1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to steph you missed in history class from how 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: I'm Pollie Fry and I'm Tracy. So alrighty. If you 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: were in the hair industry, you may have heard of 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: today's podcast subject. But if you are not in the 6 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: hair industry, I suspect he will be a new discovery. Tracy, 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: did you know about this person before we started talking 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: about him? I did not. I mean, all right, some 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: of the names of people that he mentored, yeah, definitely 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: get heard of. Not him, though. And I've been thinking 11 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: about this topic for a little while, in part because 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: I have always loved him as a figure in hair history. Um. 13 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: I think I've mentioned on the podcast before that there 14 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: was a time in my life where I was doing 15 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: administrative work in hair salon, so you know, kind of 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: have some of that history under my belt. Uh, And 17 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: we'll talk about it in the course of his life story. 18 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: But for example of sort of why he was an 19 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: interesting character, he was doing purple and pink and blue 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: and green hair decades before kids like me started fuxing 21 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: around with Manning Panic in the late seventies and early eighties, 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: and he was really larger than life. He was the 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: first celebrity hairstylist, and his influence still echoes in the industry. 24 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: And there are also some aspects of his persona that 25 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: bring up some very real questions about identity and cultural appropriation, uh, 26 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: that are worth discussing, and we're going to get to 27 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: all of that. Uh. We're talking about Raymond Bessone, who 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: was also known as Mr Tazy Wheezy. But before we 29 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: even get into it, I want to acknowledge upfront, just 30 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: as a heads up to you guys, this is about 31 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: a dude who did white ladies hair. We we really 32 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: want to do an episode in the future on sort 33 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: of black hair care through history, because that's got its 34 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: own whole fascinating history to it. But that's one of 35 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: those things that I think we need to bring in 36 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: an expert on because even though I worked in the 37 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: salon industry in salons that had, you know, a significant 38 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: proportion of our business that was black clientele, and I 39 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: knew the stylists, I still feel like I do not 40 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: have a strong enough grip on all of those workings 41 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: in that history to really speak with any sort of authority. Yeah, 42 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: I need we need an insider for that. I don't 43 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: think the world really needs a podcast on black haircare 44 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,519 Speaker 1: from two white ladies who read it in a book. Correct. 45 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: That would be awkward and weird. So today we are 46 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: getting Mr Tezy Wheezy. I saw not a single woman 47 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: of color looking at a lot of films of him 48 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: through the years, So uh, as I said, this is 49 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: pretty much gonna be kind of affluent white women's hair 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: duice that we're talking about. But we're going to jump 51 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: right into his life story. So he was born in 52 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: London's Brixton district in nineteen eleven and his name at 53 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: birth was Raymondo Pietro Carlo Besson and later he had 54 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: it legally changed to a more anglicized form, Peter Carlo 55 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: bess On. Raymond and his father ran a barbershop and 56 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: it was there that Raymond, as he preferred to be 57 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: called later in life, he kind of shifted that that pronunciation, 58 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: learned all about hair and he was tasked with, among 59 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: other things there at the shop, creating false facial hairpieces 60 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: for men, so he was making beards and mustaches from 61 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: human hair. He opened his first salt in Mayfair in 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: West London and it became really popular. This was really opulent, decadent, 63 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: and just the utmost in style for wealthy ladies. There 64 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: were rumors that even during the austere times of World 65 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: War Two, he was rinsing his client's hair there with champagne. Yeah, 66 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: and this is also you know, uh, following World War 67 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: Two there was still a lot of austerity and and 68 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: it wasn't like the economy immediately picked back up. We're 69 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: going to talk about that in a minute, but yeah, 70 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: not really a time when you would be like, you know, 71 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: what I want to do is indulged by rinsing my 72 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: hair with champagne. I actually think that was probably just 73 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: a rumor, but it's fascinating and it indicates kind of 74 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: what sort of character he was that those are the 75 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: kinds of plausible rumors that would pop up around him, 76 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: like how rinsing your hair and beer is supposed to 77 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: be good for it? Maybe shampy too. Yeah, I think 78 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: that's just one of those things that is uh indulgent, 79 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: you know, It's like I can waste woo. Uh. And 80 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: it was also at the Mayfair Salon that Raymond took 81 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: on young Vidal sas soon as an assistant. Uh, Sassoon, 82 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: who started his first salon in nineteen fifty four