Court of Public Opinion

How much does what other people think really matter?

​​​Read the full story ⬇︎

If the government asked you to change your hairstyle, would you?


Even if you’ve never heard of Veronica Lake, you know her “peek-a-boo” hairstyle. It was used as the model for Jessica Rabbit in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.[1]


During the 1940s, Veronica was a major movie star, and her hairstyle was emulated by women across the country. But with the advent of World War 2, droves of women joined the workforce in factories where long hair was a safety risk. To prevent hair from getting caught in machinery, the United States government asked Veronica to change her hairstyle, in the hopes her influence would help the war effort.[2]


The movie star responded with a new look for her role in the 1944 film The Hour Before the Dawn, with a hairstyle that came to be known as “Victory Rolls.” The film was a flop, and Veronica’s career began a decline that never really recovered.

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But at least we won the war.
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Veronica Lake | Getty Images

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When the audience found out Luis Conriquez wouldn’t be singing any narcocorridos​ at the concert, they started a riot.

 
The State of Mexico decided that music glorifying drug trafficking incited too much violence and made its performance a crime with a penalty of up to six months in prison.[3] When the singer complied with the ban, the audience quickly became a mob, throwing drinks, food, and chairs (and anything else they could grab), prompting the band to retreat as the mob stormed the stage.[4]

 
“It feels bad not being able to sing what people want to hear,” the singer later commented. Time will tell if his career ever recovers the change in style.
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Luis R. Conriquez's performance at the 2025 Texcoco International Horse Fair ending in chaos.

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By 1893, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to focus on new writing projects, so in his story “The Final Problem,” he killed Sherlock Holmes at the hands of the detective’s nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

 
When the story was published in The Strand Magazine, the backlash from readers was both immediate and intense. Protests sprang up across London, letters to the magazine demanded the return of Sherlock Holmes, and over 20,000 subscriptions were canceled, driving the magazine into financial ruin.[5]

 
For nearly a decade, the author resisted, but finally relented in 1901 with The Hound of the Baskervilles, and in 1903 with “The Adventure of the Empty House,” explaining that the detective had faked his death in the previous story. With the return of Sherlock Holmes, the public was appeased and the magazine began to revive.

 
Turns out, you just have to give the audience what they want.
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Sherlock Holmes grapples with Professor Moriarty in Sidney Paget’s illustration for the Strand magazine, December 1893 | Musuem of London

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​Reflection
Perhaps James Cordon’s Drop the Mic was inspired by Arctic song duels—where Inuit fight out their differences with music rather than violence.

 
Opponents compose songs that mock one another with both humor and harmony, and then perform them in front of the community. Imagine a cross between Don McLean and Don Rickles. The reaction from the Court of Public Opinion decides the winner, helping maintain harmony without physical aggression.[6]

 
Imagine how different the world might look today if instead of going to war, Roosevelt and Churchill had a song duel with Hitler and Mussolini. Who knows? Perhaps Veronica Lake’s career wouldn’t have played peek-a-boo.
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Anne Hathaway and James Corden drop the mic | CBS

Final Thoughts
After being booed off stage at Madison Square Garden, Rick Nelson learned his lesson well. “You can't please everyone,” he reflected,” so you've got to please yourself.”[7]
 
And he’s all right now.
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Want More?
Jonas Cain, M.Ed. is a storyteller, magician, musician, and facilitator of fascination—discovering joy through curiosity and wonder. Connect with Jonas to discover more: [email protected]

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References
[1] Weinraub, B. 1988, (August 1). "An animator breaks old rules and new ground in ‘Roger Rabbit.’” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/01/movies/an-animator-breaks-old-rules-and-new-ground-in-roger-rabbit.html

[2] Truhler, K. (2014, November 21). “The long legacy of Veronica Lake's hair.” Glam Amor. www.glamamor.com/2014/11/VeronicaLake-hair.html?m=1

[3] Villafuerte, S. (2025, April 9). “Narcocorridos at regional fairs in Mexico State could be punished with prison time.” Melenio. www.milenio.com/policia/anuncian-penas-contra-narcocorridos-en-ferias-regionales-de-edomex

[4] Cano, N. “Luis R. Conriquez’s show in Mexico ends in chaos for excluding narcocorridos.” Billboard. www.billboard.com/music/latin/luis-r-conriquez-mexico-concert-excludes-narcocorridos-1235945017/

[5] “The final problem.” (n.d.). Stanford University. sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/issue12.html

[6] Kingston, D.P. (2009, October 6). “The persistence of conflict avoidance among the King Island Inupiat.” Erudit. doi.org/10.7202/038220ar

[7] Taylor, T.(2022, October 15).  “How being booed off stage revived Ricky Nelson’s career.” Far Out Magazine. www.faroutmagazine.co.uk/ricky-nelsons-booed-off-stage-revive-career/