Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => Reactions to being Bald => Topic started by: roadrunner570 on September 26, 2012, 10:57:21 PM
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Been sly for just under a week. So far been told I look like "a Nazi skinhead" at least twice. One was my mother in law. She is usually a very sweet lady, I think she just blurted the first thing that popped in her head.
The other was a non-white person in my criminal justice class at school. I just don't get the assumption. I've seen plenty of white guys with shaved heads, I don't assume they are nazis, unless they have....oh...say a tattoo of a swastika or something. Not sure why people think it is ok to not only make that assumption but to blurt it out.
I see plenty people of other races with shaved heads and no one says anything to them. Anyone else get this?
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tell them they've got some serious problems.
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With the mother-in-law it may be more related to her generation and a lack of attention to the shift of men's hairstyles in the world - long hair is really gone, short hair is in, with 'Sly' being very mainstream instead of the exception.
A classmate though should know better.
You. Skinhead? I don't see the connection based on your avatar photo.
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That was one of my biggest worries, I have only experienced a few such comments
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It's possible to believe that with no intention you hit the daily double that leads to ridiculous conclusions. First, you're taking Criminal Justice, a major that reeks of authority and suppression of others. (It doesn't, but I'm working on perceptions here, not reality.) Then you shave your head and, at this juncture, Hollywood kicks in on stereotypes; How ofter do we see prison guards, small town sheriffs, rogue cops with shaved heads? The answer is often. If you can laugh about it, and, frankly, I could not, then you're ahead of them. Or let a striperow down the center and let them think you're the Last Of The Mohicans..Good Luck and welcome to the club. PJ
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thanks guys. I guess I should have expected it, but I see so many shaved heads these days, that I really figured it was no big deal anymore.
To be honest, I haven't seen an actual nazi skinhead since the mid 90s. They either aren't around as much anymore, or they just keep a lower profile than they used to. Either way, just odd that's the first thing that comes to some people's minds when they see a bald white guy, especially since I'm bbc.
Now,on the up side, perhaps I'm imagining things, but I've noticed when I walk into a restraurant or down the halls at work, some girls seem to be looking at me, something that didn't used to happen. THough I've recently begun taking a few different martial arts classes which have helped my confidence. So not sure if its the bald head, or how I'm now carrying myself or both.
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I haven't been called a skinhead or Nazi, but it is a common concern of a lot of guys based on the number of posts that have come across the boards. In fact it seems to hold a lot of guys back from going sly.
My advice here is to act friendly and polite and avoid dressing in any apparel that would be associated with skinheads and neo-Nazis. Friendly, polite behavior usually dispells the negative stereotype very quickly.
Just one other thought: being judged erroneously simply based on appearance hurts. Once we've experienced it personally, hopefully we're less likely to do it ourselves.
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Wear your lack of hair with pride and I agree with "npsbg". We are all supportive here. BTW - you rock the sly look ... there is nothing Nazi skinhead about it.
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I really figured it was no big deal anymore.
It isn't a big deal anymore ... you just happened to fall into some weird timewarp.
Now,on the up side, perhaps I'm imagining things, but I've noticed when I walk into a restraurant or down the halls at work, some girls seem to be looking at me, something that didn't used to happen. THough I've recently begun taking a few different martial arts classes which have helped my confidence. So not sure if its the bald head, or how I'm now carrying myself or both.
A surge in self-confidence is frequent when you shave - enjoy it, and know that it's permanent (as long as you remain Sly!). You may even experience some unexpected head rubs from the ladies. Never happened to me until I went sly, and took me totally by surprise.
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I'm Jewish, so I would literally laugh in someones face if they said that to me and make them feel about 1 inch tall.
Not a lot you can do about people being stupid, though. Let the idiots be idiots, and just enjoy your life, man. The head looks good, don't take those moronic comments to heart!
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Not a lot you can do about people being stupid, though. Let the idiots be idiots, and just enjoy your life, man. The head looks good, don't take those moronic comments to heart!
Excellent point, Plano. Those are the losers and insecure morons of society...it's best to ignore their kind. Good luck, Roadrunner!
...and welcome home, RoadRunner.
