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So Much Larger Than Life: Television's Best Big Hair

By Cindy Davis | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (22)



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We’re headed into summertime, y’all. Though it’s one of my favorite times of year—love the sunshine and the beach—my hair begins to take on a life of its own. As the humidity rises, my curls puff up, unfurling and expanding into an uncontrollable headdress. When I was a kid in school, I was extremely self-conscious about my hair and I longed for that shiny, straight hair that all the popular girls had. In my late teens and early twenties, when I was in the military I put my headgear to good use: I would blow dry the mop into a big, frizzy thing, then put on my hat for a good half hour to 45 minutes and voila! Flat, frizzy hair that I convinced myself looked good. Lordy, the things we chicks do. After some years, I finally just gave in and accepted my coarse curls and though sometimes I get a hankering for straight and smooth, my hair always reminds me it will win. It laughs at blow dryers (which are no longer allowed anywhere near my head), scoffs at flat irons and makes mincemeat of most hair products. Hats are still my friend, especially when it’s humid outside. Meanwhile, I always take note of people with big hair and I love when I see a great television character who embraces his or hers. Right now, I simply delight whenever I see Alex Kingston’s River Song and her beautiful, flowing curls that are allowed to run free, instead of being tamed into submission like most of television’s curly girls. Remember the first season of Seinfeld? Elaine Benes had a bit of a ridiculous hairdo (and clothes), but she let her hair be big and frizzy:

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As the seasons passed, Elaine’s hair became more and more tame and flat. But, as they tell you when you’re a little kid, a life of people who all look the same can be pretty damned dull, so this list is to celebrate my fellow big-haired peeps. These characters are bigger than life in different ways, but what they have in common is hair that is who they are. They let it run free and wild and it adds that extra something to their personality; they wouldn’t be who they are without that big hair.


5. Roseanne Roseannadanna, “SNL”:

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4. Felicity Porter, “Felicity”:

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3. Hugo (Hurley) Reyes, “Lost”:

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2. River Song, “Doctor Who”:

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1. Maurice Moss, “The It Crowd”:

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(Note: No, I didn’t forget Kramer. I’m just so done with Michael Richards.)









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Comments

Where is early SatC Carrie Bradshaw?!

Posted by: Faye at June 2, 2011 5:03 PM

You left off Malcolm Reynolds, and I just don't see how you could have forgotten about The Hair of Captain Mal. I reckon it must be a snub.

Posted by: Jerce at June 2, 2011 5:08 PM

C'mon, Cindy, you and I both know that Hurley's hair would NEVER look like that at the beach. Another unexplained plot point from Lost.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at June 2, 2011 5:10 PM

I always had the impression that, had Lost been real, Kate's hair would look a lot like Hermione Granger's in the first Harry Potter movie.

Posted by: Holly at June 2, 2011 5:28 PM

That shot of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is crazy sexy.

Also, there's this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufP1bXKBipg

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at June 2, 2011 5:42 PM

I have loved Alex Kingston's hair ever since I first saw her in "Croupier" with Clive Owen.

I also have ridiculously thick course frizzy hair. Unfortunately, it's not curly, so it ends up looking like Roseanne Roseannadanna if I don't iron the hell out of it. I keep telling myself that when I get really, really old, and have lost half my hair, I'll still have twice as much as everyone else.

Posted by: BWeaves at June 2, 2011 5:44 PM

Peggy Bundy?!

Posted by: eldopa at June 2, 2011 5:48 PM

I also thought Felicity looked damn cute when she cut all her hair off, but I seem to be the only one.

Posted by: BWeaves at June 2, 2011 5:49 PM

I like that Seinfeld wasn't oversexied with sexy sex and fashionable clothes all the time like a modern sitcom (hell, we wouldn't let anyone as ugly as Michael Richards on the radio at this point, among other reasons) but it makes it easy to forget that Julia's pretty easy on the eyes.

Posted by: LEROOOY at June 2, 2011 6:04 PM

No love for Sharona (Bitty Schram) and her blonde bob on MONK?

(Is it just me or does Alex Kingston look a lot like Bernadette Peters in that shot. Not that that's a bad thing...)

Posted by: Andrew K. at June 2, 2011 6:04 PM

What, no love for Bernie from "Room 222"? That is cold.

Posted by: clatie at June 2, 2011 6:34 PM

Oh yeah, Bernadette Peters! How bout Helena Bonham Carter? Gor-geous.
Maybe I was enough a child of the 80's that I embrace BIG hair. I spent years with mine chopped off short, then pulled back in a Lilith-like bun. NOW I let it FLY, curls and all. My only regret is that I don't have quite as much of it as I used to, although that just means I now have the amount NORMAL people have.

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at June 2, 2011 6:37 PM

Mmm Bernadette Peters. All sorts of naughty thoughts from my childhood just returned.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at June 2, 2011 6:39 PM

The first person I thought of was Peggy Bundy. Sooo much hair.

Posted by: Figgy at June 2, 2011 9:14 PM

Peggy Bundy!

Posted by: Natalie at June 2, 2011 9:19 PM

Peggy Bundy, Peggy Bundy, Peggy Bundy! Does the woman have to sell herself?

Posted by: dl at June 2, 2011 9:23 PM

Curly and proud bitches!

When I was little my older brother called me Felicity. I didn't get it. I thought it was because I had that American Girl Doll. False. It was because my mane is a dead ringer for hers.

Let your curls flow free ladies. I was never more proud then the day my friend (with the perfect straight shiny brown hair) called my curls princess hair. The again she also called me Hermione so you win some you lose some.

Posted by: E-Money at June 3, 2011 2:43 AM

Considering how Hermione turned out, I would consider that a compliment.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at June 3, 2011 10:22 AM

You left off Malcolm Reynolds, and I just don't see how you could have forgotten about The Hair of Captain Mal. I reckon it must be a snub.

I am thoroughly confused by this comment.

Also, Bernadette Peters FTW.

Posted by: Anna von Beav at June 3, 2011 10:47 AM

MOSS!!

Posted by: grace b at June 3, 2011 12:45 PM

Ladies (and gentleman)! Live curly, live free! Also, Live Curly Live Free. This nigt quantify as one of those issues about which I am a steamroller.

River Song needs a hot oil treatment. Damn but she has some gorgeous hair.

Posted by: stardust at June 4, 2011 12:48 AM

Mrs. Betty Slocombe from the 1970s-1980s BBC sitcom "Are You Being Served?" had some of the biggest and best hair in television history. Her hair was a different color every episode, and the shape of her hair changed with each season.

Posted by: Alex Sarmiento at June 5, 2011 1:53 AM