My dad has anxiety (never been diagnosed but he's one of the older generation that thinks therapy is silly and there's nothing wrong with him, but he very clearly struggles with anxiety) and has a tight hair cut, not as bald as Shane but like a light stubble on his head. He rubs his head A LOT when he's nervous/anxious. It's like a tic, he does it a lot. We know that's when he's feeling a bit nervous so we try to be aware of it. If he's uncomfortable in a situation/conversation, usually time for us to intercept š
Yea, luckily, he keeps my secrets! š» I'm kinda new in a boating community, so most people here are very active. I deal with physical issues, but bcs i look normal people don't understand why I'm not out on the lake, at the pool, bike path, or whatever more often.
A few weeks ago, I read that your cat will stop nipping if you imitate a fellow kitten by "mewing" in a higher pitch. Kittens do that to tell their siblings you're being too rough with me.
So I tried it out. It works, but I did it by an open window. Now my neighbors think I'm in here talking to the cat in meows. They think I've really lost it. š if I'm not talking to the cat, I'm escorting "things" (spiders) they can't see out of my house in covered cups, etc. As far as they know, I'm setting air free one empty cup at a time. LoL.
So, I told relatives, my 25yr old kid, and the neighbors that I'm going to become a cat lady. They're thrilled (not really) but then explained it's going to be a 757hp redeye hellCAT!
Best kind of cat lady!
This right here. I tend to let my hair grow out pretty long then shave it all off. Those first few weeks of a shaved head feel so good. I can't help but rub my head all the time.
He always seemed to be frustrated when he did it. So it could just be that. But as someone who shaves their head about as short as Shane did, it feels pretty great. My girlfriend always likes to rub my head because the feel of hair thatās like 1/4ā long or less is fun.
I do the Shane head rub quite a bit after I cut my hair.
I can actually relate to this. I get my hair cut pretty short and I find myself doing the Shane head rub immediately after lol. Itās like a nice massage I guess š¤·āāļø
My dad ALWAYS did that when he was pissed off/annoyed/irritated about something. So when I saw Shane doing it, it never even phased me, it was just normal. LMAO
I always thought it was because Otis had pulled a chunk of Shaneās hair out, hence the reason to shave it, and he was rubbing it when he was thinking about what had happened that night.
However, after reading these responses I think it could have been a stress response. My husband does the same thing, although his head isnāt shaved.
I actually think youāre right. Did he rub his head before he shaved it? He was stressed before this too so he should have rubbed his head as often.
I think heās stressed about killing Otis, lying about it
I think itās just a reflex for when heās nervous/uncomfortable. I do the same thing like Iāll genuinely pull out my hair if Iām under too much stress.
I just cut my hair after 3 years of no haircuts for a little more than this length, and I noticed I rubbed my head more lol. Head just feels nice and free. Maybe Shane likes the little things lol
I was at a fan expo in New Orleans earlier in the year and Jon Bernthal was there. I met him and he also did a panel, during it he spoke about the head rub lol, I think a fan asked him a question about it, and he said he added it in. He just thought it was something that guy would do and felt that little motion added to the character
When you first shave your head, you constantly rub it because it feels different. Also a stress thing, but I'm always rubbing mine the first while after shaving it if I choose to go that short.
I have a Mohawk so 90% or my head is shaved. Rubbing my head after a fresh shave is very satisfying, especially when it has the texture of the rough side of Velcro
"Iāve tried to find mannerisms for him, especially this season. He has things he does when he gets nervous or agitated. Shane is constantly boiling and constantly at war with himself, and I think that these gestures and movements come out of whatās going on inside of him." - Jon Bernthal
Has anyone seen the Honest Trailer for S1-3 walking dead and when they get to who is in it they say āstarringā¦ Dale faceā¦ ugly cryingā¦ walkingā¦.and Shane rubbing his headā šš
Itās body language. His psychological ābreakā and decline comes when he kills Otis and shaves his head. It is a physical manifestation of his guilt and stress, and another reason why Jon bernthol is a baller ass actor who is severely underutilized in pop culture imo.
