Next we come to LISA LING of "The View", who joined the very small club of TV personalities to get their hair cut live on the air (I remember Linda Dano doing it years ago when hosting "Attitudes" on Lifetime, but no other ones readily spring to mind. Can anyone come up with any others?). The saga of Lisa's cut began on a Monday when she announced on the show that she would be getting her hair cut on Wednesday, with no indication of how. The email then poured in begging her not to shed her straight, nearly waist-length brunette locks. Lisa insisted that she would go through with it, but did say that based on email and postings on "The View"'s messageboard, she would donate the cut hair to Locks of Love. When the big cut on Wednesday finally rolled around, things (at least in my humble opinion), went about as smoothly and successfully as Florida election. They stylist, apparently one of the members of their "makeover team", basically began hacking into Lisa's hair with the skill of a six year old who's ticked off at her Barbie. Or in this case, his Barbie.

After the carnage had ended, Lisa was left with flippy, vaguely Farrah-like layers in front that fell to about her shoulder, while the back (also with flippy layers) was raised to about mid-back, while miraculously having virtually no continuity with the front. You could tell by the end of the show, she wasn't very happy about it and was actually considering going shorter by chopping off the back to make it into a more coherent bob. The next day, it looked a little better and Lisa admitted to doing a bit of impromptu surgery on the style herself with, and I'm not making this up, nose-hair trimmers. Just before the holidays, Lisa did go the rest of the way and snip of the length in the back, bringing the style up to her shoulders. It really doesn't look that bad and is kind of cute since being cut a bit shorter. In fact, given a few months to grow, she can probably wrangle it into an even more flattering style. Be that as it may, however, the stylist should be shot for how he butchered her originally. Or at least have his pink beret taken away.

Oh, and on the upside, at least she won't be mistaken for Lucy Liu as often anymore...

Speaking of infotainment hosts cutting their hair, DEBORAH NORVILLE of the hard-hitting, highly respected, news magazine show "Inside Edition" (hard to write that with a straight face) cut her shoulder-length blonde hair back in October to a moderately short shaggish style.

Actually, it's not really a shag or a bob, but combines elements of both, with the length on top make it less of a shag and the layers at the bottom making it less of a bob. Given all of that, it's still a fairly flattering cut...but then again it should be since it's virtually the same style she had about two years ago. To be honest, this didn't come as much of a surprise, at least to me. Why? Well, being the ever curious and obsessive person I am, I was checking out Deborah's official site (www.dnorville.com) which she started it last fall, looking for some recent pics of her longer hair for a reader who was trying to track some down to take to her stylist. While bopping through the "Debstory" section (essentially a retrospective of hairstyles), I came across the section where Deborah talked about having the freedom to cut her hair short for the first time when she started working in radio after leaving "Today". In commenting on the picture, she said that it was also the time when she thought her hair looked the best ever. Given the timing of when the site went up and Deb's cut, my guess is that the old pic inspired her to go short again. Do I have any direct proof that's what happened? No, your honor, but I believe the prosecution has provided enough circumstantial evidence to allow a conviction. The State rests.

Oh, and thanks to Dan for the screen captures.

Another star who has gone progressively shorter over the past few years is "La Femme Nikita" herself, PETA WILSON. Though when she began the series, her flaxen blonde hair fell to nearly waist-length, each season revealed that Peta had snipped a bit more off. First it rose to about mid-back and then last year it was just a few inches below her shoulders in a heavily layered, tousled style. Now, she has taken it all the way up to just below her chin in a shaggy bob, which, given her squarish face, is not the most flattering choice she could have made. It is at least better than a regular bob, since that wouldn't look good with her face shape at all (square face + chin-length bob = jaw line of Howie Long). I guess the cut is more practical in the action oriented world of the espionage/spy game, though. Doesn't explain, however, why a sharp shooting assassin would still wear her bangs in her eyes...

