Couple of housekeeping items before we get to the good stuff.  First, the Old News section has been renamed Updates since that's pretty much what it has evolved into anyway.  So, from now on, if I get more info on someone I briefly mentioned in The Latest the previous month or find a better picture of the new 'do I was reviewing, this'll be the spot to find it.  Anything new to the column, no matter how "old" it may actually be (which shouldn't be more than a month), will show up in The Latest.  Make sense?  Cool.

Second is the introduction of yet another new and sporadically used section, Fleamail.  What's in Fleamail?  Pretty much exactly what you'd think would be in it.  You can find more detail once you get there.  Show a little patience.  Sheesh.

But enough chit chat.  Lots of stuff this time (which, as usual, all seemed to show up just before I was done with the column), so let's get started... 

Caught a glimpse of DEMI MOORE at the big party for the new magazine TALK at the Statue of Liberty the other night and she continues to let her hair grow.  I reported back in March that Demi had been growing her hair since the infamous "GI Jane" buzz in December of 1997 and it had reached a bit below shoulder-length.  Well, in a stunning development, it has grown about 3 more inches in the last six months and is now about 4 or 5 inches below her shoulders.  If you work the math, then you'll realize that simply means she hasn't cut it since the last picture of her I found in March (duh).  Didn't look bad, but didn't look great.  It was just long.  Then again, I can't really blame her for just enjoying the length for a while v  Speaking of sacrificing one's hair for a role, the recently scalped BAI LING showed up at the premiere of the new Richard Gere / Julia Roberts flick, "Runaway Bride" with an exceptionally long black wig, very reminiscent of her recently lost mane.  Though I did read an article in which she described what a liberating experience it was for her to shave her head, I'm guessing she finally noticed that most of your more popular actresses these days tend to have that certain something that we in the know like to refer to as "hair" v  I went to Lilith Fair when it passed through my little corner of the world so that I could finally catch SHERYL CROW in concert.  I believe I discovered why Sheryl and other artists have gone short during their tours this summer: It's just too damn hot to have long hair and do outdoor concerts.  My hat is off to ALANIS MORISSETTE for managing to keep her mass of waist-length locks during her summer tour.  Oh, and if you are interested, Sheryl's hair did look better in person.  Still doesn't mean that I liked it though.  J
 

Demi Moore picture courtesy Entertainment Tonight" / Netscape

As long as I'm talking about Lilith Fair, I'll start with one of the guest performers who made an appearance when the show passed through Atlanta: SINEAD O'CONNOR.  The big news is that Sinead has shaved her head.  No, really, this is actually news.  For those of you that haven't been paying attention, Sinead has actually had hair for the past several years.  Not only that, but the short shag she had looked really good on her as you can see by the first couple of pictures.  Recently, she shortened it to a "boy" cut, which, though not as good as her previous 'do, still wasn't bad.  Well, apparently Sinead finally had enough of the daily haircare regimen and decided to trade in her shampoo for sunscreen (See, because since she has no hair, she'd get sunburned on her head.  Get it?  Never mind).

Just Before	After

FLEA'S CALL:   Sinead has said in the past that she used to shave her head as a form of self-punishment.  Not sure what she has done lately to warrant that, especially since she still had hair after she became quasi-ordained as a pseudo-priest in some Catholic splinter group (see picture at right).  Did I put enough caveats in there?  Anyway, I'm clueless as to what led her to reject the aesthetic value of hair once again, but at least has shown she could wear it well...or not wear it well.  Whatever.  You get the idea.  However, even though I still love that video for "Nothing Compares 2 U", I really think the chin-length shag with the flip was exceptionally attractive on her.  Not that it matters now, of course.  J

Staying in the world of pop music, let's talk about the newly shorn MONICA.  Yup, Brandy's singing buddy, has traded her long, straight, below shoulder style for an exceptionally short crop.  There is a bit of length left on top that comes to a weight-line about an inch above her ears.  Below that, it's cut extremely close to the head that, if not cut with clippers, is about as short as it could get with scissors.  Not only did she lose all of the length, she has also dyed it honey blonde.  Quite the dramatic change.
 
 

Before	After

FLEA'S CALL:   I guess the upside for Monica is that no one is going to mistake her for Brandy again anytime soon.  The downside is that I think she could have picked a MUCH better cut.  For example, look at Halle Berry's or Toni Braxton's old short styles or even Jada Pinkett's current ultra short crop.  All are more flattering than Monica's new 'do...and Jada has even less hair than Monica.  Maybe a bit of growth and restyling will help, but right now she looks like she has too much head and not enough hair.

I have one more bit of news from the music scene in the form of GLORIA ESTEFAN.  Gloria had let her hair get rather long again in the last year or so after quite a while of wearing it at about her shoulders.  When in the shorter style, it was usually styled center parted and straight; a look that, given Gloria's features and round face shape, did less than nothing for her.  Anyway, I believed that she had seen the error of her ways since in recent months since not only had she grown it well below her shoulders, but had also started wearing it curly again.

Alas, twas not to be.  Somewhere between cutting a new single with N'Sync and arriving at the newly created Teen Choice Awards (because there just aren't enough award shows), Gloria traded her curly locks for a chin-length, choppy shag a la Meg Ryan.

FLEA'S CALL:   I wonder what Gloria would have gotten if she had won the bet?  Whether her judgment was clouded by a scissor happy stylist or her exposure to N'Sync (which would go a long way in explaining their popularity), she made an extraordinarily bad decision.  On a positive note, in my head, I can picture how it would actually look better if it were styled curly.  Unfortunately, it's on her head and it's straight.  To paraphrase Martha Stewart, it's a bad thing.

Ok, here's one that I wasn't completely sure about, despite what appeared to be rather solid evidence.  HALLE BERRY has cut her hair back into a version of the short crop for which she was so well known for so long.  The difference would be that she has kept the blonde color that she recently adopted and the length of the top and bangs appears to be a bit longer in the current incarnation. 

If you are wondering why I was so iffy on it, it was because Halle had just recently commented on (and, back in March, yours truly reported on) that she had gone to great effort over the past couple of years to grow her hair out.  In fact, prior to recent appearances doing publicity for her HBO movie, "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge", you probably saw Halle's neck-length blonde layered bob at premieres and in Revlon's current advertising campaign.  So, given the significant investment she made in achieving that length, it was hard for me to believe that she had already cut it again. 

None of that changes the fact that I was wrong, though. J

FLEA'S CALL:  Since Halle has now proven that there is no hairstyle or color she can't wear, it's really no surprise that she looks great in this one as well.  I do think it would probably look better in a darker color or even her natural brunette, but that's a minor quibble (yes, I said "quibble").  I'm just still taken aback that she decided to snip off the very attractive layered bob she had worked so hard to cultivate.  As I said back in March, the length was not only a change of pace for her, but a very flattering one as well.  If anyone runs across any info on why she did it, send it to me and I'll pass it along..
 

Sinead O'Conner after picture courtesy Lilith Fair, Gloria Estefan pictures courtesy of GloriaFan.Com, Halle Berry pictures courtesy Parade Magazine