ARTICLE: Bald Ideas

We don't like to admit it, but society's pressure on us (on our thoughts, our mannerisms, what we say, what we desire, what we don't like) it's immense. We fear ridicule and embarrassment if we stray away from social norms, we might not admit it, and will claim we do as we please, but deep down, even the most revolutionary and avant-garde individual is affected by society's pressure, yup, even me!

So, where is this coming from and where am I going? Yes, I know I'm known for digressing and going off to topics that have nothing to do with what I'm actually saying, but I'm turning 25 very soon, and, as the youngest of three brothers way older than I am, yes, I'm a late-lamb, have become the FIRST of the four to start going BALD! It started to happen slowly and steadily, but became very prevalent last year. Hence I grew my hair and had a bajillion hairstyles just so I can not see the receding hairline!

Society pressure on us is mad, making balding men feel emasculated and out of place! Telling us that the receeding hairline makes us old, less attractive and stoopid, not all of us can look like Fabio...

oh Fabio!

or Maxwell...

Nearly every SA ad that has an ensemble case in it, has a coloured dude with Maxwell hair in it!

Sigh, anyhoo, I asked myself, where does baldness come from, and can I do anything to prevent it, or reverse it?! And by prevent or reverse, I don't mean Rooney/Kallis it away with implants and stuff!

Magic!

So yeah, baldness, clinically named Alopecia, is mostly caused by genetics, strongly believed to be inherited from the maternal grandfather. (which was shocking to find out because my mom's father WAS BALD!) Wikipedia explains how baldness works as follows:

So as you can see it's all in the genes, so if you have sucky hair genes, like moi, there's nothing much you can do about it! Urgh. What I CAN do is show you some of my favourite awesome people who ARE BALD, but who are still extremely good at what they do and are very successful, albeit, it includes them being super-talented, super fit and ripped, so this post might appeal to the ladies, and I might have to put a no-homo tag on it!

Righto, now, in no particular order, here are my Cool-Dudes-Who-Are-Awesome-And-Bald

Jason Statham

The 44 year-old Englishman has become the face of ruggedness and bad-assery and has been kicking butts and killing baddies on screen since the early 2000s and has given the balding-head+rugged stubble look new vigour and street-cred (obviously accompanied with muscles and a slick Brit accent). Him, along with Keanu Reeves make up my two-fave actors and thanks to him, I don't mind going bald THAT much anymore. I just have to work off my paunch and replace it with abs of steel and fists of fury *kapow!*

BOOM! The man is gebou!

Statham once had hair for this role in Revolver, but he just looks bland! Bald s better!

LL Cool J

The 44-year-old James Todd Smith, the silky-smooth rapper, has been making females swoon since the 80s with his eloquent syllable play, and more recently acting. I don't remember seeing LL with hair because his either wearing a cap, or he's bald, which leads me to believe, that he's bald or balding! Which counts! Kudos to him because his career hasn't always been the most relevant rap-wise, but he's managed to stay relevant in acting and has kept his fitness very high, which is a dmirable for a dude in his mid-forties! His grind is something to look up to!

Old school!

Demmit! The man is ripped!!

Andres Iniesta

The youngest of the lot at 28, has been slowly getting his bles over the last few years, and it is starting to show badly now, but funnily enough, it is also coinciding with his best form of his life, having one of his best season, and continuing to be a very important part of the Spanish and Barcelona teams, and although, many times overshadowed by Xavi 'Droopy Eyes' Hernandez, I think he, Iniesta, is a strong contender to win the Ballon d'Or this year, even though I think either CR7 or Lionel 'Ek Vriet Lays' Messi will probably take it! Anyhoo, he shows the old axiom that hair, or lack there of, cannot dampen your ability when it's coupled with passion and drive!

Large Forehead is large!

MIniesta :D

Jamie Foxx

Easily one of my biggest idols as an entertainer, Eric Marlon Bishop, or as we know him, Jamie Foxx, has been doing his thing since In Living Colour days already! He is one of the only people who can warrant having all the tags 'Singer-Songwriter-Actor- Comedian'. Because he can sing and write songs VERY WELL, he can act, VERY WELL, and he is VERY FUNNY! If you read up on Mr Foxx, you'll see that his journey was not always easy, but he made it through and this is what makes him great!

Super neat trim is super neat!

Die man is gerip

He always had a well trimmed hairline, but it seems that hair is starting to wane away now and he is keeping it clean and keeping it bald, inspiration for us bleskoppe :D

Pepe Reina

Yes, another footballer, he currently plays for my favourite team, Liverpool, and he is one of the best Goalkeepers in the world currently, although he had a season to forget last season! He is now 29 (and shares my bday!)and has probably been bald since his early 20s, but he didn't let that stand in his way to be successful season in, season out, winning the Golden Glove for many a season (keeping the most clean sheets in the league) and winning some great trophies with LFC.

With hair, no hair!

Young Reina!

So yeah, there are MANY MORE bald/balding artists/sportsmen/actors/normal guys that are very successful out there, not letting their hair-loss hold them back, focusing on what matters most! I can give you the same advice I give people who go on about straightness/coarseness of hair (it's a coloured thing), It's not what's ON your head, it's what's INSIDE your head! So you better use them brains! :)

I have given up on Kallis-ing my hair, and embraced my inner Balrog!

PUNCH PUNCH! :D