Through hairstyles in women, Kelly Sue DeConnick examines the effects of society’s grueling beauty standards and stereotypes on Penelope, a young black woman. Because of society’s obsession with perfection, women who refuse to mold themselves to fit these unrealistic beauty standards are punished. The women in “Bitch Planet” have different hairstyles, each portraying Penelope’s feelings towards the strict expectations surrounding beauty. When Penelope was a young girl, she and her grandmother wore their hair naturally. The natural look emphasized a time in Penelope’s life where she enjoyed her life and who she was. However, while she was in school, Penelope’s hairstyle heavily contrasted the hairstyles of the other students and Mother Siebertling. This difference established the disparity in self-esteem and confidence levels between Penelope and the women around her. Penelope’s resentment towards men was also presented by the opposing hairstyles between the “Fathers” and Penelope. 

 Penelope’s childhood was portrayed in several scenes throughout “Bitch Planet”. Penelope lived with her grandmother and shared many special moments. It is clear in each of these scenes that Penelope and her grandmother wore their hair in a natural, loose way. Their playful attitudes and their relaxed hairstyles revealed the way Penelope felt during that time in her life. Growing up with her grandmother as her role model, Penelope learned to accept who she was and love her hair despite of society’s beauty standards. During this point of her life, Penelope felt the happiest because she could be herself and enjoy time with her grandmother. The time spent with her grandmother was interrupted by society’s need to control those who did not conform to beauty standards. However, Penelope never forgot about her grandmother and the important lesson she learned about loving who she was.  

Penelope, now older, attended school but still wore her hair in natural curls. In several of the scenes, it is easy to see that the students at the school had unique hairstyles and were white. Penelope’s dark skin and unruly, curly hair contrasted heavily with everyone else. After being called into Mother Siebertling’s office, it is also clear that Penelope’s hairstyle was completely opposite from Mother Siebertling’s slick, blonde hair. The differing hairstyles between Penelope and Mother Siebertling portrayed the contrasting self-esteem and confidence levels in women of different backgrounds. Penelope felt deeply ashamed of who she was and the way she looked. Mother Siebertling, on the other hand, was the authority figure and valued her good looks. Mother Siebertling was now Penelope’s role model and often reminded Penelope that she was different from everyone else. Compared to when she was growing up, Penelope was now surrounded by people who constantly teased and embarrassed her for the way she looked. 

As a grown woman, Penelope worked at a café. Penelope’s physique was ridiculed by her customers. Her big built and dark skin strikingly contrasted the customer’s physical appearance. She wore a bandana that covered most of her hair, but her unruly curls were still visible. The women at the café all had slim figures and well-groomed hair. Concerned about their physical appearance and weight, the women conversed about trivial matters which only bothered Penelope even more. The contrasting appearances and the demeaning comments made by the customers are an example of the way women are punished when they refuse to conform to society’s beauty standards. 

After an outburst, Penelope was sent to jail. In jail, she was brought in front of a panel of judges who called themselves the “Fathers” and reviewed her case. Penelope’s hair looked completely different from the way she styled it as a young girl. Half of Penelope’s head was shaved while the other half still had her natural curls. Penelope’s hairstyle is an accurate representation of what Penelope had gone through growing up. The shaved part represented the society that punished her for being different and made her suffer. The natural curls represent her grandmother, the only woman in her life who taught her she was beautiful regardless of what society said. The “Fathers” were all white men with sleek, clean haircuts. The contrasting hairstyles of Penelope and the “Fathers” is a representation of the difficult relationship between men and women today. Men look for perfection in a woman. Their incessant need for a flawless woman make women feel obligated to mold themselves to fit these unrealistic beauty expectations. While the fathers’ clean haircut represents male superiority, Penelope’s awkward hair style represents her feeling of inferiority. 

“Bitch Planet” uses different hairstyles to portray what Penelope, a young black woman, felt as she grew up in an extremely criticizing society. Growing up surrounded by people who looked different and did not understand her, she felt bitter towards society and their ridiculous beauty standards. Because of her grandmother, the only person in her life who made her feel special, Penelope never forgot who she was. Penelope proved to society that in a world where everyone wanted to look “flawless”, imperfections made her special. 
