The Inga Swenson Hairstyle

Toni Tennille!

The Dorothy Hamill wedge was that era's the Rachel.

It was a phallic hairstyle that looked like the head of a penis when viewed from the side.

There is a great thread about the short & sassy hairstyle of the 70s

I hear you!!

Inga Swenson's character on Benson was supposed to be a nazi.

Rene Auberjonois always reminded me of an old disco queen.

Rene Auberjonois was ubiquitous for awhile. I always wondered if producers and casting directors knew how to pronounce his name.

He was great in Eyes of Laura Mars.

DL fave Martina Navratilova wore it best!

It spread like herpes in 1977-78.

Most horrifically to Bess Armstrong in On Our Own.

Inga's signature 'do debuted on Soap around that time. Her character started out with normal hair, and then one day, it got her too.

Poor...Bess...Armstrong.

God, I hate this woman!

R9 The throwaway scene in Longtime Companion where the fussy waiter finishes his shift and trots straight over to The Rambles always reminded me of Rene Auberjonois in Eyes of Laura Mars.

R11 I once dated a guy whose penis head was shaped like Bess Armstrong's hairstyle in that photo.

One of my hags asked for a Suzi Quatro mullet. Sensibly, the stylist refused her service. She asked me she had been profiled and harassed. My reply was, “irony is dead, bitch.”

At least it's a hairstyle. All's I know is, that long, straight, parted in the middle sorority girl style has been going on for what, 30 years now? Among white girls anyway. They look like clones. No one cuts or perms or styles hair anymore. Style of all kinds sorta stopped in the 90s, there hasn't really been a distinctive look to any decade since the 80s.

Bring back bouffants and towering updos!

The toilet bowl look was probably the worst variation of this hairstyle.

Did Julie from the Love Boat sport this 'do at one time?

R17 Women no longer cut their hair for fear of losing their boyfriends. Men have been very vocal these days about not being attracted to women with short hair.

R18 The hairstylist responsible for this travesty was cruel and twisted. This goes way beyond a poor sense of style. It borders on criminal.

Never can I recall a time when men would describe the likes of Inga Swenson or one of these short n' sassy gals as "Hot."

R20 Ok, but at least make the locks full and lush, a little wavy. Farrah it up, ffs.

This is the hairstyle I hate most of all. Why would any woman deliberately sport this?

R19 Lauren Tewes wore her hair short during the first season of Love Boat, but when Dennis Cole refused to do a scene with her because her hair was too short and unsexy the producers had her wear her hair longer and gave it some curl. The bowl haircut was handed down to Jill Whelen.

Nancy Allen had a sexy 70s 'do. These days, they'd torture her hair stick-straight.

Women just don't want to take the time anymore.

Inga Swenson was very mannish.

#4 has volumes full of Datalounge trivia- going back 25 years.

R17 There was a hot minute in 1982 or 1983 when seemingly EVERY TV starlet had a perm with tight curls. This isn’t quite the exact look, although I distinctly remember Morgan Fairchild had the perm of the moment at an awards show.

No she wasn't, r27.

R28 I love reading about how the s/s hairstyle shifted into the modern-day "Karen" look.

The Carol Channing version

Excuse me.....exc-u-u-u-u-u-se me???

Even Kim Fields wore her hair like that.

R28 Thanks, fun thread. Dorothy Hamill was quite adorable in her day, and the haircut was fab on her because of the way it swung around when she'd do her spins.

Princess Diana took the wedge next level, of course. And I always thought Elizabeth McGovern wore it well.

I always got Rebecca Balding confused with Caroline McWilliams; Balding was a little younger and much sluttier, same haircut.

One could go a bit flippy should one choose...

That housekeeper got in some very good "Nazi" lines.

Benson made a remark about Germany or something and Ms. Swenson shot back "my God, we give you washing machines and cars and you *still* won't forget...." Or words to that effect.

References would have been to Miele and Bosch washing machines that just began making inroads to American market. Cars of course MB, and BMW...

DL favorite Marianne Black from the Three's Company knockoff Sugar Time has the bowl cut.

The French singer Mireille Mathieu wore the toilet bowl from the early 1970s until today. Before that - in 1967 - she seemed to be inspired by Spock.

Mireille Mathieu 1973

R41 what does this mean for Karen Akers?

I'm surprised Inga Swenson is still alive!

R42 I don't know her. From which year?

Inga could have played Carolyn Stoddard on "Dark Shadows" with this look.

Did you all know that she played Helen Keller's mother in The Miracle Worker?

Helen Martin from 227 wore that hairstyle even before it was popular in the 70s. She wore that style until her old age.

She's mopey, dopy, and full of crap. Rose's sister.

Because it's June...June...

Even Ike Turner got into that hairstyle. Was it even more popular than The Flip that Marlo Thomas wore on That Girl?

r44 She’s a chanteuse. She was in the original B’way casts of Nine and Grand Hotel. She memorably popped up in Heartburn as the woman Jack Nicholson was cheating on Meryl Streep with.

R49 awful haircut, but nothing my love can't fix.

Bump, just because.

That 70s mushroom bowl hairstyle was one of the ugliest ever. And yes, Toni Tennile epitomized it.