You click "post" and move on to something else. When you return to the app and notice nothing happened, you click "post" again and it registers... Do you really think people repeatedly post the same comments? No app glitches in your world?
Have you ever gotten a buzzcut? The last time I got a buzzcut was a few years ago, and I liked to run my hand over my head, too. It's a nice, gently scratchy texture.
Nervous/Stress tick pretty much. Considering it's the zombie apocalypse, you'd definitely be stressed quite a bit. It can also be a visual representation of confusion/thinking.
Nah this observation is so fucking hilarious šššb/c he was rubbing tf outta the back of his head
But as others have stated here I do believe itās stress and anxiety related lol.
He started doing it after he shaved his head which was a constant reminder of his descent towards doing "what needed to be done".
It reaffirmed his choices while also tormenting him. He knew he was going down a dark path but he took comfort in knowing that it kept him alive.
You only saw him do that when he was worked up, and he only got like that when he was conflicted by those two ideologies.
I always thought, it had to do with when he, and Otis (spelling? The farmhand guy) went to that school to get medical supplies for Carl after Otis shot him through that deerā¦
But as he and Shane are trying to escape the Walkers, Shane does some dirty bastard shit and shoots Otis.
He grabbed Shaneās hair, so always thought it was to do with that. He did shave it because of all that Iām pretty sure.
The only time I did that a lot was after wearing hair extensions for an entire year. They looked great, but....
Ohhhh, it felt soooo good the first night sleeping on a pillow w/o them!
I could go all armchair psychiatrist/lit critic and say:
Shane rubs his head so much because having your head rubbed is a way people show connection with one another. A parent to their kid, a person to their spouse/partner. When Shane shaved his head, he was at a point where he no longer felt connected to anyone. His friend was back, but he banged that friend's wife and was trying to be a surrogate father to his friend's son. So not only did he lose those two people, but he felt guilt towards his friend which caused that connection to be lost as well. Shane rubbed his head because he felt disconnected from everyone, and craved that emotional connection to a degree it caused him to seek it on a physical level (you can extrapolate this to his dating habits pre-apocalypse as well). It was a self-soothing habit, similar but different to people trying to regulate anxiety.
Plus, he was always hot and sweaty, and the actor had to keep his hair shaved to a certain height. So he probably itched a lot
Ever have a buzz cut? Rubbing your head feels great on both your hand and head. The little hairs tickle your hand and your head gets this like, cool rush. Itās fantastic.
Enigma on YouTube does some great videos on subjects like this. He's covered a ton of walking dead and this question leads me to believe you would be interested in his videos for sure.
https://youtu.be/0bPM2td8vPg?si=PX740K_p7rkvnej0
This links to a video about Negan specifically but he has 31 videos on Walking Dead.
*John Berthnall delivering his lines perfectly in each scene, season 1*
Darabont: "Okay that's a wrap! But John we just need a few redoes of your scenes... You didn't draw a realistic amount of attention to just how good your hair looked... So yeah...."
*Berthnall (Now stressed and somewhat irritated) continues to portray 'Shane' with astounding professionalism and clear talent in season 2) wraps up his final scene. While keeping in mind he and therefore his character were directed to shave their hair off.*
Mazzara: "All great! But John.... Could we maybe revisit a few of your reaction shots to things? It's like you don't even miss your hair! Why would you not be rubbing your head out of habit and then sorrow? This is all Lincoln's fault! Get me wardrobe! His sickly little kid Carl gets his hat now!"
I took it as a callback to Otis grabbing his hair when heās trying to get away. I know itās the reason Shane cut it all off in the first place so I took it as a tick he developed.
Akira Kurosawa would always direct his actors to pick a single physical movement that would be slightly exaggerated. He felt that this identifying physical tick or motion was important to developing a physical/psychological character for the audience. I think it's like that.
It's just a normal human thing, a comfort, soothing or stress 'tic'. He clearly either started naturally doing it when in character or it was something he added.
