Let's trim our hair in accordance with the socialist lifestyle was a television program which was aired in North Korea, broadcast on state-run television in the capital of Pyongyang. The program was intended to educate the public on good and bad hairstyles. An initial five-part series in the show Common Sense featured officially endorsed haircut styles, while a later series went a step further by showing certain men as examples of how not to trim hair. The show claims that hair length can affect human intelligence in part because of the deprivation to the rest of the body of nutrients required for hair to grow. This may be caused by a typically Asian holistic approach to medical diagnosis.

The series is part of a larger media campaign that began in autumn 2004, promoting proper attire and neat appearances in men, appearing in print and radio as well as on television.

The show encourages the state-approved short hairstyles, such as the flat-top crew cut, middle hairstyle, low hairstyle, and high hairstyle. It says that hair should be kept between 1 cm and 5 cm in length, and recommends haircuts for men every 15 days. The country's official hairstyles also allow men over 50 years old to grow their upper hair up to 7 cm long, to disguise balding.

In the second series, individuals were interviewed about their hairstyles.

Western news articles (see 'External links') reported that people were 'forced' to be interviewed, that their names were displayed on television, and that bad haircuts were criticized. In reality, the show was about showing people's hairstyles, and at the same time informing North Koreans about the official view of appropriate hairstyles. In all cultures, norms for physical appearance, including haircuts exist; those who deviate from such standards are sometimes subjected to varying levels of social pressure, however rare it may be for such norms to be associated with political ideology, or sanctioned by a central government.

Not Uncommon in North Korea

In North Korea, at the Korean Costume Fashion Show, the hair-style of Korean women, etiquette and other traditions were presented in the Hamhung Grand Theater to the approval of the crowd. [1]

External links

• BBC report on the show
• Guardian Unlimited article on the show
• UK Yahoo news article on show