nichtlustig}} not funny]].
117	%%-->"The podium discussion seems to escalate as both parties set their killer robots at each other."
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Web Original]]
121	* WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog: Mild example with the titular Doctor Horrible, whose hair is messier in his villainous identity than as Billy.
122	%% ZCE * The Literature/WhateleyUniverse mutant codenamed Cheese (yes, he picked it himself), who is described with hair like this already, even though he is a teenaged supervillain.
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Western Animation]]
126	* Parodied in a Sidney Harris cartoon, where such a scientist is walking down a corridor and his colleagues remark (paraphrased) "His theories aren't going so well, so instead he's working on his resemblance to Einstein."
127	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSuperMarioBros3'': Kooky von Koopa, known in the games as Ludwig, is a mad scientist and the primary inventor of gadgets for the bad guys. He also has wild blue hair sticking out at every angle.
128	%% ZCE * Dr. Weird in ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce''.
129	%% ZCE * Dr. Scratchensniff from ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' used to have EinsteinHair, but he tore it off bit by bit in frustration during his first sessions with the Warners.
130	* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/CaptainSimianAndTheSpaceMonkeys'', where TheSmartGuy Dr. Splitz has slicked back hair, but his dimwitted alternate personality Splitzy has wild Einstein-like hair.
131	%% ZCE * Technus' first look in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' had this with a slight mix of Frankenstein's bride.
132	%% ZCE * Flint in ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' has such hair.
133	* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheCyberChase,'' the gang visit a college friend who is working for a professor who not only has the hair but every other physical characteristic of Einstein as well.
134	* In the educational talking dog cartoon, ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks,'' a scientist/doctor with Einstein hair explains in the opening that a regular dog can gain the ability to speak by eating alphabet soup.
135	%% ZCE * Dr. Two Brains from the cartoon ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl''.
136	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', Plucky Duck convinces Shirley to use her psychic powers so he can channel the spirit of Einstein and pass a test. He gets the hair, the 'stache, the accent, an oversize head...but doesn't get any intelligence and flunks.
137	%% ZCE * Nora Wakeman from ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot''.
138	* In the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' episode "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E55HotelStrangeduck Hotel Strangeduck]]", Dr. Strangeduck has wild gray hair.
139	%% ZCE * Rick from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' sports wild grey hair which reminds of Einstein - a given as he's a [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] parody. Humorously, the monsters from the fourth dimension mistook Einstein for him when they went to beat him up. A later episode shows that he's always had wild grey hair ever since he was a child.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Other]]
143	* UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein's wild gray hair is the TropeNamer and TropeMaker. He is quoted as saying "Long hair minimizes the need for barbers."
144	* One of the Microsoft Office Assistants is a {{chibi}} version of Einstein.
145	%% ZCE * Creator/MarkTwain actually had this hairstyle before Einstein did, making it OlderThanTheyThink.
146	%% ZCE * Creator/TimBurton, anyone?
147	%% ZCE * Professor Martyn Poliakoff, who appears in ''WebVideo/ThePeriodicTableOfVideos''. Several Youtube commenters have stated, "This man looks like science."
148	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj8IA6xOpSk Clifford Stoll,]] a rather quirky astronomer, author, and [[TheTriple maker of Klein bottles]], has a waft of smoky hair that sticks out in all directions.
149	* There is a mutation called Uncombable Hair Syndrome, which makes the hair very pale and brittle while also making it stand on end due to oddly-shaped hair shafts. However, it is incredibly rare, with only about a hundred occurrences of it worldwide.
150	%% ZCE * Senator UsefulNotes/BernieSanders of Vermont, who helped popularize democratic socialism in America.
151	[[/folder]]

Context Main / EinsteinHair