#2 The power of hair

On the necessity of change, self-worth and re-evaluating your sense of identity.

Apr 09, 2021

I quit my job about a couple of weeks ago. A decent, well-paid job for a recent grad like me at a big, well-known social media company.

I quit my job. In a pandemic.

Disclaimer: Nope, there’s no success story coming up. Here’s The Culture Worm, not LinkedIn. Welcome! 👋

And then I decided to have my hair dyed pinkish (fuchsia, if we are to be precise) out of boredom more than anything. Can you blame me? I have too much free time now.

It was a friend of mine who picked the colour. I just nodded and went along having no clue about the implications a hair dye would have on me (and my relationship, now that we’re talking). If you’re curious to see the result, check out my Instagram.

I was told I “should have dyed my hair pink after I get a job.” Or “if I was a hiring manager, I wouldn’t hire you with your hair like that.” And then, my bad, I went on Google and made a search about coloured hair in the workplace and the first result prompted me to a Reddit thread:

“[…] People from more conservative parts aren’t sure if I’m a drug dealer, an addict, a prostitute or some combination of the three.”
“I’ve had to purchase a mousy brown wig to manage interviews. Just to make sure they look at the resume and my skills vs judging my choice of hair color. I refuse to change my lovely pink hair.”
“You’re just going through a phase.”

People are inherently uneasy about change, especially when something is outside their definition of “normal.”

I love change and even more than that, I believe change is necessary.

If I hadn’t quit my job and given myself a kick up the backside, this newsletter wouldn’t have been created. And you wouldn’t have had to endure my (un)intentional feminist manifesto.

I look at old photos of myself with my natural, dark hair and I smile thinking how much I’ve grown from that naive high school girl who once thought she was invincible. My first attempt at dyeing my hair was a timid chocolate hue, barely noticeable, yet what a victory it was: I was officially an adult, I no longer needed approval from my mother! Until recently, after each visit to my hairdresser in Soho, that vibrant shade of red had become my signature colour. As arrogantly as it may sound, I used to turn heads as I was walking down the streets and I did feel, even if for a fleeting moment, beautiful, and confident. That is the power of hair.

Hair is much more than making a statement or going through a phase. Hair can be about re-evaluating your sense of identity, development and self-esteem. To be scrutinised to the point where your professional worth is measured by this parameter is sad. And even sadder is the racial discrimination against afro-textured hair that, as a white and privileged woman, I’ll never experience.

The Culture Worm is for hungry minds and curious souls. This is how I envisioned my audience for this newsletter. You’ll never get an answer or a solution to a problem from me. Instead, you may be starting to ask yourself some questions. If this happens, go and do the learning by yourself. Pick up a book, read an article, listen to a podcast, watch a documentary, talk to someone.

The highest compliment you can pay me is to tell me that I’ve made you think. And this will truly humble me.

Now, let’s dive into some cheery content!

Happy reading, happy learning,

Teodora x

🥁 📚 The latest in the literary world

The film adaptation of Bethan Roberts’ romantic drama “My Policeman” is officially happening! The cast has begun production, with a new picture showing Harry Styles, Emma Corrin and David Dawson in a recording studio. 👀
Avicii’s life story to be told in a biography that will be released in November this year. The publisher describes the book as the “intimate biography of the iconic DJ who was lost too soon.” Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii, took his own life in 2018, at the age of 28. The proceeds from the Swedish publication will be donated in full to the Tim Bergling Foundation, which focuses on mental health issues and suicide.
Who loves a good, ol’ tote bag? 🙋‍♀️ And if you do, too, then even better! 🙌 Award-winning illustrator and children’s book author, Dapo Adeola, has designed this year’s limited-edition “Books Are My Bag” tote. Check it out here and mark the day because it’s going to be available exclusively to bookshops across the UK and Ireland from #BookshopDay, Saturday 9 October.
Aaaand, welcome back, maestro! You’ve been missed! 🎉 I’m talking about Haruki Murakami, one of the most prominent living writers at the moment, with books that have been published in over 50 languages and have sold millions of copies around the world. His new collection of short stories, “First Person Singular,” is out now and combines Murakami’s well-known magical realism with ‘a signature twist.’ Until I get my hands on a copy, here’s a quote I stumbled upon and enjoyed: “Loving someone is like having a mental illness that’s not covered by health insurance.” 🤭 😬

