Adults in TV shows/Movies/elsewhere seen "ruffling" a boy's hair
(does this ever happen with girls???)
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Background: Ashley Montagu (Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin,
New York: Columbia University Press, 1971, p.266) notes that "hair-mussing" is a
form of affection.
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3rd Rock From the Sun (CBS, 1996-2000) "Dick is From Mars, Sally is From Venus", 30 January 1996 Tommy Solomon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), given the role of "teenager" in the alien group sent to Earth on a "research mission", starts going to High School, and his teachers criticize Dick Solomon (John Lithgow), who takes the role of Tommy's father, for lack of discipline. Back at home, Dick, Tommy and Harry Solomon (French Stewart) are planning how Dick and Tommy can appear more like father and son. Harry says he has seen fathers doing this (he ruffles Tommy's hair), and Dick agrees and ruffles Tommy's hair himself. Then Tommy stands up and ruffles Dick's hair. Dick says, with delight, "Look, we're roughhousing!" "Father Knows Dick", 7 May 1996 Dick (John Lithgow) decides to be like a father to Harry (French Stewart). He hugs Harry, then ruffles his hair, at which point Harry's leg begins to twitch wildly (in an obvious reaction to the hair-ruffling). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Boy With Green Hair (film, 1948) Peter Fry (Dean Stockwell) lives with Gramp Fry (Pat O'Brien) as he is a war orphan. In several scenes, adults are seen ruffling Peter's hair, which he appears to dislike. Of course, hair is the touchstone (so to speak) of this film, as one morning Peter wakes up and his has turned green. This serves as a device for the film's look at how people treat people who are perceived as different (green hair, war orphans, &c.). Click here for illustration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buffalo Bill (film, 1944) Dawn Starlight (Linda Darnell) is a Native American schoolteacher in a Western town inhabited mostly by whites. One day, a shadowy figure comes into the schoolroom and gives her a private message. She announces that there will be no more school, as she must go back to "my people". She tells the children to go home and slowly walks down the aisle which separates the girls from the boys (as was the custom in many such frontier schoools). Looking at the children as if with fond memories, she pauses midway, and ruffles a boy's hair. (She never touches the girls, nor any other child.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dunston Checks In (film, 1996) Kyle Grant (Eric Lloyd), son of the manager of the Majestic Hotel, meets an orangutan named Dunston (Sam) who has escaped from his cruel owner. When Kyle and Dunston get to know and trust each other, Dunston ruffles Kyle's hair to signify that they have become friends with each other. He does it again near the end, when it looks like they're going to have to part (but of course, they don't). Kyle's father, hotel manager Robert Grant (Jason Alexander) also ruffles Kyle's hair as a sign of affection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mon Oncle Antoine (film, 1971) In a small Quebec town, villagers are gathered in the local general store on the day before Christmas. A young woman asks the proprietress if she has a wedding veil, which tips everyone to the fact she is going to be married. The men immediately begin playfully taunting her boyfriend, a young man in his mid-20s, referring to him as a young stud and clearly congratulating him on his apparent sexual prowess. Several of the older men ruffle his hair, some repeatedly, in a gesture that seems to indicate that doing so puts them in contact with his virility or potency. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Round the Twist (Australian Children's Television Foundation, 1989-2001) "Skeleton on the Dunny", 4 April 1989 NOTE: "Dunny" is Australian slang for an outhouse seat The kids have seen a ghost around the Dunny (outhouse), whose purpose in showing up was to let them know that a missing painting was hidden there. After they rescue and clean up the painting, Bronson Twist (Rodney McLennan), 10, asks if the ghost will show up again, and Nell (Bunney Brooke) says she doesn't think so, as she ruffles Bronson's hair. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Simpsons (Fox, 1989-present, many episodes) Homer and others ruffle Bart's spiky hair (often). The Simpsons Movie (film, 2007) Tom Hanks arrives in Springfield to promote the image of the EPA, which is ultimately planning to blow up Springfield, as it is too toxic. After his glowing and heartwarming speech, a boy is so entranced that he gushes, "Tousle my hair, Mr Hanks" --- which he does. Click here for illustration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee Johnson (film, 1942) U.S. Representative Thaddeus Stevens (Lionel Barrymore) calls on the new president Andrew Johnson (Van Heflin) at the White House, just as Johnson is telling his grandchildren Amy (Patsy Nash) and Andy (Dickie Hall) a story before bedtime. As the childen say goodnight to Stevens, he ruffles Andy's hair and kisses Amy's hand, an obvious difference in response to boy and girl. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two and a Half Men (CBS, 2003-2015) "Apologies for the Frivolity", 23 October 2006 Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) has to entertain his new girlfriend's children. He knows nothing about them, as he has not yet met them. He asks his nephew, Jake Harper (Angus T. Jones) to participate, assuming that they'll get along since they're all kids. Jake is not so sure. He warns Charlie that, if the children are boys, he should not refer to them as "little dudes". Charlie regards his advice as worthwhile, and asks, "What else ya got?" Jake makes it clear: "No lame magic tricks, no head-rubbing, and please no high-fives. And whatever you do, don't ask 'Who want's ice cream?' Everybody wants ice cream. Even lactose-intolerant kids want ice cream!" Since Charlie is in another room finishing this conversation with Jake, it is his brother, Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) who answers the door. Alan did not hear the conversation between Charlie and Jake. "Hey, little dudes, gimme five." is his opening line. Charlie comes in to greet the kids, and before long the boys' mother (Katherine LaNasa) makes them all uncomfortable, so Charlie leaves awkwardly. Alan, trying to keep everyone happy, comes up with, "Hey, who wants ice cream?" -- and rubs the oldest boy's head. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Zack Files (Fox, 2000-02) "Pop", 24 February 2002 Zack Greenburg (Robert Clark) lives with his father (Jeff Clarke). His parents are divorced, and his mother (Gina Sorell) lives some distance away. Zack is content living with his father, but he does miss his mother, and tells her so in eMails. His mother decides to visit suddenly, and reveals her plans to move back to be closer to Zack, which would put him in the awkward position of shuttling back and forth between the parents several times a week. He decides living with his father is what he wants, and figures out a way to tell his mother at dinner in a restaurant, while still assuring her of his love, and that he wants to see her occasionally. She understands, and reaches across the table to smooth his hair in a gesture of affection, but hesitates: "Oh, I guess maybe you're getting too old for me to mess with your hair." "I was too old years ago, Mom", Zack says, "But you can still do it." She finishes the gesture, in a touching scene (pun not intended).