after 83 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: working under Raymond's Raymond Besson went on to world renowned, 84 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: of course, but he credited Besson with giving him the 85 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: skills that really made him famous. As you possibly know 86 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: if you have paid any attention. Uh. Vidalsas soon really 87 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: became famous for his amazing haircuts and later in his life. 88 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: Uh he said of Raymond, quote, he really taught me 89 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: how to cut hair. I'd never have achieved what I 90 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: have without him. So Holly recently talked to fashion historian 91 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: April Callahan on show about how style and fashion during 92 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: World War Two was driven in part by limitations placed 93 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: on certain materials, and while that particular interview was about France, 94 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: all the countries involved in the war effort felt the 95 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: financial pinch of the conflict. But as the nineteen forties 96 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: came to a close and economies were starting to recover, 97 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: one of the offshoots was this sort of return to 98 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: uh and re embracing of glamour. And one of the 99 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: industries that really experienced a massive growth during this time 100 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: was the hair industry. Salon visits became not just a 101 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: luxury as they had been in harder financial times, but 102 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: a necessity for many women. The rituals surrounding hair care 103 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 1: became a natural part of the average white woman's weekly routine. 104 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 1: You would visit the hairdresser for a shampoo in a set, 105 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: and then you would maintain the look at home for 106 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: the rest of the week, using dry shampoo and rejuvenating 107 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: curls with curlers and rollers and setting your hair overnight 108 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: with pins. This reminds me of my grandmother. Yeah, I 109 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: mean when I was working in a hair salon, even 110 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: though that would have been in the nineties. Uh, we 111 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: had a number of older ladies who still adhered to 112 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: that schedule and came every single week like clockwork. We 113 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: probably have listeners or members of their families that still 114 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: do the same thing. It hasn't entirely gone away, but 115 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: at this point in time, that was pretty much how 116 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: you did your hair. Yeah. When I remember when I 117 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: was a child and I would visit my grandparents for 118 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: a week in the summertime, there was always a day 119 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: when when my Grandma Jenny took me to the hair 120 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: salon with her. And the timing of the world being 121 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: financially ready for more indulgent approaches to personal grooming was 122 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: really perfect for Raymond, and it was not long before 123 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: his clientele began to grow and to include celebrities. This 124 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: is when Raymond's talent for publicity became really apparent. He 125 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: started appearing in segments on weekly chat shows showing off 126 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: the latest styles. And this is also the time when 127 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: Raymon took on the nickname Mr. Tez Wheezy. Although there 128 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: are a couple of different tales of how this moniker 129 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,119 Speaker 1: came about. One version attributes the aim tobiss On skill 130 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: at backcombing hair also known as teasing. We're gonna talk 131 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: about that a little bit in a minute. Uh. The 132 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: other version involves some of his early TV appearances. So 133 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: when styling young ladies during these TV shows, if there 134 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: was a stray lock of hair, for example, at the 135 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: side of the face, Raymond would make it into a 136 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: curl and make it into a feature of the style. 137 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: And when asked by a host what these tendriled pieces 138 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: were called during one broadcast, he replied to her that 139 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: they were teazy wheezies. But he also if you watch 140 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: any documentaries about film, there are lots of people that 141 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: that kind of use a variation of that story where 142 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: they're like no, he would say, oh, and you put 143 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: a t Z easy here to t Z easy there. 144 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: It's not entirely clear that the teaz Weezy was one thing. 145 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: It was really more a phrase that he loved to 146 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: use as kind of a catch all. Regardless, though Mr 147 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: Teezy Weezy was larger than life, he would make appearances 148 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: wearing a dramatic full cloak over his perfect suit. His 149 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: hair was jet black with this contrasting white streak. His dogs, 150 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: who were also died to the latest colors of the season, 151 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: traveled along with him. He drove around an a vintage 152 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: open top Bentley and he knew how to market the 153 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: glamor of hair, and he knew how to market himself 154 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: as a purveyor of that glamour, And soon he had 155 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: his own weekly BBC television series. It aired on Saturdays 156 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: at tea time, so that ladies at home could enjoy 157 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: their tea while also being served up a visual spectacle 158 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: of all of the latest hair trends. Raymond would talk 159 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: to them about the latest hairstyles he had invented, and 160 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: he would show off a series of lovely models wearing 161 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: those hairstyles and the entire viewing audience could feel