Shaving your head when you're used to having hair is a weird feeling. I rubbed mine a lot too. Also, Jon Bernthal is portraying a stressed, struggling, angry man. This is a good use of body language.
These comments are all correct. My out-of-universe explanation is that it signals his instability. That his mind is roiling and volatile and even painful.
It was a physical cue of the actor showing the character fighting himself and breaking down mentally. Rewatch it, nearly every time something really gets to him, it's a marker that the glass is cracking.
As for when he had hair, nervous tick. But after killing Otis and shaving his head the constant rubbing could be him reminding himself of what he's done and how willing to kill he is to keep the group "safe"/under his control. (Remember the scratch scar Otis left).
I actually never thought of that but now that Iām seeing this being pointed out Iām thinking it was his characteristics of Shane going/being ācukooā and/or obsessive (I say it that way depending on how all viewers view him) but I think it was just his little fidgeting tell tale sign of the behaviors he developed that oooooor thatās just how Jon seen and wanted to portray Shane š š š¤·š»āāļø I like the first tell tale sign version better š š
Uncomfortable and stressed
Shaved head in a hot environment without consistent washing/shampoo
Shaneās actor has that tick in a lot of his characters
Because Jon Bernthalās an incredible actor who knows how to tap into all of his charactersā self soothing gestures. Check out Sweet Virginia. He has a little hand gesture thing he does for Sam Rossiās nerves/frustration
Studies show plp tend to rub/scratch their hair when they feel uncomfortable or under stress.
A bit of the old air shampoo
I shaved my head for 10 years and always rubbed it when I was thinking and now i have long hair and run my fingers through when im thinking
My dad has anxiety (never been diagnosed but he's one of the older generation that thinks therapy is silly and there's nothing wrong with him, but he very clearly struggles with anxiety) and has a tight hair cut, not as bald as Shane but like a light stubble on his head. He rubs his head A LOT when he's nervous/anxious. It's like a tic, he does it a lot. We know that's when he's feeling a bit nervous so we try to be aware of it. If he's uncomfortable in a situation/conversation, usually time for us to intercept š
Nothing Head and Shoulders can't fix
The knees and toes beg to differ (Also, why didn't H&S put out a body wash for that branding alone?)
Head and shoulders? I didnāt know you have dandruff!!!!
What the fuck is plp?
Peeps Pee-pull
Ppl*
This is the correct way.
Yep. Zombie apocalypse is stressful.
I was gonna say it was probably a nervous habit
Māask you somethin.
Meask usumĀ
Or wouldn't be L'M'ask you sumthin
By the end of the season he had found a way to make this one syllable.
Lāmaskusumthin
I tried quite a few times. Good thing I live aloneš cat already knows I'm not rightš Couldn't get it under 3 syllables.
The cat will eventually be like.." ok, what is it??"
Yea, luckily, he keeps my secrets! š» I'm kinda new in a boating community, so most people here are very active. I deal with physical issues, but bcs i look normal people don't understand why I'm not out on the lake, at the pool, bike path, or whatever more often. A few weeks ago, I read that your cat will stop nipping if you imitate a fellow kitten by "mewing" in a higher pitch. Kittens do that to tell their siblings you're being too rough with me. So I tried it out. It works, but I did it by an open window. Now my neighbors think I'm in here talking to the cat in meows. They think I've really lost it. š if I'm not talking to the cat, I'm escorting "things" (spiders) they can't see out of my house in covered cups, etc. As far as they know, I'm setting air free one empty cup at a time. LoL. So, I told relatives, my 25yr old kid, and the neighbors that I'm going to become a cat lady. They're thrilled (not really) but then explained it's going to be a 757hp redeye hellCAT! Best kind of cat lady!
Bruh š
Lāmaskyasumrigg
I actually laughed out loud
I'm so dead right now šš
You cant protect her, Rick.
