Well, I'm not going to bother making my case compelling because let's face it, I'm beyond hair styles! But DEFINITELY #7, it's not even close. The only other one that I'd even say is on the radar is 11. Go ahead and make a 7-11 joke at your own leisure.....

BMN

My vote is for #7; my lovely wife goes for #1 (with #7 in 2nd place). But you need to think outside the box - chop it all off! I liberated myself after 6 years of ponytailing & never looked back...

None of those. Those are Moby haircuts and you are not a Moby. You want to look more like me and The Dude: short hair, same length all over, yeah, maybe add a big white spot. Looks cool, dries quick. p.s. the new whiskers are good. Wear white shoes.
Dapper in New Jersey, Jack Lewis

I'm going to put my vote in for number 10. Although maybe with less length in the back. Maybe you should sort styles from long to short, starting with the longest, get each haircut and post a photo per week. Then have a vote each week - keep going, or is this week "the one".

I agree that 7 is the best, and 11 is good too, but it depends on the look you are going for. #7 is more relaxed, friendly and approachable. #11 is perhaps more grownup/tenured professor/published author. I have a feeling though that most of these will look kind of similar in real life.

I think keep it like it is.

As the only person weighing in who has actually cut your hair myself (and I have the pictures to prove it), I vote #10. But I am disappointed that I don't love any of them....but I do like the beard. Is it too hot for that in the summer in GA?

So far, it looks like #7 is in the lead. I think what I'm concluding is that bangs soften the face a little - leading to a "more relaxed, friendly and approachable" look, which is definitely what I'm going for. The issue then is that the back can't be too long, or we risk the dreaded mullet.

In terms of the contest, right now it's between Jere and Jack Lewis for most compelling case for a specific haircut. Jere's advice is more practical, but Jack gets points for style. I have to say, I'm also pretty curious to see the thehairstyler.com looks on Jack.

Re: Nate's question, I don't think I can keep this going for multiple weeks. As it is, I fear I've pissed away all the academic credibility I tried to build up in previous posts. That's what happens when you blog immediately after drinking Red Bull with Grey Goose. (That, plus wicked insomnia.) I better come up with something smart to say about Derrida quick . . .

In any case, I'm going to leave this contest open for a few more days, then make the call to my stylist, Sheri, before I get cold feet. Thanks for all the tips so far!

ok, i have to say, no. 7 makes you look hot, but without looking like you're trying to look hot, which i think you risk in the longer styles like no. 11. they are a bit too rico suave. you can tell i really want that 6 month membership at hairstyler.com.

how about a contest on what would derrida say about your hair? maybe that group of photos of your head could be an example of differance?

Clearly, flattery is emerging as the key strategy in this contest. Can Jack Lewis keep up with this kind of competition? Or will he become distracted by a pile of lint? Only time will tell.

By the way, this experiment confirms the value of PR stunts in building a blog audience. The traffic over the last two days is the highest it's ever been. We'll see if it sticks around when I start my 12-part series on the genius of Hall & Oates . . .

I should clarify, in case this is an inside joke going over everybody's head, that Jack Lewis is a cat. He's still certainly eligible for the prize, though.

I think that 7 and 11 are both good - they look easy to maintain and to achieve after washing without undue effort (that being one of my own hairstyle requirements). In all of these pictures, with the new beard, you look a lot like John Farrell, a guy I knew in college -- he was very cool, so that's OK.

I am partial to 11, but I can see that 7 could be viewed as less "made for TV". For the cut, I recommend Tim at Key Lime Pie.

I gotta go with the crowd and pick 7. #1 might be good too. But 7 would be trey hip. How exciting! Can my anthro classmates vote too? UNC's anthro dept. would be very interested.

Emily

ONE: All-over short hair, like mine and such as I recommend to you, needs only a bit of spit on it to make people like you and say you look real shiny today. Talk about attractive, friendly, and approachable!

TWO: Frankly, a more pressing issue is that you need to move your ears to on top of your head if any hair cut is going to look right. In my opinion.

MANY: That wasn't a piece of lint I was busy with. It was a bear. I tortured it to death and I didn't even muss my tuxedo.
Suave in NJ, Jack

Emily - Yes, please pass this link along! The more feedback, the better!

Jack - I can't figure out how to do the ear thing in thehairstyler.com. Maybe somebody with Photoshop skills can help us out. I can, however, give myself a handlebar mustache. Check out http://www.tedfriedman.com/archives/handlebarted.jpg for the details.

I agree with Jack Lewis--to a point. But white shoes are very passe--I know you live in New Jersey, Jack, and probably see a lot of white shoes and white belts, but here in Chicago, where I live, warm gray is the color of choice. It's friendly and approachable!

Hi - Jack Lewis's personal person here. Let me say, first, I'm quite surprised that he's been tapping out opinions. I never figured him for a logocentric kinda guy. Second, while his opinions on style might appear to make sense, they're mere bluster to cover up the fact he can't count and so there's no way he could vote on haircut #7 or # whatever. Probably he's embarrassed about that - I see he resorted to the usual cat trick of "counting" by writing "one, two... many..."

As for his suggestion about Ted's ears, well, that's ridiculous and just goes to show you Jack's aesthetics extend no further than his own preening. What next - advise that Ted sharpen his teeth into points?? Grow a dreaded mullet because that's like a tail? I think not. Let's not encourage Jack any further by suggesting he might win this contest. I'm worried it's gone to his pointy head and he's quite possibly now been inspired to adopt dozens of cats from online rescue organizations without my knowledge. Exasperated in New Jersey, Maren

Shave your head! Shave your head! Bald pates are 'da bomb!

Blog Master! Blog Master!! Alert! Alert!! Turtinski Allen is not even a mammal - It is a cold-blooded turtle! Beware Its hairless charms! Give It to me.
Hissy in NJ, Jack

All right--I'll get serious for you. I like number 11--it's not pretentious, not forced. All of the others are just not flattering or are in the lines of 'metro-sexual'--something I think you probably don't aspire to, Ted. I don't like any of them that require you to change the color of your hair or look like either a kid or a trucker. Number 11 seems pretty 'natural' to me--and probably a good solution for someone who's had long hair for such a long time. It would be short enough to let any natural curl or wave in your hair to come through--and that would make you look firendly and approachable (people love curly hair!)An added benefit--you COULD still put the hair into a ponytail if desired.

The contest is now officially over. The winner is Jere, for describing #7 as "more relaxed, friendly and approachable. See http://www.tedfriedman.com/archives/2005/03/and_the_winner.php for more details.

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