A Society of Roosters

This is a paper that I wrote for my English 2010 class. The assignment was to analyze an element of popular culture. My topic, inspired by my mom, was feather hair extensions. I'm really proud of this paper because I thought that I had no understanding of what my professor wanted, but it turns out that I did really well. My first college paper and I received an A. :)

The idea of hair extensions is not unique to modern society. Men in ancient Egypt would wear them in order to show their wealth and status. Women also wore them for similar purposes in 19^th century Europe. However, the hair extensions of those times were actually made of hair. These days, the most popular form of extensions is actually rooster feathers. These feather extensions have become fairly common, not just among teenage girls, men and woman of all ages.

With the many different colors that they come in, these feathers become a way for people to express themselves. The feathers do not get ruined when people straighten, curl or wash them, which make them even more customizable. They can be used to represent the colors of a sports team or one’s own personal style. People put a lot of thought into the feathers that they put into their hair because, to them, the extensions have a bigger purpose than just looking cool. They can even further express themselves by putting multiple, different feathers in one place.

When my sister started considering getting feather extensions, she spent two weeks looking at the different options and deliberating over how hers were going to look. It was a big decision because the feathers are expensive (anywhere from $15 to $50 depending on how many and what kind) and, more importantly, because they were going to be in her hair for six to eight weeks. She considered getting blue ones that would represent her school pride at her graduation or natural colored ones that would match with anything she wore. In the end she got a red one because it was a way for her to express that there was more to her than her clothes may suggest. She wanted people to look at her differently, and she thought that the feather in her hair would accomplish that goal.

This is largely the appeal of these feather extensions. When they first appeared, it was a little strange and not something that everyone had. They are reminiscent of birds that use their colorful feathers to grab the attention of potential mates. People saw the feathers that others were wearing and considered them a more exotic way to add color to hair than getting highlights. My grandmother had feather extensions put in her hair at the same time as my aunt and young cousin did. For her, they represented youth and showed that she did not fit into the stereotype that some people would try to put her in.

Though people may get these extensions thinking that it will change how others look at them, they end up being more personal. Most people do not look at an older woman with feather extensions and think ‘Wow, that woman is really fashionable for her age.’ In fact, most people probably would not spend much time thinking about it at all. The main thing that these feathers do for people is allow them to change their own ideas about themselves.

Since feather extensions are not really supplied by any one manufacturer, there is no real advertising for them. Instead, independent hair salons rely on the endorsement of the feathers through celebrities in the media. This approach is actually rather successful because people look to the media for an ideal image of beauty. People in our society conform to this trend because we have been programmed to believe that the people in magazines are happier, better looking and better off than we will ever be. So, when a celebrity like Ke$ha, whose tough look and sexual appeal attracts the attention of men and the envy of women, is shown wearing feather extensions, the people who see it will be subtly lead to the idea that once they have feather extensions they will be more like her.

For some people, these feather extensions have become another way to rebel against authority. I have a friend who got her feather to represent that she does not have to be what her parents tell her to be. The simple act of having somebody clip a feather to her head made her feel as if she was more of her own person than she had ever been before. It didn’t matter that in a few weeks’ time, the feather would dye her hair blue and fall out. She still felt as if she was expressing herself in the perfect way.

Which is ironic. Because really, what she was doing was conforming to the idea that by getting feather extensions she was being original. Just as my sister thought she was being original by getting an extension different from her outward style, and my grandma thought she was being original by finding a way to make the trend look good in her own style.

In a society where people are constantly trying to be unique by conforming to the most recent styles and trends, feather extensions allow an even wider range of expression than most other fads. The fact that there is no real advertising for them further allows people to believe that they are one among few, while the amount of people walking around with feathers attached to their heads proves otherwise. Still, people continue to go to the salons and ask for the latest colors and styles. They ask each other where they got their feathers and how much they paid, as if that, too, made them unique.

While feather extensions may seem on the surface to be a simple fashion trend, the people who are purchasing them consider it to be much more than that. The feathers that they wear in their hair represent a much larger idea than what looks cool. They can be a representation of rebellion or a shift away from a stereotype. They are a way to forget the normal trends of society and move toward the exotic. Feathers even have the power to change the way one thinks about his or herself, which is ultimately their purpose.