Founding Fathers

In the recently released series "John Adams", the actors playing all of the characters appear in public with those wigs - and what do you know, they are all non-parting. So it would appear that the founding of our nation was accomplished without all partisanship (pun intended) of all the right parts and left parts that dominate our current political landscape. The time was not without a huge amount of bitter fighting and polarization, but perhaps the dynamic was quite different back in that day, and led to the final compromises and decisions of the United States.

Wikipedia's article on fashion during the period has this to say about men's hair: Wigs were worn for formal occasions, or the hair was worn long and powdered, brushed back from the forehead and clubbed (tied back at the nape of the neck) with a black ribbon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1750-1795_in_fashion#Hairstyles_and_headgear_2


Here are some portraits of a few of the more famous founders - and the others also appear to have similar non-parting looks?

George Washington

Ben Franklin


John Hancock


Alexander Hamliton


Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Famous Right Parting Women

As is the way of men, it turns out that very few women in public actually part their hair on the right. While it would be more natural for them to be emphasizing the right brain, more feminine side, when it comes to getting in the limelight, the left part wins over more often.

But as we have to acknowledge, there are exceptions to the rule - and often these women are in have very high public profiles.

Below are a few of the famous women with right parts. Most would be considered strong assertive women, so they are not good examples of how the Hair Part Theory works to emphasize the more receptive right side of a person. But they are unique, for sure, and when you actually reverse their image, sometimes the effect is dramatic.


Dana Perino - White House Press Secretary



Condoleeza Rice - Secretary of State



Geraldine Ferraro - former Vice Presidential Candidate




Martha Stewart - CEO

Nancy Pelosi, current House Speaker, wears her hair on the right, but there are a few pictures with her hair on the left - this is more accurate than just flipping the image - see how the look is different?

Look at how two of the photos change dramatically when reversed - almost different people no?





The other two don't change as much, but i am including them here for completeness

Hair Part Swithcheroos

The reason that hair parts can affect personalities is that most people wear the same part day in and day out, often since childhood. The psychological term is "interactional continuity" (which arises when an individual's style evokes reciprocal, sustaining responses from others in ongoing social interaction, thereby reinstating the behavior pattern across the individual's life course ( Caspi, Avshalom "Continuities and Consequences of Interactional Styles Across the Life Course")

So given that many people, especially men, stay on the same side their whole life, its pretty interesting when public figures, and or movie casting has the person switching...does it change the personality? Well, it will change the perception of the person, and perhaps lead to a different lifestyle, and maybe over a longer period, someones original personality could be considered to be changed.

The most famous example of switching is President Jimmy Carter, who in 1979 was delivering that famous "malaise" speech. As it turns out, John Walter wrote to him to suggest that he switch his hair part (the letter referenced the story of the little girl who wrote to Lincoln to suggest he grow a beard). About 6 weeks later he actually did change, and if you look at him 3o years later, hes a long way away from that rather naive peanut farmer persona he came to Washington with:

Then there is the Superman/Clark Kent switch that made me fall out of my seat when i saw it - how perfect an example of the two stereotypical personalities created by the left and right hair parts:

What's also interesting is that the actor that plays superman in Superman 2006, Branon Routh, has the Clark Kent right part, but also his Superman has a right part...not much difference in the two, no?

Imagine both of these images reversed - see how the left part changes the picture!

Also, look at Smallville's Clark Kent: Left part, no nerdiness there!

From England (March 2007):

http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/03/spot_the_differ.html?cid=106564728#comments

March 13, 2007
Spot the difference
In "Won't Get Fooled Again", The Who sing of how the "parting on the left becomes the parting on the right".
Times cartoonist Peter Brookes has noticed that Cameron's parting on the right has become a parting on the left. It's a pleasure. All part of the Comment Central service.

The left picture shows Cameron as he was until early this month. On the right, Cameron yesterday.
(UPDATE: Extensive picture research suggests that the change took place between Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 7th March and 11.58am on Thursday 8th March)
(question: now that a full year has passed, is there any difference in Cameron's

public persona?)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1511688.ece

News Anchors

News anchors are almost all side parters, and there are clear differences between the left and right ones...the left are all very status quo, the right are very ideosyncratic.

For laughs, included at the bottom TV world' famous anchormen - Ted Knight, playing Ted Baxter - who sports a right part and the wacky personality that fits so well.

Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw was replaced by Brian Jennings - very similar indeed.

Of course, the master, Walter Cronkite could never be duplicated.

Following are a few right part anchors, and although Dan Rather has been on both sides, the last few years its been on the right - surprising how rapidily he lost his position among the great anchors over a story that allegedly was right, but with bad evidence.

Dan Rather

Ted Koppel - an intense interviewer and presence.

How about the fake news with Ted Baxter, who played the bumbling fool to a T, his unique character is not suprisingly supported by the way heparts on the right.

Look how his look changes when it is reversed!

Religion

In the religious world, side parts dominate. Specifically with the big churches, the charismatic preacher is often striking that strong pose of dualty - good/evil, us/them, heaven/earth. Surprising is the number of the top religious leaders that have the right part - and often they are very different from the typical...here is a sample

Pat Robertson

James Dobson (Focus on the Family)

Tim Lahey (Left Behind book series)

Of course, the right parts are not the only ones out there...there are plenty of left parts and even a few non-parters. but consider this...which part would Jesus wear? Can you imagine him with anything other than a middle part?

Actually, I did find a painting of Jesus with a right part:

and flipped it just to see what if he had a left part....do either of them look right?

I think this illustrates the ultimate strangeness of the side part when it comes to considering a personality which should be more balanced - can you see how this could be an effect in people who are living now?