NYT: (Michael) Moore's Makeover (before, after pics -- lookin' good!)

Moore's Makeover
By MELENA Z. RYZIK

Published: January 16, 2005


Reuters,left; Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Michael Moore on Jan. 6 ... and (presto!) on Jan. 9.


Yes, that was Michael Moore, not some sleekly coiffed and styled film executive, at the People's Choice Awards last Sunday (and at several other awards shows since). The notoriously scruffy Mr. Moore ditched his trademark baseball cap and sweats in favor of a tailored suit and silver tie. The biggest change, though, was above the neck: vaguely spiky hair and, in place of his usual salt-and-pepper, stuck-in-a-cabin-without-a-razor mustache and beard, a neatly trimmed (and uniformly colored) goatee.

Laurent D., owner of Privé Salons in New York and Beverly Hills, was behind the changes. His client list includes Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp; Mr. Moore was "a great challenge," he said. The reason for the makeover? Mr. Moore would not comment, but Mr. D. reported: "He doesn't want to look Hollywood, but he wants to look more polished."

A day before the ceremony, Mr. D. (born in France as Laurent DuFourg) went to Mr. Moore's hotel, grudgingly bringing a colorist at the request of Mr. Moore's staff. "I was not very excited about doing the color, because I don't see Michael with highlights and lowlights," he said. "He's not that kind of guy." They had a long conversation about the hair - he was reluctant to go short, Mr. D. said, because of a bad experience with a pre-"Tonight Show" haircut - and a longer talk about the beard. Mr. Moore consulted family (one sister was pro-beard removal, one against) and eventually consented to the spiky 'do; the goatee (dyed to match the hair, which was not colored) was a compromise....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/movies/16mele.html

I fear change ;) Maybe the new look will grow on me later.

Maybe it shows more in person.

The hair product works though, and he's one of the few people that can pull off the boxy emo glasses look.

The other, of course, being Ted Allen.

Some people should just stick to their roots. This is gonna give neocons more anti-hollywood rhetoric to spew at him.

Back when F-9/11 was released, it seems you could sum up at least half of the criticisms of the film as: "Michael Moore is fat and unkempt, he wears baseball caps and looks as if he doesn't shower."

to get some polish, why pretend he's living in row housing?

You know. Kind of belovedly well worn, color isn't what he came with, but it's the look you've come to know and love. Cuddly. Scrunched up bow. A "security" essential to your well being. It takes time to get used to the new teddy look when they go to the "beauty parlor." (My household's code word for when the bedraggled teddy was replaced with a new but identical-to-the-original one). It will take a while to completely trust the new look. But it will wear off again eventually. I hope Michael reads DU. I need reassuring.

The concern is superficial anyway, not that we aren't all a little prone to that. What is remarkable is how little his essential character seems to be affected by the change - I think that says something good about him.

If.. ok, you know what.. never mind.

God Bless Micheal Moore.

he was an Oprah makeover. I prefer the 'before'.

Ah well, things must change. Think, if traffic lights didn't, we'd be in one hell of a mess.

is a baby with a wet diaper.

I'm guessing that what his his personal trainer will be saying, too!

(Moore did hint on Leno the other night that he was going to try to take better care of himself).

we need Michael!

Those new glasses are baaaadddd.

He looks good.

Not a HUGE change, he still looks like himself, and the hair is kind of messy, which is his thing, but not "really, truly, just this minute rolled out of bed" messy. And you need a few suits, you never know when you will be invited to a wedding or need to attend a funeral (of course, nowadays, people show up in shorts and flip flops, no matter what the occasion...!).

He doesn't need this geeky, moderny type of new age look...

I like the teddy bear!

Before, he just looked disgusting. I have trouble taking unkempt people seriously, as do many others. The new look is much better, but is TOO good.

salon, and the client list looks good to me!

his image?

Like it or not, polished means "credible" in today's television world.

The old way he looked like a mess. Looked like a regular person, sure, but mostly looked like a mess. Reminds me of going out with a relative when I was younger. I knew they were funny, smart, etc., but I knew the whole world wasn't seeing that. They were seeing the unkempt person who looked like he/she rolled out of bed with the same clothes on all week.

Peter Jackson has discovered this too, he's looking kind of cute these days. Kind of.

Plus, if they were women we'd never have seen either of them look like that. Ever.