informed 162 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: and in the loop with regards to the very latest 163 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: and most chic looks. Ever, the proponent of cutting edge 164 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: hair technologies, Mr TC Wheezy, even promoted a waterproofing sprap 165 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: for hair that would enable ladies to dive right into 166 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: the water and come out with their hair do still 167 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: fully intact. This waterproofing treatment would allegedly last day, full week, 168 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: but it appears not to have survived the test of time. Yeah, 169 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: there's a video and it's linked in in my sources, 170 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: so you'll see it in the show notes where he's 171 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: doing a woman's hair and she really does dive into 172 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: the pools. It's into a pool. It's kind of a 173 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: tight to the head like pin curled look. It's not 174 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: like a big puffy affair, and she does come out 175 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: looking pretty good. So it worked to some degree, but 176 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: apparently not not well enough that it's still around. As 177 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: early as late nineteen In early nineteen five, Raymond was 178 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: experimenting with all kinds of fabulous hair colors. So if 179 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: you think all of those fun colors you see around 180 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: today I mentioned at the top of the episode, like 181 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: blue and purple and pink hair. If you think that's 182 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: anything new, rest assured. Stylists were already working with a 183 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: rainbow of color washes as early as the nineteen thirties. 184 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: Uh and it was becoming very popular in the fifties. 185 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: The song, like his contemporaries, would use temporary tints to 186 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: create drama and glamour. We're gonna talk a little bit 187 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: about how he liked a two tone style. Uh. And 188 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: they also would use these colors to match gowns for 189 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: special occasions throughout the fifties. In nineteen fifty six, famed 190 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: British pin up girl and actress Diana Doors flew him 191 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: to Hollywood to do her hair. She would make a 192 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: fantastic podcast subject herself. Her story involves a lost fortune 193 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: that's spread throughout various banks of Europe and remains a 194 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: mystery to this day. She paid, She paid two thousand, 195 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: five hundred pounds to have Raymond brought in to give 196 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: her a shampoo and a set. And this was amount 197 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: an amount that was downright scandalous in its enormity for 198 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: the time, I mean today to really, the pricey visit 199 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: kept the gossip press busy for weeks. Yeah, you'll often 200 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: see it written up as like that's the equivalent of 201 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: a modest home. It was really really uh, kind of 202 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: one of those gawker moments in terms of people just 203 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: sort of gazing and going really paid how much to 204 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: guy set your hair? Uh? Next up, we're going to 205 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: talk about a couple of pieces of advice that Raymond 206 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: gave to the women of the fifties to stay stylish. 207 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: But first we're gonna pause for a word from one 208 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: of our fabulous sponsors. So it was also in n 209 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: six that same year that he flew to Hollywood to 210 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: give that very expensive shampoo set that Basson proclaimed that 211 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: women over twenties should not wear their hair long. He 212 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: managed to dole out a little bit of shade husbands 213 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: who preferred longer locks on their wives in the press 214 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: at this time, saying quote, husbands are the worst possible 215 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: sources of advice for women on hairstyles. It is not 216 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: that a man deliberately will try to give his wife 217 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,079 Speaker 1: wrong advice on her hair, but a husband suffers from 218 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: two handicaps. If a woman asks her husband whether she 219 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: should cut her hair, or diet blonde, or make any 220 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: major change, he will say no. Just to be on 221 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: the safe side. He's afraid of getting into trouble if 222 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: it turns out wrong. When he tells his wife he 223 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: wants her to change to long hair of platinum blonde, 224 00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 1: he invariably does it because he has a sudden way 225 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: for her to look like somebody else. Anita Ekberg, for instance, 226 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: I seemed like this advice that that long hair is 227 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: not for like adult grown women lingered around for a while. Yeah, 228 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm always a big proponent of like 229 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 1: I understand that styles come and go, but no one 230 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 1: really should ever be telling anybody they should or should 231 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: not do things with their parents too. What you like 232 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: and what makes you happy. I'm sorry, Ramon, I'm not 233 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: with you on this. So in that same interview, he 234 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: also said that French twists are too severe and unflattering 235 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: to faces, and that women should keep things softer around 236 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:50,319 Speaker 1: their face. Yeah, he had opinions, as you know, celebrity 237 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: stylists tend to do. But the long hair, I put 238 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: it on a French trest French twist all the time, 239 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: and it was way less severe than when I would 240 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: braid it really hard. Right Again, everybody has opinions. His 241 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: his