🎧 📰 👀 My media diet this week

What’s the difference between a selfie and a self-portrait? The answer comes from Alli Burness, an Australian-based museum writer who transitioned into the field of experience design. I discovered her blog “Museum in a Bottle” (now inactive) by accident, and although this is a rather “old” piece, it made me think. 🖼️ Why read? You’ll learn how a selfie is a mode of conversation, inherently contextual and often ephemeral, whereas a self-portrait is intended to convey “the sum of a person, their history and their present.” An artist could choose to represent him/herself through selfies; however, self-portraits don’t immediately signify selfies. 💡
I met Elif Shafak in October 2019 at Southbank Centre during the London Literature Festival and since then, I’ve been following her everywhere online. (This sounded creepier than intended!) She’s an amazing novelist, political scientist and women’s rights activist. Also, Shafak is the most widely read female author in Turkey. She’s even been put on trial in 2006 because of one of her books, ‘The Bastard of Istanbul’. In How To Academy Podcast, she speaks about building bridges in an age of division. Why listen? You’ll learn about seeing life in circles (positives: no hierarchies, more egalitarianism; negatives: surrounding yourself with people that think like you and the illusion that sameness is going to bring you safety), the perils of algorithms that introduce extreme views into the mainstream, why you should be sceptical of identity politics and how a writer’s job is not to be didactic but to ask questions and open up spaces.
You might not have heard of Max Martin, but you've definitely heard the songs he's written. From Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time”, the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” to Katy Perry's “I Kissed a Girl”, Taylor Swift's “Shake It Off" and “Blank Space”, and The Weeknd's “Blinding Lights,” these are only some of the world's biggest pop hits Marin produced or co-produced. He has 23 number-one songs in Billboard Hot 100, second only to Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Matthew Syed explores the career of the Swedish songwriter and record producer in his new podcast, “Sideways”. Why listen? Learn about echo chambers, recombination, human innovation, and the secret of staying relevant over the years (spoiler alert: it’s about collaboration!)
I watched Seaspiracy, the Netflix documentary everyone is talking about. If you haven’t watched it yet, please do. Created by filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, who previously made “Cowspiracy,” the documentary covers many issues from dolphin killings in Japan and the finning of 100 million sharks a year to the impact of plastic pollution on our ocean and labour abuses around the world. Take everything with a pinch of salt, though. Although many people have publicly declared that they will no longer eat fish(🙄), is veganism the solution? Within the scientific community, the film is largely seen as doing more harm than good - and so does argue marine ecologist Josh Silberg from Hakai Magazine. BONUS: Watch this webinar (from 08/04) on how films like “Seaspiracy” reinforce simplistic thinking and undermine the social, political, and environmental complexities at play in the world’s fisheries. 🐟

📌 Random news in brief

Think twice before posting your twerking video online. You might end up like Miss Papua New Guinea who’s been stripped of her crown for “behaving inappropriately” on TikTok. Also, in case you were wondering: the video has now been deleted. Soz. 😢
Let’s take a moment and admit that … you’re old. Or oldER, as a friend of mine used to say. Bridget Jones's Diary turns 20 years old this month (😱) and Cosmo put together a great photo gallery with the cast then and now.
I never thought I’d write about the Kardashians, but there you go. According to Forbes, Kim’s now officially landed on the World’s Billionaires list. 💸 In the meantime, Khloe stole the show by trying to remove an unfiltered viral photo of herself from the internet. How are you keeping up with so much drama, folks?

Before we say goodbye… 🥺

If you liked this issue of the newsletter, please click on the heart at the very end. It helps me get discovered by other people who might enjoy The Culture Worm. There’s always the option to leave a comment with your feedback. I promise I’ll always reply!

The Culture Worm