Of Lice and Men

Abstract

Lice have annoyed hominids for millions of years, since long before Pediculushumanusbranched,onceormultiple times, into its capitisand corporis ecotypes. Although head louse infestations receive a particularly bad reputation frommedia andmothers, this condition in reality is morepesky thanpestilent.Head licecarrynegligible riskofdisease transmission and therefore have minimal morbidity. Popular media, however, portray head lice as an affliction of the unclean anduncouth. Televisionoftendepicts pediculosis as a disgrace invitedby lapsedpersonal hygiene and fully deserving of society’s scorn. For example, in an episode of The Office (American version, episode 9.10), the protagonist, Pam, conceals that she contracted head lice from her3-year-olddaughter.Anensuingoutbreakofheadlice inherofficefinds blamedeflectedontoaninnocentcharacterwhoissuspectbecauseofpast hygienic transgressions.Athirdcharacter,whenaskedtorefrain fromvilifying her louse-ridden coworkers, declares, “I have not yet begun to shame,” thus capturing the stigma engendered by themedia. An episode of South Park (episode 11.3) also addresses the stigma of pediculosis, but ends, as usual, with a quasi-lesson for viewers. Like The Office, this episode is a whodunit, seeking to identify which character introduced head lice into the classroom. At the episode’s conclusion, all discover that every child is infested with head lice, a more appropriatecharacterizationof theegaliteet fraterniteofpediculosisamong school-aged children. These showsperpetuate thenotion thatpediculosis is shameful and promulgateahostofmisinformation.Thecommunicablenatureofhead lice is exaggerated in both episodes, seen when an Office character dons a Hazmat suit to protect himself from contagion and South Park’s children pummel their infested classmate with soap. Although viewers may not take the comedic portrayal of head lice seriously,myths about head lice appear on “fact-based” shows, too. For example, on the forensic crime series, CSI (episode 9.3), investigators presumethat anunidentifiedcorpse is thatof ahomelessmanpartlybecause of lice found throughout his hair. Television also perpetuates myths about treating head lice. For example,usingmayonnaisetocurehead lice inTheOffice,whileperhapsnot harmful, is an ineffective remedy. Pam’s admission that shewas “up all night disinfecting every sheet, towel, toy, item of clothing, in the entire house”encouragessanitationmeasuresfarbeyondrecommendedactions. In contrast to television’s frequentportrayal ofhead lice as a scourge of theGreatUnwashed,many children’s books are correct and informative. A search of current children’s literature finds many picture books designed to educate children and families about head lice and to dispel its stigma. Similar attempts by broadcast media to correct false beliefs about this condition could mollify popular sentiments toward this benign and nearly universal condition.