reasoning was that they didn't. They also didn't stay 242 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: very nice looking, and unless you were someone like Princess 243 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,839 Speaker 1: Grace who could have their hair touched up constantly throughout 244 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: the day, you really, um, you know, shouldn't bother with it. 245 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: But to see what this opinionated stylist did like. There 246 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: are a number of really wonderful videos online, but there 247 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: is one in particular of one of his hair shows 248 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: from seven again we will link it in this show 249 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: notes where he debuted a look called the Shangri Law, 250 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: and this event was incredibly theatrical. Hair models appeared in 251 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: ways equally silly and entertaining to the modern ie. Some 252 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: of the ladies modeling the latest Ramon and Besson looks 253 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: are wheeled out in this video and little mini floats 254 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: pulled along by men dressed in medievalish costumes. They look 255 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: almost like court jesters, but not quite. One woman is 256 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: in what looks like a teacup or maybe a cappuccino cup, 257 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: and white balloons create foam or maybe mar smallows, depending 258 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: on how you're interpreting this. Around this seated model one 259 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: is in point shoes and dances ballet along the runway. 260 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: There's a pair of models who are paraded through the 261 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: crowd and what looks like a giant easter basket. Yeah, 262 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: it's a very big Like I said, it's extremely theatrical, 263 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: but perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this show. And 264 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: it's all narrated in that wonderful sort of newsreel narration 265 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: style is the story behind it. So Raymond Bisson claimed 266 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: to have been inspired by a skiing accident. He took 267 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: a tumble, according to the story, and lost consciousness, and 268 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: when he came to, he looked at the mountain peaks 269 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: around him, and he thought of Everest in the story 270 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: of the everlasting youth and beauty that could be gained 271 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: at the mythical Shangar Law SAIDA he had hair inspiration. 272 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: This Shangar Law hairstyle, by the way, is triangular pyramid shaped, 273 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: not unlike the peak of the of a mountain. The 274 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: hair at the back is very short, with the sides 275 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: a little longer and old or waved top has a 276 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: little bit of lift, but it's mostly pretty sleek. Yeah, 277 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: it's a it's a fascinating style. It's one that I 278 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: think if you sported it today you might get an 279 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: on look. But if you like it, you should do 280 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: it just the same. Uh. In terms of hair color, 281 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: as soon as we mentioned earlier, was fond of two 282 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: tone styles and that's definitely on display in this video 283 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: as well as another video that will link to you. 284 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: And the two ways this style could go, according to him, 285 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: were either light on top with darker sides and back, 286 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: or light sides and front with a darker back. And 287 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: the big bridal finale of the show is another woman 288 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: in a basket and at this point she comes out, 289 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: she's drawn out by these men and their medieval ensembles, 290 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: and Raymond steps out onto the runway to attach her 291 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: little mini veil, and it's all very dramatic and exciting, 292 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: and the whole thing is exactly as much of a 293 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: spectacle as you think, and it really seems like everyone 294 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: in attendance just loved it. In part due to that 295 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: spectacle making nature, bass On success continued to grow and 296 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: rapidly in a seemingly exponential rate. The more high profile 297 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: clients he had, the more people wanted to see him, 298 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: and he opened multiple salm locations selling this completely over 299 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: the top luxury experience. In each one is Kensington location 300 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: offered a champagne fountains, women have their hair done while 301 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: sitting under expensive chandeliers and looking into mirrors with guilt edging. 302 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: And his salon designs, you should point out we're also 303 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: pretty revolutionary beyond just being the super opulent getaways for 304 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: ladies who had money. Ramon is said to have been 305 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: the first to shift to an open floor style salon, 306 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: just like the ones you have probably had your hair 307 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: cut in. Dozens of times. Prior to that, stylists worked 308 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: in much more closed off cubicles within a salon. It 309 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: did not have that open airy field that is pretty 310 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: much the standard now, like how are you supposed to 311 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: gossip with other people? Exactly? You have hit upon like 312 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: a major thing. He wanted salons to be social enters 313 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: as well as places people went to become beautiful. So 314 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: with all these hair shows and TV appearances, dramatic presentation 315 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: and indulgence that he was cultivating in his business, Raymond 316 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: really made himself stand out as the first celebrity hairdresser. 