Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us about Power, Pleasure, and Complicity - Hardcover

In Tangled, acclaimed cultural critic Sarah Mesle unpacks the surprising power of white women's hair in shaping American identity, politics, and pop culture. From rom-coms to TikToks, blowouts to legislation, Mesle explores how hair--often dismissed as trivial--has been a stealth vehicle for transmitting whiteness, privilege, and conservative values.

White women's hair evokes pleasure, pride, anxiety, and envy. But unlike women of color, who navigate hair as a deeply political terrain, white women often treat their styles as purely aesthetic. Mesle argues that this perceived innocence is precisely what makes white women's hair so potent--and so dangerous.

Through 7 iconic hair moments spanning the Reagan era to Trump's rise, Tangled blends personal essay with cultural analysis, revealing how hair has mirrored--and fueled--the rollback of feminist progress. With wit, depth, and originality, Mesle invites readers to rethink what hair has done in America--and what it could do differently.

Smart, funny, and fiercely insightful, Tangled is essential reading for anyone interested in feminism, race, media, and the hidden politics of beauty.