Heidi Stevens’ hair has become a topic of quite a few emails over the past several months. According to the New York Daily News , the hate mail started coming in back in June when Stevens changed the photo on her parenting column that she writes for the Chicago Tribune .
From Cayman Islands to Canada, readers weigh in on @HeidiStevens13 ‘s hair (and shirt collar) http://t.co/hHs3FEEsXr pic.twitter.com/ocCwpWICfi
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) March 26, 2015
“‘For heaven sake comb your hair,’ one woman wrote to Stevens referring to her wavy bob. ‘Your picture instills not one iota of a knowledgeable person.’ Another told Stevens — who has regularly calls for body acceptance in her columns — to ‘shoot’ her hairstylist. One man wrote that ‘a tramp with greasy, matted, uncombed hair’ would never be taken seriously.”
Heidi Stevens’ hair seems casually tousled, which is actually a trending style. While some people might look at her hair and think that there is nothing wrong with it, others have apparently hated the look, so much so that they decided to send emails. Stevens says that these hate-filled emails have been “nonstop” since she posted her new headshot.
“Each (comment) takes me aback. Not because my hair is above reproach, but because my hair is completely beside the point,” Stevens wrote in a recent blog.
According to the SpreadIt , Stevens has taken advantage of the backlash and has spoken out about the way that powerful women are viewed when they are in the public eye — often times they face criticism for their looks.
“Michelle Obama was blasted for her hair during a ‘Jeopardy’ segment. The conversation quickly became about the First Lady’s hair instead of the healthy eating habits she was talking about,” Stevens said.
Heidi Stevens’ hair speaks volumes to how women are perceived. As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Harry Potter actress Emma Watson recently spoke out about gender equality and how she feels that standing up for women’s rights has nothing to do with man-hating.
“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are. We can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.”
Meanwhile, many of the emails that Stevens received were actually from women. Perhaps it’s time to start supporting one another instead of tearing each other down.
[Photo courtesy of WGN Video Screen Capture]