317 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 1: Unless any of our listeners think that Raymond's standing as 318 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: a stylist was all smoke and gilded mirrors, his work 319 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: was actually considered impeccable in the documentary Bouffont's Beehives and 320 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: Bob's The Hairstyles that shaped Britain. Stylus Rose Cannon, who 321 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: is a contemporary of Bessans who is credited with inventing 322 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: the blowout, says quote, I always knew when somebody really 323 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: did go to him, it was a cut that was 324 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 1: so perfect and in such a way cut that you 325 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: couldn't do anything else with it. That was it best 326 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: on himself once said, a woman's hair is like a 327 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: work of art. It must have balance and composition, lines 328 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: must mean something, with every curl adding to the full effect. 329 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: He considered every aspect of a woman's hair, face and 330 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: head when heating and styling, and he would speak about 331 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: them in terms of creating a geometric harmony. Yeah, it's fascinating, 332 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: he I mean, he would do hairstyles called like the cube, 333 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 1: and he would point out how every line of the 334 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: style and the cut were accentuating different parts of the 335 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: woman's face. And it's when you see that you then 336 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: see how like Vidal Sassoon really applied the similar concepts 337 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: of geometry to his work. And now that's completely common today, 338 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: so really quite groundbreaking at the time. One of Raymond's 339 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: biggest contributions, though, to hair history was the invention of 340 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: the modern bouffant hair style. And this name, of course, 341 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: comes from the French verb bouffet, which means too puff, 342 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: and while it existed in various forms earlier in history, 343 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: the early nineteen fifties saw the birth of the song's version. 344 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: You've probably seen bufont hair styles, but just in case 345 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: you haven't, or if you didn't know the name, it's 346 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: a style that's created by first back combing the hair 347 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: for volume, so see you above for his teasy wheezy 348 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: nick name where it came from, and then calling the 349 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: hair around these teased pieces smooth to create a kind 350 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: of bubble shape. It's definitely not a free flowing style. 351 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: It's one that's secured with lots of hairspray. If you 352 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: have fine hair like me, lots and lots and lots 353 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 1: of hairs well. And it's uh in in that documentary 354 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: that I reference, just a moment ago, there's a modern 355 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: woman talking about how to her she really loves them 356 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: because she doesn't want to move her head and the 357 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: hair moves with it. She wants it to be like 358 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: a hat and that's kind of how they were. Uh. 359 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: And despite the unnatural character of this style of the 360 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 1: modern bouffone, it was a huge hit, first and Great 361 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: Britain and then globally, and it seemed at the time 362 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: incredibly modern. The perfection, the control and the tidiness of 363 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: it was keenly in line with the quest for perfection 364 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: that was common in a lot of nineteen fifties style. 365 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,880 Speaker 1: So while Mr Teezy Weezy is associated the most with hair, 366 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: he also had his finger in some other insurers too, 367 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: and we will talk about those right after a verte 368 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: word from one of our fantastic sponsors. To get back 369 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: to our story, Raymond didn't just to make a mark 370 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: in the hair industry. He dabbled in a very minor 371 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: way in politics. In nineteen sixty three he ran for 372 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: a seat on the Council of the South Kimpson ward 373 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: of Bournemouth, where he had a lot. There was an 374 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 1: outcry when he announced his candidacy as a Liberal candidate. 375 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: Opponents felt by that by a virtue of being a 376 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: TV personality, he had an unfair advantage. At the end, 377 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: it didn't matter. He lost the election to the Labor candidates. 378 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: He had much more success in another arena entirely, which 379 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 1: was horse racing. Also in nineteen sixty three, he co 380 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: owned the horse that won the Grand National. That horse 381 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: was named Ayala, and this horse had been a long 382 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: shot and the wind came really as a total surprise. 383 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: You can watch footage of that online. It's embedded in 384 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: one of the articles I linked to. If you are 385 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: maybe an animal lover, I don't know that you should 386 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: watch it. It's I found it troubling. Uh. Watching horses 387 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: fallen mud is upsetting for me. But you can't see 388 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: the whole thing and how his horse kind of really 389 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: came from an unexpected point to win. Uh. And jockey 390 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: Pat Buckley, who was only nineteen at the time of 391 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: this big win, reminisced years later that there had been 392 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: no big party after the race, which surprised some people 393 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: since Ramon Besson was known for doing everything lavishly and big, 394 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: but this was perhaps because no one really expected Ayala 395 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: to be victorious at all. In the nineteen seventies, Besson 396 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: decided to invest in another race horse. This one was 397 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: named rag Trade. He initially bought the gelding at auction 398 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: for eighteen thousand Guineas, but he later decided to sell 399 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: half of his share in the horse the two ment 400 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 1: William Laurie and Herbert Keene. In nine seventy five, rag 401 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 1: Trade ran the Grand National, but it was a disappointing showing. 