Bad Hair [Hardcover]

James Innes-Smith (Author), Henrietta Webb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2002

A hair-raising journey through the era when big was king.

In the beginning, there was the hair. And some of the hair was bad, but it was small. As men and women everywhere worked to improve and increase their lot, however, they stumbled onto some of humankind's most miraculous innovations: spray, gel, mousse, crimping irons, and of course, the perm. With these new tools, people everywhere suddenly found themselves able to coax their lank, lifeless tresses toward glorious new heights. The age of big hair had begun.

Now, the greatest of these bouffants, afros, rakes, beehives, and Flock-of-Seagulls have been plucked from their spots in hairdressers' windows and given the respect they so clearly demand. Bigger and badder than you ever dreamed possible, Big Hair goes out to all those people of yesteryear who were unafraid to think BIG.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the grand tradition of The Mullet, Bloomsbury USA's previous foray into the world of unfortunate coiffures, Innes-Smith and Webb celebrate poor hair choices, from shaggy Fab Four 'dos to feathered sides, and from asymmetrical bobs to intricately structured curls and waves. Missing are the comb-overs, the skullets (the bald-on-top, long-in-back look) and the synthetic rugs that also warrant the insult of the book's title, but since the photos are culled from hairdressers' windows, such an absence is understandable: these were styles people felt proud of! The pictures, which were taken over the last 30 years, are unfortunately not dated; still, one might venture to propose that the 70s were particularly unflattering for men, and that the 80s were a rough decade for women. This volume is briefly diverting, and even quite funny, but, as the jacket copy admits, there isn't much to be said about a group of pictures all designed to elicit a single response: "Wow, that's bad hair."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

'A hilarious look at the worst hairstyles ever and a great little gift for the follically challenged in your life' Vogue 'Hysterical' Daily Express --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (November 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582343292
• ISBN-13: 978-1582343297
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gimme a head with hair..., January 15, 2004

By 

cookieman108 "cookieman108®" (Inside the jar...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Hair (Hardcover)

Bad Hair...what possessed me to buy this book? What possesses me to do anything I do? Who knows? But I am glad I dropped some coin and took a chance.

You know those pictures they have in salons and barbershops that display different hairstyles? Have you ever seen any that looked like they've been up for quite awhile in that the style has gone out of fashion maybe two or three times since it was posted? Well, James Innes-Smith and Henrietta Webb went scavenging in hair chop shops to collect the worst of the worst of these pictures and compiled them here. What was their inspiration? Maybe the same thing that got me to buy the book.

Within the pages of this book, you will see some of the most awful hairstyles, mullets, mutton chops, bobs, beehives, sideburns gone wide, more mullets, perms that defy description, and so much more...the horror...the horror....

It's a smallish, hardbound book, just a bit larger than a Reader's Digest, and the one thing I noticed right away was there is absolutely no text (I'm quick like that). Just pages and pages of really atrocious hairstyles. Once you start looking through this book, you will understand why there is no text...it's not needed. Each picture speaks volumes. About two thirds of the pictures are black and white, with the other third in color.

A fun little book, this would go nicely on your coffee table, if you're weird like me. Also, if you were ever interested in being a member of the Doobie Brothers, at least now you know where to find an appropriate hairstyle. I hope the authors come out with another book entitled Bad Combovers...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious look at horrific hairstyles from the 60s and 70s, December 9, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bad Hair (Hardcover)

What a brilliant idea for a book--a compendium of some of the more horrific hairstyles from the 1960s and 1970s, as taken from hair salon magazines and posters. Though there is practically no text accompanying the photographs, that's OK--this is definitely a case where a picture is worth 1,000 words (or 1,000 startled gasps!).

I don't know why, but probably the first 3/4 of the book is men only--but the latter 1/4 of the book makes up for it with some of the weirdest, least flattering women's hairstyles you've ever seen in your life. You have to wonder if these poor women were drunk when they agreed to have these crimes committed on their heads. One of the more, um, interesting styles features a lovely model with gorgeous glossy hair--but the hair has been pulled forward to form a sort of chokehold collar around her neck, complete with Pop Art flower accessory. Then there are the woven helmets of hair--intricate braided and twisted creations that must have taken hours to put together but which are not flattering in the least.

This would make a terrific gift for your favorite hairstylist, trendoid niece or nephew, or anyone who enjoys a good snicker. At this price, you can't beat it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest book you'll ever SEE (not read), January 14, 2003

By 

Joel L. Gandelman (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bad Hair (Hardcover)

This is the funniest book you'll ever SEE. You can't really say READ since there is no text. This book lives up to its name: it's just, soley, only comprised of screechingly funny photos of people with reaaaaaaaally BAD HAIR.

Most of these unexplained pix clearly come from old hairdresser photos or product books put out by hair products. Most of the photo subjects are supremely self-absorbed -- thinking they look handsome, beautiful, cool but actually are, to use a modern word, "dorky."

The humor is not only in the truly rotten hairdos, or rather, the hair-don'ts. What's funny is how these folks think they look so good, proving that some peoples' taste lies exclusively in their mouths. You will be convinced that these model photos are really stills from Saturday Night Live or Mad Magazine -- but, no, these models enjoying Nirvana (how "great" they look) and the horrors on their scalps are for real.

SO THE QUESTION IS: What use is a book that has no text and that only shows vile and putrid hair? Well, it makes a good and unusual gift. It's hard to see anyone selling their copy since it is the perfect "bathroom book" (right next to the mirror). Some of these follical creations are unfortunately not out of style. Looking at it will boost anyone's self-esteem (unless they are in the book). And if you have enemies give them a copy, paperclip a page and say, "Hey, I saw this and it reminds me of YOU!"

So remember, this is a book you won't have to read -- just look at...and you'll laugh (unless you see an old photo of yourself or see a hairstyle that looks like what you have today).
Bad Hair is just that -- a book of photos showing bad hair, proof of the eternal triumph of bad taste and a convincing argument that, in some cases, Bald is indeed Beautiful...