A Cut Above

A weekly commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney:

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This is what I look like in real life. Are you surprised?

Television news has been accused of hiring reporters and anchormen and women because of their good looks instead of for their for their ability as journalists.

I've talked to the other guys - Mike, Morley, Ed and Steve, and of course I've thought about it myself - and we're all reluctant to admit it but we agree it's true what they say about us.

I asked the blonde what she thought - all she'd say was "No comment."

You want to look as good as possible when you're on television so I always tie my tie, comb my hair and try to smile.

This morning, just a few minutes before we started taping, I looked in the mirror and realized I needed a haircut.

I know it's time for a haircut when my hair gets longer than my eyebrows.

Hair, whether a person has a lot of it or very little, makes a big difference in what we look like.

It's the easiest part of your looks to change, too. An actress or an actor can look like two different people, depending on what he or she does with hair.

A haircut costs me $16 in New York. Women pay more than men for a haircut, of course. That's because they don't call it a haircut. They have their hair "done." It's not a haircut...it's a "hairdo."

My hair has changed over the years - color of course. In 1978, I still had brown hair...greying, greyer, greyer, grey!

I suppose I could have my hair dyed brown but it doesn't appeal to me. Keith says he could give me quite a bit of help with electronic editing. Take about 20 years off my age by changing the color of my hair.

The funny thing is, over the years our opinion of how our hair looks best changes.

I used to think I looked best with long sideburns. Why in the world would I ever have thought that?

I didn't realize I looked so funny back then or I'd never have gone on television at all. The thing that scares me is, in ten years what I look like now will look just as funny.

It makes a big difference how your hair is combed. If I combed my hair on the other side, you'd probably not recognize me

I want to show you how much a haircut helps. I'm going to get a haircut. You wait right here.

How's that? Do I look $16 dollars worth better?

CBS