:*))
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Thanks for all the encouragement guys! For the most part the response has been good. No head rubs yet though lol. Just hard to ignore the idiotic comments.
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If there was a nuclear war and everything was wiped out, two things would survive: cockroaches and idiots.
Don't let the idiots and their stupid comments get you down!
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I am a skinhead and bald dont giv a monkeys tit what people think . Bald by choice is a smart look and comfortable , being an skin in europeis diff. Dont wrry about what people think ' your who you are , which is not a Romper Stomper .
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I got a similar comment from my mom back in July.
Like Plano said, though, there's nothing you can do about people being stupid. The best thing to do about a comment like that is ignore it or laugh at it. Or call the person a dumbass.
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Ignorance will always exist in one form or another. Don't take it to heart.
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Try not to worry about negative comments but I know that is easier said than done. I have been told since a teenager how horrendously ugly I am and people actually act offended that I don't feel that I am as bad as they say. I am 49 now and I really feel kinda good about myself. I have however been conditioned to never allow myself to be photographed with the exception of my drivers license :)
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Try not to worry about negative comments but I know that is easier said than done. I have been told since a teenager how horrendously ugly I am and people actually act offended that I don't feel that I am as bad as they say. I am 49 now and I really feel kinda good about myself. I have however been conditioned to never allow myself to be photographed with the exception of my drivers license :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OF3uhzrITM&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OF3uhzrITM&feature=related)
LOL sorry had to.
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... and people actually act offended that I don't feel that I am as bad as they say. I am 49 now and I really feel kinda good about myself.
Not to worry Boxman, it took me even longer to figure out that what really matters is how I feel in the center of my being. Comments from others - regardless of whether they are well-intended or malicious - simply no longer matter.
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Thanks, Plano that helped a lot :) :(
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Thanks, Plano that helped a lot :) :(
:) I thought that you'd find that funny! :) Honestly, this is the LAST place for judgment here...I'm glad you're gaining confidence. Shoot a pic, and show the slyness off! Nothing to be insecure about.
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yeah hilarious >:D
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I'm glad you saw the humor in the Terrance & Philip skit, they're hilarious! ;D
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uh huh ::)
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There sure are alot of people that watch to much stuff on TV . If they watch police officers, firemen, armed forces such as Marine's etc.. Doctor's and many other professions that have all come to the fact that Bald is Beautiful. Even kids with hair want a shaved head. I have a feeling that alot of people that make comments would like one but have no guts or maybe a cone shaped mellon ;D
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Wayyyy too many people out there whose mouths are faster than their brains. You just happened to have run into a few of them in succession. in the end, it's all related to the surface of your skin, so I believe you should let it go no deeper than that.
I have to admit I'm always intrigued when this kind of thing happens to one of us. Mainly because no one I've ever run into since I've started shaving has said anything even remotely close... It almost seems unbelievable that it would happen...
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Morons can't help it. It's easier for them to be offensive, hateful and rude than to think of a kind thing to say. Keep your spirits high, mate.
O0
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I had just shaved my head for the first time a few years ago in the middle of the summer. I had a goatee and the beard was a bit longer than the rest. I have multiple piercings and a lot of tattoos. My wife and I went to a farmer's market in an upscale neighborhood and there was a convent of nuns that sold pastries there. We walked in and were looking at the fruit and veggies and I watched as one of the nuns looked up and spotted me. Without missing a beat she gasped and crossed herself. It actually made me burst out laughing. My wife asked me why I was laughing and her told what I just saw and she burst out laughing. We still joke about it. :*))
Personally, I couldn't care less what other people think about me and I'm a firm believer that everyone has the right to look however they want to look. I also believe that if you own your look you can make it work. Put that swagger in your step and rock it! O0
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We walked in and were looking at the fruit and veggies and I watched as one of the nuns looked up and spotted me. Without missing a beat she gasped and crossed herself.
Nuns. no sense of humor.
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We walked in and were looking at the fruit and veggies and I watched as one of the nuns looked up and spotted me. Without missing a beat she gasped and crossed herself.
Nuns. no sense of humor.
