Best Hair On a TV Personality (Female)

Once upon a time, in the 1970s, our newsfolk had actual hairdos -- that is, hair we could remember when we tried to picture them between nightly episodes. Robin Smith was probably the most sublime exemplar: Her doughnut-sized, impossibly severe topknot was both stylish and idiosyncratic -- and, we're guessing, the catalyst for countless migraines. Alas, the days of hair-with-flair are largely over. Nowhere near as daring or inventive as Ms. Smith, today's local anchorwomen mostly sport hairstyles that fit into one of three categories: frosted, fluffy, sensible layered bob; glossy shoulder-length pageboy (long layers optional); kicky, Katie Couric-inspired, short-but-feminine crop. Disproportionately blonde and overwhelmingly tasteful, today's TV hair is at worst Stepfordesque and at best pretty damned boring. The sole exception is Keryn Shipman, whose crispy spun-sugar 'do Jerry Berger once mocked in his column. Although she's toned it down in recent months (more's the pity!), Shipman's ferociously fluffed lemon-yellow coif surpasses all others insofar as it's interesting enough to occasion comment. For this, we salute you, chief meteorologist Keryn Shipman. Long live your sense of follicular folly, your brave refusal to succumb to the blandness that surrounds you.