402 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: A new trainer, Fred Rimmel, was brought in the immediately, 403 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 1: and the following year, nineteen seventy six, rag Trade redeemed 404 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: himself entirely, winning the Welsh Grand National and the Grand 405 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: National in Aintree, and there was this time indeed a celebration. 406 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: As a side note, allegedly his horses had permed manes, 407 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: but we haven't found any photos that clearly confirmed this. 408 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: They're all a little bit lurry. Yeah, horses go fast, 409 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: so you don't really get a nice, uh quiet shot 410 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: on their hair a lot of the time. Uh and 411 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: photography has come a long way. Later in Bissell's life, 412 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: he really experienced a mix of deep tragedy as well 413 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 1: as the highest of honors that someone could expect. In 414 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, he lost one of his daughters, who 415 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: was pregnant at the time, in a tragic accident. She'd 416 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: been driving home from a wedding when she hit a 417 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,439 Speaker 1: damaged sections section of road she wound up colliding with 418 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: an oncoming car. He also lost his son in law 419 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: and two grandchildren in the wreck. These deaths, of course, 420 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: took a huge toll on the notoriously jubilant Raymont. Yeah, 421 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: some accounts basically say he was never quite his his 422 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: same jovial self after that, which is completely understandable. Three 423 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: years after that event, though, in Night two the Song 424 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: was awarded the title Officer of the Order of the 425 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 1: British Empire, and that honor is given quote for having 426 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: a major local role in any activity, including people whose 427 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: work has made them known nationally in their chosen area. 428 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 1: Ten years after that, he died of cancer at age 429 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: eighty on April seventeenth of nine. Yeah, his life became 430 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: quite quiet in its later years. He just wasn't in 431 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: the public spotlight as much. So there's there's not as 432 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: much like stuff to discusses in the fifties and sixties 433 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: when he was really kind of in the spotlight and 434 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: changing the hair industry. And next we're going to move 435 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: into one of the trickier aspects of speaking about Raymon 436 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: Bison's life and in his persona, and it's brought about 437 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: by his sort of theatrical presentation that we've talked about. Uh, 438 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: And we mentioned that he was sort of larger than life, 439 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: and his image was always carefully curated. He always, for example, 440 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: where a carnation in his lapel, and it was always 441 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: died to coordinate with his suit. And he painted his nails, 442 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 1: and he wore flamboyant custom tailored suits. And he sometimes 443 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: also affected a sort of false French accent. And while 444 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: we normally default on this podcast letting historical figures define 445 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: themselves in terms of their sexual orientation and their identity, 446 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: in fact before we're not super in favor of like 447 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: assigning a sexual orientation to a dead person who's not 448 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: here to claim it for themselves. Uh. With Raymond best 449 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: On in particular, there's a cultural discussion that arises with 450 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: this particular topic. Yeah. At one point, uh, during a 451 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: television podcast, he exclaimed, quote, I am homosexuality. This, despite 452 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,880 Speaker 1: the odd phrasing of it, made him the first man 453 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: to come out on television. But they is a lot 454 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: of debate about whether that statement was nothing more than 455 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 1: a publicity stunt. Some critics even point to his awkward 456 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: wording as evidence that he didn't really know what he 457 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: was talking about, and this was a put on Beason. 458 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: We mentioned just a moment ago had children. He was 459 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: married to actress Rosalie Ashley and they had three daughters together, 460 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: and friends described him as quote vigorously heterosexual, but he 461 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: carried himself, at least publicly, in what would now be 462 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 1: seen as a very stereotypically gay manner, and that's why 463 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: his identity becomes really complex. He's been described in numerous 464 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: writings as putting on a persona that was expected of 465 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: him in his industry, which is unfortunate from the point 466 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: of view that he had to be some kind of 467 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: fake creation to achieve his success. But the other side 468 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: of it, if he was feigning this image is that 469 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: he was feeding the stereotypes surrounding a group of people 470 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: and a culture that he didn't belong to. Becomes really problematic, 471 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: especially giving this high profile. He had a very real 472 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: influence on the way people continue to perceive. There's a 473 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: lot in just industry and the people who worked there 474 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: and also really game in. Yeah, absolutely, and it's one 475 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 1: of those things where, uh, he really was quite famous 476 