The joy of betrayal: Bob Ross' famous hair was the result of a perm
Bob Ross: artist, television show host and LIAR.
Look, we don't want to speak ill of the dead, or get mad at what we cannot change. But it turns out that between teaching us the joy of painting and being an all-around chill dude, Bob Ross was sneaking in perm appointments. That's right – Bob Ross' signature hairdo was a chemical creation. His scalp was home to straight hair in disguise.
In a recent interview with NPR, Ross' business partner Annette Kowalski explained that Ross first got a perm in an attempt to save money. After spending 20 years in the Air Force, Ross was pursuing painting and pinching pennies.
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"He got this bright idea that he could save money on haircuts. So he let his hair grow, he got a perm, and decided he would never need a haircut again," Kowalski told NPR.
By the time Ross' career started gaining traction, his curly locks were cemented in his brand's logo, and it was too late to go back.
According to Kowalski, Ross was not happy with his perm predicament.
"He could never, ever, ever change his hair, and he was so mad about that...He got tired of that curly hair," she said.
If anyone understands how perm upkeep would be cheaper than just getting haircuts or growing out straight hair and wearing a chill ponytail, please let us know.
And to clarify, it's not that there's anything wrong with getting a perm. But something about finding out Bob Ross deceived us in any way feels like a tiny betrayal.
We're also mad at ourselves for not realizing it when we met the painter's son, Steve. Steve has straight hair. Why did we never question this?
While you ponder how different Bob Ross' career would have looked had he never gone curly, we recommend watching The Joy of Painting, which is available for streaming on Netflix.
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Sophie was a Viral Content Intern for the Watercooler channel. More writing and other stuff by Sophie can be found at www.sophiehirsh.com.
