The revolution that gave birth to the victory of the new president in Argentina Javier Milei was the trigger for a note written by a British journalist Andrew Anthony In the diary Guardian in the hair of the leader of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) and other right-wing world leaders who have had a strong influence on the world political stage in the last decade.

“‘Populism is about the hair’: What far-right leaders are trying to convey with their wild hairstyles” reads the title of the ironic note published this Sunday and which seeks to describe what political leaders want to express through their appearances.

Anthony stated that in recent years “the country has been filled with attention-seeking right-wing populist politicians” and that the phenomenon that brought them to power has its own characteristics. “the fundamental role of haircuts”. “Former Conservative minister Rory Stewart acknowledged this fact last week on a podcast The rest is Politics, when he stated: “Populism has something to do with hair”said the prestigious journalist.

Apart from Milei, he mentioned her name in the note Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, which recently won the election. He stated that the public was surprised, especially aesthetically, by the amount of hair the two leaders had. “Milei, who campaigns with a chainsaw, has the face of a farmer or armed robber, but has the hair of a bassist for a heavy metal band who now makes a living in the pub environment,” he said. In his specific chronicle that hair “It reflects nonconformity, but it also conveys irreverent charm.”

In his note, he also referred to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who he said “realized from the start that politics is a branch of theater and that the best actors build their characters based on physical traits.” And he added, in line with this, “its sturdy thatched roof is a symbol of an independent mentality.” “There seemed to be an inverse relationship between her concern for personal ambition and the attention she devoted to styling her hair. That’s kind of inspired double deception”, emphasized the journalist.

“There is nothing more suspicious than a man whose hair is overly groomed.”said Alexandra Shulman, former editor Mode. But what about men who hide their dubious intentions under the pretext of tonsorial tangles (NdeR: relating to barbershops and hairdressing salons)?” according to one of the testimonies in the record. The journalist stated in his notes that “it is image consciousness” and that “it is the type of hair that differentiates you and makes you a widely known character.”

The Guardian journalist stated: “Most politicians like to repeat the unconvincing statement that what matters is politics, not personalities, but in the case of populism, which tends to be incomplete in terms of plans and programmes, performative charisma becomes more important. ”

Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, emphasized in his note that “all politicians have a brand, but if you are a populist politician, then that brand has to be big, and oversized hair is part of that brand.” ”. In this regard, he points out: “It makes you recognizable to people who pay less attention to politics.”

“In this era of celebrity branding, many of the promotional techniques used in entertainment and marketing have been adopted by politicians who want to have a direct impact on society. Perhaps the most horrific case in recent history is the case Donald Trumpwho perfected his image in gossip columns and reality shows before using it to propel himself, via Twitter and Fox News, toward the White House,” Anthony explained in his notes, emphasizing the phenomenon the former North American president generated with his style and image.

“I think there is a parallel to the statement that lying openly will usually lead to sanctions in other areas,” Bale said, noting: “When we talk about these populist politicians, it almost increases their brightness among their followers”.

The British journalist stated in The Guardian article that “ultimately, populism is primarily about promoting the idea that extraordinary people – or at least people with extraordinary hair – can overcome all the tedious procedures in a democratic government and transform a nation through the power of personality.”

“Hair has been a symbol of masculinity and virility since the time of Samsonand in the age of television, his absence was seen as a kind of political weakness kryptonite election. It is certainly no coincidence that, although 40% of men over 40 show signs of male-like baldness, the United States has not elected a bald president since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. In Britain, there has not been a bald minister since then. Winston Churchill in 1951″, he emphasizes in an extensive text full of irony.

Anthony warned about that “The rules of presentation drawn from conventional politics apply doubly to populist politics.” and that is why “the godfather of modern populism, Silvio Berlusconi, is battling his severe hair loss with a hair transplant.” The double meaning is a constant in pitch.

At the end of the article, the journalist makes an analysis of the impact of the image on social networks and the society that consumes it permanently. “In the age of social media, as people move away from established media and perhaps become more analytical, things that are visually striking are becoming increasingly important,” he said.

He then highlighted Professor Bale’s explanation that “the ability to capture people’s attention in a very clear and simple way, both in terms of policy and visual branding, makes populist politicians likely to be with us in the future.” .