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: in his time. He appeared as a character on Red 477 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: Dwarf and he was. There was a spoof of him 478 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: on Monty Python. I mean, he was part of sort 479 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: of the culture's knowledge at that point of what a 480 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: quote gay man seemed to be, whether he was or not. Uh. 481 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: But of course if he was actually homosexual, and I 482 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: feel compelled to point out that most people who knew 483 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: him really swear he wasn't, but again we we don't know. 484 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,719 Speaker 1: But if he was, it brings up the question of 485 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: whether he married to fit in with societal norms. And 486 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: though his personality seems to have run counter to a 487 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: desire to be seen in any way as ordinary, the 488 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: culture of that time period was still a mine field 489 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,040 Speaker 1: for gay men. Keep in mind that this was a 490 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: time when it was still illegal to be gay in 491 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom. It actually wasn't until nineteen sixty seven 492 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: that private sexual interactions, which there was a lot of 493 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 1: legal wording around what constituted a private interaction between two 494 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: men over the age of twenty one, was decriminalized in 495 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: England and Wales. So it's a complex time. Well, and 496 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: there's also the part where bisexuality exists correct there you 497 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: don't have to be one or the other. Well, and 498 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:33,360 Speaker 1: so many of the conversations, Uh about this whole idea 499 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 1: center around like was he gay or was he straight? 500 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: He said he was gay, but he was married to 501 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: a woman. Like there's bisexuals, y'all right, it's yeah, it's 502 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: it's not a black and white issue. There's no again, 503 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: there's fluidity on that specter. Yes, So while the actual 504 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: nature of Besson's sexuality could really be unimportant to anyone 505 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: but his partners, the story really creates a lens through 506 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: which to examine the cultural expectations of people in certain roles, 507 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: as well as the history of LGBT rights food for thought. Yeah, 508 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that you know, it kind 509 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: of crops up, as often happens when we're researching an episode, 510 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: like I'm like, oh, I want to do this fabulous 511 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 1: hairstylist from the fifties, and then you realize, like, oh, 512 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: there's a there's a really bigger, kind of important aspect 513 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: to this. Yeah, that is you and I had a 514 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: conversation while you were doing the research about how it's 515 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: possible that that by affecting this persona, he really reinforced 516 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: the scared, the stereo scareotypes. I mean, we could say 517 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: that too kind of the stereotype of like the gay 518 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: male hairdresser, and that's something that it really persists. Uh yeah, yeah, 519 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: having worked in the salon industry with people of all types, 520 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: Sure there's people that kind of fit a stereotype, but 521 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: there is a whole spectrum of other people with a 522 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: whole lot of other personalities probably don't appreciate assumptions being 523 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: made about them well. And it reminds me of when 524 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: I was in college, I was an orientation leader, uh 525 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: and we had a during orientation leader training, there was 526 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: just a lot of discussion about making sure that we 527 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: were welcoming of everyone. Uh And because I was in 528 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: college in the nine nineties and relatively mountainous, not relatively 529 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: definitely mountainous, relatively rurled North Carolina, uh Like, for a 530 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: lot of people, it was their first experience meeting another person, 531 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: like meeting a gay person at all. And so that like, 532 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: that was part of what we talked about. And our 533 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: orientation leader team actually put together a presentation to teach 534 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: to other orientation leaders about that and about stereotypes and perceptions. 535 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,959 Speaker 1: And we had two people one when a guy and 536 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: when a lady who stereotypically we're like people interpreted them 537 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: as being a gay man and a lesbian, right, both 538 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: of them, we're straight, and so like they would begin 539 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: the presentation with being like, all right, who thinks because 540 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 1: we're up here today and because I talk like this 541 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: and because I look like this, like who thinks we're gay? 542 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: And like the room will be like me, I think 543 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: you're gay? Right, Well, we're not news. I don't know 544 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: if you're watching Orphan Black or if any of our 545 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: listeners are, and I will not really say much about 546 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: it because I don't want to give anything away. But 547 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: there is a sort of wonderful scene in the current 548 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: season where Felix, who is a gay man on the show, 549 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: has to explain to a straight guy who is trying 550 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: to pass for gay, like, you have no idea do 551 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: you know any gay people? And he says no, and 552 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: he's like, yes, you do, you absolutely do. It's not 553 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: it's not one type of behavioral person like you absolutely 554 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: know gay people. Uh So that's that's our our note 