LOL that is pretty funny. I'm getting more confident in the look. Both due to the head shave and the weight I've lost. I notice at the grocery store last time, people don't bump into me as much, they tend to part like the red sea when I come through. So I guess in the scheme of things, I don't care what people think of me. If they want to be scared of me, then let them
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I am a skinhead and bald dont giv a monkeys tit what people think . Bald by choice is a smart look and comfortable , being an skin in europeis diff. Dont wrry about what people think ' your who you are , which is not a Romper Stomper .
Indeed; the history of the real skinheads is quite interesting. Apparently, none of the original skinheads were neo-nazi until the neos started recruiting from their ranks, and most real skins remaining are not neo either.
At any rate, shaving one's head is definitely not the big deal it used to be except in the minds of a few.
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LOL that is pretty funny. I'm getting more confident in the look. Both due to the head shave and the weight I've lost. I notice at the grocery store last time, people don't bump into me as much, they tend to part like the red sea when I come through. So I guess in the scheme of things, I don't care what people think of me. If they want to be scared of me, then let them
You're a pretty intimidating looking guy as it is, hair or no! Which I guess is a benefit in the criminal justice world... ;D
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Thanks for all the input guys. I appreciate all the feedback. Sorry I been away, been busy here and got sick for a week or two. I'm down about 20 more lbs the past few months. So I've lost around 40 Lbs total. Family is getting used to seeing me with the shaved head. THe kids got a kick the other day when we were at the store. Some guy walked past me, stopped and came back and goes "Hey, you kinda look like that Stone Cold Steve Austin guy!" I wasn't sure what to say, but I sure thought it was cool lol. So did the kids.
I been bald going on three months now and I like it. Its easy to maintain, feels cool, and when I train at the gym, I don't have hair getting in my face or itchy.
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It is a shame people judge others without giving them a chance to show who they are. :Xo!
I also recently had this happen to me from a customer. He made the comment to someone that I work with so I decided to force the customer to deal directly with me so instead of making a judgement from afar he was forced to do so after talking to me. Luckily the people I work with were more than happy to stand back and allow me to help this customer since they were offended for me. I simply find it sad and hope one day people will learn that hating someone for there looks is just silly. :px
So I killed him with kindness, was extremely courteous, smiled, and was sincere. He asked to have one of the others help him however they were...... all busy. So he was forced to deal with me. By the time he left he was smiling said thank you and seamed to be a little confused like he was expecting a fight. :x!
I have worked with customers for years and have dealt with people like this in the past (assumed because my skin color was different I would treat them different) but have learned to just be bubbly and sincere. You can't fake sincere kindness. :D
Ultimately even if the guy decides I'm an evil Nazi or skinhead I really don't care. I will continue to treat him just like I would if my own Parent was in line, and as I do every customer I deal with. O0
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Great stories y'all...you're all a credit to baldness. O0
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Uh, Sweet little ladies shouldn't know what a Nazi Skin Head is.....What secrets is she holding?
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I was asked that, to which I introduced myself...last name Aron...and yes, I am a Hebrew skinhead, wait, no that doesn't work...it got a huge laugh by those around...I then said, um no really I just have this super rare condition...male patern baldness and asked if they have ever known anyone with this rare condition? again...laughs...I always respond with humor, difuses tension and in some moments it flips the awkward moment on them.
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Isn't it amazing how dumb some people are?.........your classmate especially. Your choice of a shaved head is exactly that.......your choice. I'll bet that the classmate doesn't even know who the nazis were. The look fits you well.
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Roadrunner, You look great sly. Welcome to SBG.
I have never been told that I look like a Nazi. How ignorant those type of people are.
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Yes, of course. Especially being in high school.
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I have been called a skinhead & neo-nazi before also, but the comments came from a person who was completely mis-informed and whom were completely disarmed when I was gracious and pleasant to them. The other came from someone who were of a much older generation and associated the shaved head with being a nazi. You will get over the "insults" pretty quickly, I wager. People will see that you are not what they say you are. For those that still mis-understand your reason for shaving your head, in time they will get over it (hopefully).
By the way, you look fine with a shaved head & welcome to the best site on the net for supporting guys (whether shaved or not).