Bernie Sanders Gets Grumpy When Reporters Ask Him About His Hair

Just like everyone else.

In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Democratic presidential hopeful and grumpy old hippie Bernie Sanders became especially grumpy when interviewer Ana Marie Cox asked him about his tufts of cottony white hair.

“Do you think it’s fair that Hillary [Clinton’s] hair gets a lot more scrutiny than yours does?” Cox asked.

“Hillary’s hair gets more scrutiny than my hair?” Sanders responded. “Is that what you’re asking?”

“O.K., Ana, I don’t mean to be rude here. I am running for President of the United States on serious issues, O.K.? Do you have serious questions?”

In his initial disgust, Sanders revealed that he has been largely uncoached in what it is like to be a female candidate—or a female anything, for that matter—in 2015. He also, rather offputtingly, revealed that he doesn’t necessarily trust that a female reporter will ask him worthwhile questions.

Cox defended her question as important, noting that “there is a gendered reason,” before he cut her off:

“When the media worries about what Hillary’s hair looks like or what my hair looks like, that’s the real problem. We have millions of people who are struggling to keep their heads above water, who want to know what candidates can do to improve their lives, and the media will very often spend more time worrying about hair than the fact that we’re the only major country on earth that doesn’t guarantee health care to all people.”

“It’s also true that the media pays more attention to what female candidates look like than it does to what male candidates look like,” Cox added.

“That may be,” Sanders conceded. “That may be and it’s absolutely wrong.”

I think Clinton and Cox alike also wish they didn’t have to humor questions about hair. That said, it’s probably not the best look for ultra-progressive white dudes to proclaim which issues are worth talking about.