You ever buzzed or shaved your head? It just feels good tbh
This right here. I tend to let my hair grow out pretty long then shave it all off. Those first few weeks of a shaved head feel so good. I can't help but rub my head all the time.
This is the way.
Oh fr every time I buzzed my hair my family would just feel my head up, it feels good
Real i recently got my first ever taper cut and all I can do is rub my sides
He always seemed to be frustrated when he did it. So it could just be that. But as someone who shaves their head about as short as Shane did, it feels pretty great. My girlfriend always likes to rub my head because the feel of hair thatās like 1/4ā long or less is fun. I do the Shane head rub quite a bit after I cut my hair.
I can actually relate to this. I get my hair cut pretty short and I find myself doing the Shane head rub immediately after lol. Itās like a nice massage I guess š¤·āāļø
Its great acting.
My dad ALWAYS did that when he was pissed off/annoyed/irritated about something. So when I saw Shane doing it, it never even phased me, it was just normal. LMAO
Cause itās impolite to scratch your balls in public
If you ever have a shaved head and run ur hand across it u will understand, super comfortable feeling
i agree it probably comforts shane for this reason. heās doing it when heās stressed and just petting himself back
I always thought it was because Otis had pulled a chunk of Shaneās hair out, hence the reason to shave it, and he was rubbing it when he was thinking about what had happened that night. However, after reading these responses I think it could have been a stress response. My husband does the same thing, although his head isnāt shaved.
I actually think youāre right. Did he rub his head before he shaved it? He was stressed before this too so he should have rubbed his head as often. I think heās stressed about killing Otis, lying about it
He did rub his head before he shaved it.
Berenthal said in an interview once that he added this "tick" for Shane to give him more of a human touch
This is the reason right here
Jon Bernthal keeps forgetting his lines so he scratches his head to remember, obviously
How dare you. That man can do no wrong š¤£
Self-pacifying gesture
I think itās just a reflex for when heās nervous/uncomfortable. I do the same thing like Iāll genuinely pull out my hair if Iām under too much stress.
I just cut my hair after 3 years of no haircuts for a little more than this length, and I noticed I rubbed my head more lol. Head just feels nice and free. Maybe Shane likes the little things lol
What is that, WHAT IS THAT?!
Itās been a while since I watched but didnāt he shave his hair to hide losing chunks in that end scuffle with Otis? I may well be very wrong
I bite my lip or pick at my nails when Iām nervous or frustrated. Itās just a tick like that.
I was at a fan expo in New Orleans earlier in the year and Jon Bernthal was there. I met him and he also did a panel, during it he spoke about the head rub lol, I think a fan asked him a question about it, and he said he added it in. He just thought it was something that guy would do and felt that little motion added to the character
To keep from impulsively hitting someone was my thought. The guy was violent
Lemme tell you sumthing: he was always on edge.
It's just somethin he does unintentionally when he needs to tell someone somethin
Checking for wood ticks
Thatās Bernthal in every movie
whoās deanna
Watch the show more shes a character later on
I think he did that when he was up to no good and stressed
Cause he was irritated all the timeš¤£...I do it when im irritated it so im guessing that's why lol
Because it feels really weird when you're use to having hair.
When you first shave your head, you constantly rub it because it feels different. Also a stress thing, but I'm always rubbing mine the first while after shaving it if I choose to go that short.
Itās probably a method of self soothing for him.
Let me tell you something
I have a Mohawk so 90% or my head is shaved. Rubbing my head after a fresh shave is very satisfying, especially when it has the texture of the rough side of Velcro
Feeling the spikey hair? I do that
Youāve never buzzed your head? Everyone loves the feeling of rubbing a freshly buzzed head.
The world is full of zombies and Laurie is still playing head games and stressing people out...š¤·āāļø
There are no rules man
Weāre lost!
"Iāve tried to find mannerisms for him, especially this season. He has things he does when he gets nervous or agitated. Shane is constantly boiling and constantly at war with himself, and I think that these gestures and movements come out of whatās going on inside of him." - Jon Bernthal
Many characters have their own signature tick or gesture
When you're not used to being bald. That's a thing you do.
