Tropes and Cliches

Delinquent Hair

Both a trope and a cliche.... yay...
So delinquent hair is basically abnormal hair colors such as pink, blue, purple, etc.And It's normally associated with Asian women, more specifically East Asia. Now Buzzfeed did an article about how just about every East Asian female had a color streak or fully died hair to promote their " edginess" and I called bull. Let's get one thing straight I am not, in any way or form, East Asian, but I'm pretty sure it stems from a repressive society they live in. Their schools have very strict dress codes( I'm pretty sure some even hand out school approved uniforms) that basically controls the type of socks, leggings, tights, shoes, and how to wear it. I kid you not. My professor explained that while he taught over in China, a girl had to dye her naturally light brown hair black ever so often( and it caused some breakage). Not to mention there was school approved haircuts. So there's that, plus I've met a mom ( I worked at a daycare) thought I lost my mind when she sat me with purple braids and got a lecture about it. So needless to say, parents don't really approve of colored hair,especially when everything is a competition over there.( I'll explain it when I cover School tropes/ cliches) but back to Delinquent Hair.

Now people have come to believe that dyed hair= delinquent, which is weird, especially when there are so many people who dye their hair natural colors (blond, black brown,etc.), but rarely face some sort of criticism, especial people of color by other people of color, which needs to stop by the way. And I mean stuff like a natural brunette dying her hair blond. So why are crazy hair colors seen as "rebel" hair. Well I explained it in the first paragraph, they are basically saying "This is my way of expressing freedom." There are certain hair styles which are strongly associated with delinquent or punk behaviour—mohawks, pompadours, certain spiky styles, and a completely shaven head. Let's be honest, in a lot of anime ( and some western  animation) we do have characters with naturally...let's say pink hair, like Mine from Akame Ga Kill, which could very well be her natural hair color( which is dubbed "Anime hair"). But those media that depicts a realistic Asian city, then the wild hair color is possibly a dye job. Now the " Asian Hair Streak" that's the next cliche/trope to get a discussion.

Now here's a quick history lesson. Less than a century ago, dyeing hair at all was considered a sign of badness because it was dishonest. This is mostly due to "blondes"being the most depicted in most types of media.This is why "Evil Blondes" are often dyed. During Restoration England, natural blondes commonly dyed their hair darker because everyone would think they had dyed it blonde in the first place. (This was partly because of the dangers of earlier dyes: dyeing your hair risked your health for temporary good looks.). All and all many associated dyed hair with..less than stellar behavior. 

The eponymous character of Coraline has blue hair in a setting where everyone else has normally-colored hair, speculated to be an attempt to get her parents' attention.

In US and UK schools dying hair "unnatural colors" (which often includes brighter red shades) is prohibited in dress codes, probably because of this trope, as are "extreme" hairstyles. So how exactly did we get from hating unnatural hair colors to loving it...to an extent? I mean yeah, the times are changing, you see white people with dreadlocks ( a look not everyone can pull off. it's really weird when it's not done correctly and you don't take care of them...just pm me if you have any questions), people who have had an obvious dye job, and just about every color in their hair. I was told that my braids are unprofessional looking...

I guess it stems from the ever evolving world we live in. In most professions, such as those in the field of medicine or education, you can dye you hair, but it must be a "natural color". I guess it's just a cultural thing.