Speaking of blondes (and there seem to be a lot of them in the column this time, don't there? Heck, for someone who has a thing for brunettes, I seem to be spending an excessive amount of time in the enemy camp this month. What up wid dat? But I digress), let's touch on the newly ultra blonde SARAH JESSICA PARKER. Though her hair grows out of her head (as opposed to her knees) dark brown, Sarah has been various shades of blonde over the years. Most of the time, she's more of a highlighted blonde, which she can usually get away with since her naturally curly hair adds enough funkyness to offset the darker streaks or roots. At least that's the theory. =) Anyway, Sarah recently signed her first endorsement contract and with a haircolor company no less - Garnier (which is a division of L'Oreal), producer of Nutrisse haircolor. As was mandated several years ago by law, celebrities can't endorse such products unless they actually use them, so the colorists as Nutrisse got the opportunity to put their own blonde spin on Sarah's curls. The resulting shade is a REALLY bright golden, yellow blonde called "Sugar Cane" (Of course it is. What else would you call it? "Way Big Blonde"?). Anyway, Sarah was herself a bit taken aback at just how blonde it was and even called her husband, Matthew Broderick, to warn him that it was a stark contrast before she came home. Apparently, the are now both happy with it (though it's a bit TOO unnaturally blonde for my tastes) and Sarah says she can even do the color at home herself. Well, at least until that contract runs out.

Oh, that reminds me. Did you know that on "Sex and The City", Sarah has mandated that none of the actresses can have a hairstyle that they can't do themselves? She didn't want the show to portray unrealistic women with complicated updos worn as an everyday style, for example. Thus, virtually every 'do worn on the show is something that the character could have styled without having a makeup person living in their bathroom. You know, maybe they should relax that rule for Cynthia Nixon...

TEA LEONI has a new short cut for an upcoming movie role.  The boyish crop is the shortest I've seen Tea's hair in quite a while and, to be honest, isn't the most attractive style she's ever had.  I remain a big fan of the look she wears in "Family Man", the short, flippy blonde bob.  Seems to fit her face and personality the best.  Wow, what a bland review.  Sorry about that.  I'll do better.  

CYNTHIA WATROS of "Titus" (a pretty funny show if you haven't seen it) and formerly of "All My Children", abandoned her shoulder-length blunt bob this season in favor of a funky curly crop.  Think of Meg Ryan in "Proof Of Life" if she left her hair in the dryer too long.  Though a rather surprising change for Cynthia, it really works pretty well for her.  If nothing else, it really makes a break from the look she wore during her soap opera days. v On the other end of the spectrum, CELINE DION has let her hideous crop of last spring sprout several inches over the last several months as she sits on the nest.  Currently, it's in a wavy, layered bob that's about chin length that essentially looks like she's just let it grow while keeping the length trimmed a bit for neatness.  Though anything would be better than the horrific pixie she had early last year, this is bordering on matronly.  Is it just me, or does she look oddly like Betty Rubble?

Finally found a picture of SHALOM HARLOW's entry into the current supermodel bob trend.  I think Shalom may have just been edged out by Kirsty Hume for the shortest bob, but not by much.  Unfortunately, of the models that have done it so far (and not taking into account how far superior their former longer style was), Shalom appears to have come out worse than most.  With her square face and curly hair, a short, full bob is just not the best style on her.  Sure, the stylists for her shoots will be able to make it look great and you'll see pictures of her and then think I'm nuts, but on a day-to-day basis, it just doesn't work.  Heck, look at that picture and tell me I'm wrong.  Oh yeah?  Well, I don't care what you say, I'm not. =) 

In what essentially amounts to non-news, FAITH HILL has finally removed her extensions.  You probably didn't notice since Faith has been letting her hair grow this whole time and her real hair now falls well below her shoulders.  The only way you could tell is that it looks just a bit thinner, but not enough to make a difference.  And so, since my award winner for "Best Use of Extensions By a Celebrity During an Otherwise Incredibly Annoying Trend" has moved on, it's officially time for everyone else to take them out because they generally don't look good and always just bug the crap out of me.  And what more reason do you need?  Are you listening Christina and Britney?

