Trope idea from the Trope Idea Salvage Yard (source draft
).
Laconic:
A character reacts to their own hair loss.Possible Names:
Description:
A man is getting ready for his day. He combs his hair and realizes that there's a lot of hair remaining in his comb. Or maybe he's taking a shower and finds a clump of hair in the drain. The way he learns doesn't matter, what's important is that he has to face up to the fact that he's losing his hair.How will he react? Many men go into denial. Growing their hair long enough to comb over the balding patch is common. Other men get wigs or toupees. Some men simply get a razor and shave everything off.
Often a denial of aging.
Compare with Dodgy Toupee.
See also Hollywood Mid-Life Crisis.
Examples:
Comic Strips- Dilbert: A couple of minor characters have tried combovers. However, combing one's ear hair over the top of a bald head isn't exactly believable.
Films — Animation
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: King Neptune keeps saying that he's just thinning a bit, despite the blindingly shiny dome under his crown.
Live-Action TV
- Ally McBeal: A one-time character wears a truly epic and horrendous combover: a single very long strand of hair wound around and around in order to cover his entire head. Ling gave him a haircut in about 2 seconds, which everyone agreed looked great.
- The Dick Van Dyke Show:
- Rob is worried he's going bald because he's finding more & more hairs in his brush. He goes to a barber friend of Buddy's, who prescribes an oil and vinegar treatment Rob has to wear to bed. He has a nightmare his hair turns into lettuce.
- Rob's boss Alan Brady is bald but wears a toupee on his show until Laura accidentally spills the beans during a live game show appearance.
Web Comics
- The Order of the Stick: Roy has a family history of premature baldness, so he shaves his head in college.
Western Animation
- The Simpsons: Superintendent Chalmers holds dearly to the fact that he's not technically bald.Chalmers: I don't belong in here [a cage for bald people]! I'm not bald, I'm balding. Why will no one respect the '-ding'?Skinner: I respect the '-ding', sir.Chalmers: What the hell are you talking about?
Real Life
- Donald Trump wears a toupee that's not fooling anyone.
- Jamie Hyneman's reaction to going Prematurely Bald was to shave his head and start wearing his trademark beret.
- Joe Pantoliano from M*A*S*H used to wear a beret when not in character.
- Patrick Stewart originally wore toupees, but after an intervention by his friends, he went with bald.
- Paul Shaffer from Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman gradually went balder and balder until he finally shaved it all off.
- Ron Howard is rarely seen without a baseball cap on. During a Happy Days reunion show creator Gary Marshall talked him into taking it off for a moment.
- Samuel L. Jackson also wears berets when appearing as himself/not in a work.
- William Shatner is known for his toupee.