555 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: on Raymond and how he can kind of offer us 556 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: an opportunity to think about sort of some of these 557 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: uh social expectations and how people are defined and where 558 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: some of that seems to come from historically. Yeah. So 559 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: to close out, we're going to use another quote from 560 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: Videlsa Soon about Ramon who once said quote, he weaved 561 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,440 Speaker 1: magic throughout his work and made us feel we were 562 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: doing so too. There was only one Raymond, have some 563 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: listener hair history. I do have a listener mail that 564 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: has nothing to do with hair. I also want to 565 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: reiterate the thing that you said at the top, which 566 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: is that if you are an expert in in in 567 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: the history of like African hairstyles and black hairstyles in 568 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: America and elsewhere sand doesn't know, yes, please, that would 569 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: be spectacular. We're eager there are there are lots of 570 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: things that you and I are comfortable talking about, even 571 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 1: though like we personally are not part of a specific community. 572 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: But that is one where that you and I are 573 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: not the people say yeah and I have spoken kind 574 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,479 Speaker 1: of reached out to a couple of um specialists in 575 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: black hair that I know, and they're very knowledgeable and 576 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: really know their stuff. But when I asked him how 577 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: comfortable they would be talking about the history, they were 578 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: like less. So, um, you know, they know current stuff 579 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: and they know some of the history, but in terms 580 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: of like the wider spectrum of history. They were not 581 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,479 Speaker 1: so comfortable about that, but so yeah, right to us 582 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: if you know that. But before we give you the 583 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: email address, I'm going to read a different listener mail, 584 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: which is actually a comment from our Facebook page and 585 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: it is from the National Gallery of Canada related to 586 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: our Visual Lebois episode. If you remember, I think I 587 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: had posed the question we talked about during the revolutionary time, 588 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: people who we're not fans of threw sulfur into her 589 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: basement and we were wondering if that would affect her paintings. 590 00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: We haven't an answer. Uh. This is from the National 591 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: Gallery of Canada who said, Holly and Tracy, thanks for 592 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 1: sharing your love for vision Leblin. Did you get an 593 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: answer to your question about sulfur? You ladies know your stuff. Nope, 594 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: I was just guessing. Sulfur in the atmosphere can be 595 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: bad for paintings, especially those that aren't varnished, provoking discoloration 596 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: of certain pigments in the most extreme cases, turning a 597 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: white pigment black. One early manual for conservators even advised 598 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: explicitly against cooking of certain vegetables in your paintings, that 599 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: you can guess which ones. That said, we are presently 600 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: opening crates and examining paintings for the opening of the 601 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: exhibition here and we aren't seeing any evidence of that 602 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: type of discoloration. All of the paintings are breathtaking and 603 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: we can't wait to unveil our new version of this 604 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: extraordinary exhibition here in Ottawa. So that's the exhibition that 605 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: was at the met in New York, and now it 606 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: is going to be at the National Gallery of Canada. 607 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: I don't know for how long, but for a while. 608 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: It's opening shortly, I believe. So if we're in that area, 609 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,959 Speaker 1: absolutely go see it. Uh. And it's good to know 610 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: now we have an answer to the sulfur question. If 611 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: you like to write to us, you can do so 612 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at house works dot com. Again, any 613 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: experts in black hair history please write to us. You 614 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: can also reach out to us at Facebook dot com, 615 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: slash misst in history, on Twitter at misston History at 616 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: pinterest dot com, slash misst in history at misston history 617 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: dot tumbler dot com, and we're on Instagram at can 618 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: you guess it missed in history? Uh. If you would 619 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: like to do a little bit of research about some 620 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:29,919 Speaker 1: of the things related to what we talked about today. 621 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 1: You can go to our parents site, House that Works. 622 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: Type in the words hair color in the search bar, 623 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: and you'll get an article called how Hair Color Works 624 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: will explain sort of how pigments will actually stick to hair. 625 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: You can also visit us online at mist in history 626 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: dot com, where you can find show notes for all 627 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,240 Speaker 1: the episodes that Tracy and I have worked on together, 628 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 1: as well as a complete archive of every show from 629 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: the beginning when it was very very short UH and 630 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: we encourage you come and visit us at Houston Works 631 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: dot com and mist in history dot com. For more 632 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,479 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, visit howstuff Works 633 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:07,719 Speaker 1: dot com. E