And speaking of extensions, TONY BRAXTON has taken hers out, revealing that she indeed still has the same short style she had all along.  What I don't understand is given her obvious affinity for long hair and how good it looks on her, why not at least TRY to grow it out?  Heck, Jada Pinkett Smith has and hers looks great.  C'mon Toni, give it a shot.

HILLARY SWANK continues to regrow her chestnut locks after her "Boys Don't Cry" crop.  Currently, her hair is right at her shoulders and looking rather cute, if I do say so myself.  Which I do.  It'll be interesting to see just how long she let's it get before either she or a role decides that it should be cut.  In other words, Hillary continues her membership on the Hair Growth Watch list along with Robin Tunney (who is growing her hair again after that awful bob I reported on last time), Sheryl Crow, Keri Russell, and others.   And yes, "others" means that I can't think of who else is on the list right now.  So sue me.v  KIRSTEN DUNST is planning, as best I can tell, to keep her flippy shag for her upcoming role as Mary Jane in the highly anticipated "Spider-Man" movie.  At a recent press conference, she did say that, in keeping with the comic book and not to tick of the many obsessed Spidey fans out there, she would indeed be a redheaded Mary Jane.  So, I'll start keeping an eye out for pics of Kirsten after her date with the henna bottle.  And just off the top of my head, I actually think she'll make a stunning redhead.  Could be up there with the Rene Russo transformation.  Remember, you heard it here first...unless it turns out to suck, in which case I'll deny ever writing this.

On a different note, there seems to be a small bang trend afoot amongst moderately long-haired brunettes.  First up, we have LIV TYLER, who has grown her dark hair several inches below her shoulders (which means she can probably be removed from the ol' Hair Growth Watch list) and added a fringe of bangs.  Not exactly thrilled over this, as I've said all along that Liv looks better without them (check out some of her early modeling pics before she initially grew them out if you don't believe me).  v   Next, KATIE HOLMES is supposed to be sporting a fringe of late, which doesn't come as a big surprise since she's been adding layers and playing with different iterations of her longish style for about the past year.  Haven't seen what they look like, but based on her face shape, forehead size, etc., my guess is that they would look pretty good.  If I stumble across a picture, I'll let you know. 

Finally, JENNIFER CONNELLY, a long time, long haired, brunette beauty and the only woman left in Hollywood who has managed to preserve her thick brows during the recent carnage of overplucking, has supposedly cut bangs as well.  I say "supposedly" because 1) though her length has gone up and down, she has managed to avoid wearing bangs for all the years she's been in Hollywood up 'til now and 2) she appeared at the VH1 Fashion Awards with them a mere 4 days after attending the "Requiem for a Dream" premiere at which she didn't have bangs with a style that, other than the bangs, doesn't appear any different.

My skepticism is further bolstered by the fact that it would be possible to add in some fake bangs just for a different look and/or, if you look closely at how thin her hair appears, it could very well be a wig since Jennifer has really thick hair.  Anyway, until I see further proof, I'm contending that she didn't really do it.  Then again, it could just be that I'm in denial since they look "Sheryl-Crow-pixie" awful.  Hey, she's on the cover, I had to mention Sheryl at least a couple of times. =)

Lisa Ling pictures courtesy ABC. Deborah Norville pictures courtesy Inside Edition and DNorville.com. Peta Wilson pictures courtesy Reuters. Sara Jessica Parker pictures courtesy Nutrisse. Tea Leoni pictures courtesy Hollywood.com. Celine Dion pictures courtesy Power of Celine. Shalom Harlow pictures courtesy Hollywood.com. Toni Braxton, Hillary Swank, Kristen Dunst and Liv Tyler pictures courtesy Reuters. Jennifer Connelly pictures courtesy FeatureFlash.

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