History Main / PowerHair

* The mayor of WesternAnimation/SouthPark.
* Mom of '''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''' would certainly qualify to many degrees. Her hair may technically not be short but the heart-shaped upright hairdo has pretty much the ''same'' effect.

Power Hair is so pervasive it's worked its way even into Disney cartoons. However, it's stereotypically given to villainesses.

* On ''Series/{{Veep}}'', vice president Selina Myers has a longer version of this currently, around a medium length, but averted this in the opening montage symbolizing her earlier career aspirations. Amy, her chief of staff, has hair ending slightly longer than hers while Sue, her secretary, has longer hair than both though she keeps it in some sort of bun most of the time.

* HillaryClinton is probably the most famous example.

** While she had this during her time as First Lady and later Senator, during her time as Secretary of State, she slowly let her hair grow back longer. Initially it was because her daughter Chelsea asked her to for her wedding. Since then, after said she intended to step down as Secretary of State in 2012 and (despite constant questions about whether she'll run for President in 2016) has no plans to further run for office, she seems to have decided to keep it that way.

This trope is an example of TruthInTelevision. Numerous, ''numerous'' female politicians will have Power Hair or a variation thereof. It's a brave woman who wears a different hairstyle, and a political juggernaut if she does so and remains successful. Possibly justified in that shorter hair is becoming a fad with older women in the West since it's easier to care for, and few politicians get to the top in their youth.

Women in politics have to be meticulous with their appearance, lest they look weak, inexperienced, or unprofessional. This means that one of the most common and effective hairstyles a woman politician can have is Power Hair.

* Ruthless business mogul Ann Walker in ''ButImACatPerson''. Flashbacks show her in pin curls in her youth, with a hairstyle developing over the years until it settles on this one. (Averted with the comic's other major female around the same age, though she's even in politics: Congresswoman Karen Park.)

* HillaryClinton is probably the most famous example, since she always had a youthful hairstyle that that went past her shoulders... until she became first lady, at which point she almost immediately opted for a shorter, more "mature" haircut. This got her almost immediately labeled as [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen power hungry]], even though she never made statements more than expression ambition (which is what politicians need to have of course).
** While she had this during her time as First Lady and later Senator, during her time as Secretary of State, she has slowly let her hair grow back longer. Initially it was because her daughter Chelsea asked her to for her wedding. Since then, she has said she plans to step down as Secretary of State in 2012 and (despite constant questions about whether she'll run for President in 2016) has no plans to further run for office, she seems to have decided to keep it that way.

* Mom of '''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''' would definitely qualify in many degrees.

* In ''SlidingDoors'' the Helen who catches the train gets one.
* Another of Streep's memorable performances was in the remake of ''TheManchurianCandidate'', where she plays a senator and mother to Raymond Shaw, again with typical Power Hair.
* Creator/AngelaLansbury in the original ''TheManchurianCandidate''. She's the the power behind the throne of her politician husband. Her Power Hair is poofier, but is short enough to qualify.
* In ''AmericanBeauty'', Carolyn Burnham's methods of "projecting an image of success at all times" was a shock of Power Hair. Notable is that clips of her younger - when Lester describes her as happier - have her hair long.
* JudiDench as M in the ''JamesBond'' series.

* Sylia Stingray from the ''BubblegumCrisis'' [=OVAs=] has this hairstyle, as does Prime Minister Kayabuki in ''GhostInTheShell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig''. Both of them were played by YoshikoSakakibara, who has Power Hair in RealLife.

Women in politics have to be meticulous with their appearance, lest they look weak, inexperienced, or unprofessional. This means that the only acceptable hairstyle a woman politician can have is Power Hair.

* Angela Merkel, [[TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor of Germany]].

* From ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101231105750/mlp/images/5/56/Mayor.PNG Mayor of Ponyville]].

* Leslie's mother on ''ParksAndRecreation'', who is the head of the Department of Education, has this haircut.

* Miranda in SexAndTheCity, who is the least feminine of the main characters and works as a no-nonsense Manhattan lawyer.

* This is the default [[ImportantHaircut haircut given to young girls who are selected as]] ''otokoyaku'' (actresses specializing in {{trouser role}}s) in the {{Takarazuka}} Revue, due to its ability to be styled into a fully masculine appearance when playing men onstage. Older otokoyaku are still expected to keep their hair relatively short, but some have it further cropped into a pixie-ish style, while others grow it out to a more tousled, feminine shag that only looks male onstage.

* AngelaLansbury in the original ''TheManchurianCandidate''. She's the the power behind the throne of her politician husband. Her Power Hair is poofier, but is short enough to qualify.

Women in politics have to be meticulous with their appearance, lest they look weak, inexperienced, or unprofessional. This means that the only acceptable hairstyle a woman politician can have is PowerHair.

This trope is an example of TruthInTelevision. Numerous, ''numerous'' female politicians will have PowerHair or a variation thereof. It's a brave woman who wears a different hairstyle, and a political juggernaut if she does so and remains successful. Possibly justified in that shorter hair is becoming a fad with older women in the West since it's easier to care for, and few politicians get to the top in their youth.

* Another of Streep's memorable performances was in the remake of ''TheManchurianCandidate'', where she plays a senator and mother to Raymond Shaw, again with typical PowerHair.

** Her original hairdo was the Power Bun. Later she got an unimportant haircut, [[LettingHerHairDown not quite up]] to PowerHair standards.

* Major Kira Nerys in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' started off with PowerHair, cropped it later, and finally grew it back to a more PowerHair-like cut.

* Eva Thorne from ''{{Eureka}}'' has classic PowerHair, befitting her business-like persona and background.

* Cruella de Vil in ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was perhaps the earliest Disney villainess with PowerHair. Accentuated by dividing it into half white and black. One exception is hers was not moussed, so it would sweep around across her head and face when her temper went out of control.

* Ursula in the Disney version of the ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' had the second variety of PowerHair, made all the more striking when compared to Ariel's [[HeroesWantRedheads billowing cloud of red hair]].

* Carly Fiorina, a California businesswoman, is a prime example of PowerHair. Incidentally, she also headed up H-P (as Chairman, President, and CEO 2000-2005) and also ran for office (a US Senate seat from California) in 2010 (and lost to Democrat Barbara Boxer, who incidentally also sports power hair).

* Holland Taylor as Professor Stromwell in ''LegallyBlonde''. Hilariously in a deleted scene from the sequel, she asks her hairdresser for a mohawk.

* Courtney from ''TotalDramaIsland'' has this along with her desire to be a lawyer.

* [[http://www.alicia-logic.com/capsimages/br_004SeanYoung.jpg Rachel]] in ''Film/BladeRunner'', in an [[EightiesHair '80s]] version. [[http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/1982_Blade_Runner/982BLR_Sean_Young_013.jpg At least]], [[LettingHerHairDown until she lets it down...]]

* Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia

See also IronLady, who is likely to sport this hairstyle.