I think those shows like to do the drastic cuts, because it is just that - drastic.  It makes a significant change in how the person looks, which then "justifies" the makeover.

Hahaha!!! You've just made my day, eKatherine!!! That was sooo uber cute!

And yes, Drummergirl, I've noticed these shows too. When I still had time to watch television, that is. But.... it also makes the longhair want to fantasize about how they'd resist getting on one of those shows... I'd give the show host a swift kick in the butt, then zoom over to the nearest exit

One of you needs to change your avatar...lol!

Ugh, I hate makeover shows! I don't care about the clothes part at all; the make-up is usually okay; and I always turn 'em off before they get to the hair. I've also seen more than one episode where someone's beautiful long hair has been cut to above the shoulders.

I was watching TLC's "What Not to Wear" the other day (that show annoys me to no end, but my sister looooves it), and I came to wondering how many, if any, prospective guests they go to who refuse to go through the makeover. It must be a kick in the face for the show; they go through all the trouble of having the person secretly taped for two weeks before the hosts show up and surprise them with the chance to have a complete makeover. If that happened to me I'd refuse to do it and walk away, and wish they'd actually show it on television. 
I love it when the guests on that show get rebellious and go against the rules they're supposed to follow for buying clothes. I was especially proud of one woman who bought a pair of cowboy boots that cost around $500 when that was the one thing she was supposed to stay away from at all costs.

Huzzah for individuality! 

I agree, Cairn. These people running makeover shows just want to make carbon-copy barbie dolls of everyone. They should save themselves the trouble and go look in the mirror and congratulate themselves on their good taste and lack of imagination.

Although I will admit, many times when they chop off extremely long hair, it looks to be in terrible shape. The person is always wearing her hair down - not that that's necessarily bad, but it usually highlights her scraggly ends and frazzled condition of the rest of her hair. Why don't these women ever wear their hair UP? And why don't they ever wear makeup in the before shots? And why is short, layered, coloured-within-an-inch-of-its-life hair appealing to so many?

/Kate

Yech, I just made the mistake of watching Oprah (always makes me feel like I'm wading through cotton candy), and among other things they chopped off the hair of 6 women. They all had such gooorgeous hair, waist length or longer, shiny, great condition.

They must have clothed the girls specifically in the before shots, they were all wearing baggy, unflattering, colorless sweatshirts. None of them was smiling. Of course, after the makeover, they wore smart, tailored outfits, glowed with makeup and manically flipped their bobs while prancing about the stage. I bet several of them regretted the chop when they got home that evening.

Sadly, their hair was donated to Locks of Love. Apparently there was some sort of "Rapunzel Contest," earlier in the year, and - get this - the winner got her hair cut and made into a wig for LoL. They actually had the recipient on the show, a girl with alopecia. It's not surprising that people support LoL if they market themselves as the champions of poor suffering adolescents.

/Kate

I gave up on TV shows long ago - there are much better things I'd rather spend my time on - bike riding, knitting sock and mittens, playing with my hair.

As for long hair becoming the norm - I don't see that happening .   People have been tooooo brainwashed.