The happy little trees are a little less happy as we all begin to accept that Bob Ross' hair was an Afro of lies.
The painter, who became famous for his "Joy of Painting" show on PBS had a halo of curly hair to match his angelic voice, but we now know that it was a perm that gave him the signature look.
If upon reading this news you feel your life has been a lie, you are not alone.
Millennials in particular include Ross on their list of great American heroes, but they now report having trust issues.
Some preferred Ross' straight hair.
Before you turn your back on Ross and turn off your "Joy of Painting" marathon on Netflix, read the humbling tale of how the beloved painter's hair came to be.
Ross permed his hair as a cost-saving measure and like many who opted for faux curls in the 80s, he later ended up hating it.
See, Bob Ross really is all of us.
According to his longtime business partner, Annette Kowalski, the perm was born during Ross' early years as a struggling painter. When he got out of the Air Force, "he got this bright idea that he could save money on haircuts," Kowalski told NPR. "So he let his hair grow, he got a perm, and decided he would never need a haircut again."
By the time he wanted a new 'do, it was too late. Ross' fluffy 'fro had become as synonymous with him as the fluffy little trees he painted. Images of Ross and his hair wound up in logos and on merchandise, and there was no turning back.
"He could never, ever, ever change his hair, and he was so mad about that," said Kowalski.
Ross would go on to maintain his trademark bushy hairdo through more than 400 episodes of his show.
Although Ross has been dead more than 20 years, his stardom is bigger than ever. There are Bob Ross Clubs; T-shirts display his image and sayings; and his famous quotes are the basis for many Internet memes.
Minnesotans have a peculiar affinity for him. Why? We have no idea.
Maybe it's because we love us some PBS, or we empathize with what can happen when a head of hair is exposed to extreme humidity.
(Bonus points if you can tell us where in Minnesota this sidewalk is.) https://twitter.com/CameronVanTil/status/614623283795746817
Maybe there's no harm in knowing Ross' hair secret. We just hope he's happy with his hair in heaven. Afterall, Ross himself once said: "You know without question that we don't have mistakes here. We just have happy accidents."
Well said, Bob.