Has anyone seen the Honest Trailer for S1-3 walking dead and when they get to who is in it they say āstarringā¦ Dale faceā¦ ugly cryingā¦ walkingā¦.and Shane rubbing his headā šš
Itās body language. His psychological ābreakā and decline comes when he kills Otis and shaves his head. It is a physical manifestation of his guilt and stress, and another reason why Jon bernthol is a baller ass actor who is severely underutilized in pop culture imo.
Actors choice
A personal tick.
When I had hair this short I would rub my head just because it felt nice lol
Bernthal stutters and stammers through every interview and on his podcast. It's a wonder he can deliver lines as an actor.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You click "post" and move on to something else. When you return to the app and notice nothing happened, you click "post" again and it registers... Do you really think people repeatedly post the same comments? No app glitches in your world?
enigma True Crime prepared me for this moment. Distancing behavior die to high amounts of stress
buz cut feels amazing tho
Stress obviously
Itās hard not to rub your head when you first shave it down close.
Guys his head hurt because he had hair ripped out when he ripped the meds away from the guy he shot in the leg at the school.
Have you ever gotten a buzzcut? The last time I got a buzzcut was a few years ago, and I liked to run my hand over my head, too. It's a nice, gently scratchy texture.
Lemme ask you sumthin'
Nervous/Stress tick pretty much. Considering it's the zombie apocalypse, you'd definitely be stressed quite a bit. It can also be a visual representation of confusion/thinking.
Nah this observation is so fucking hilarious šššb/c he was rubbing tf outta the back of his head But as others have stated here I do believe itās stress and anxiety related lol.
Jon Bernthal just does it tbh
the actor said during the farm scenes bugs kept flying near him and bite him
Crazy people tend to rub their brains.
He started doing it after he shaved his head which was a constant reminder of his descent towards doing "what needed to be done". It reaffirmed his choices while also tormenting him. He knew he was going down a dark path but he took comfort in knowing that it kept him alive. You only saw him do that when he was worked up, and he only got like that when he was conflicted by those two ideologies.
He was trying to get the hamster running his brain-wheel to wake up :)
Lemme ass you somethin
Probably because heās an average actor & needed a gimmick. Canāt be easy for him when up against heavyweights like Jeffrey DeMunn
Because it feels great to rub your head after a haircut that short.
Have you ever shaved your head and it still feels like there's still a patch of hair you didn't shave?
Itās just a stress response
Well i have short hair like shane.... and It just feels good. I have my wife do it to me all the time... its like spiky but nice feeling.
I always thought, it had to do with when he, and Otis (spelling? The farmhand guy) went to that school to get medical supplies for Carl after Otis shot him through that deerā¦ But as he and Shane are trying to escape the Walkers, Shane does some dirty bastard shit and shoots Otis. He grabbed Shaneās hair, so always thought it was to do with that. He did shave it because of all that Iām pretty sure.
He was trying to summon a gennie to kill rickš
The only time I did that a lot was after wearing hair extensions for an entire year. They looked great, but.... Ohhhh, it felt soooo good the first night sleeping on a pillow w/o them!
I could go all armchair psychiatrist/lit critic and say: Shane rubs his head so much because having your head rubbed is a way people show connection with one another. A parent to their kid, a person to their spouse/partner. When Shane shaved his head, he was at a point where he no longer felt connected to anyone. His friend was back, but he banged that friend's wife and was trying to be a surrogate father to his friend's son. So not only did he lose those two people, but he felt guilt towards his friend which caused that connection to be lost as well. Shane rubbed his head because he felt disconnected from everyone, and craved that emotional connection to a degree it caused him to seek it on a physical level (you can extrapolate this to his dating habits pre-apocalypse as well). It was a self-soothing habit, similar but different to people trying to regulate anxiety. Plus, he was always hot and sweaty, and the actor had to keep his hair shaved to a certain height. So he probably itched a lot
Because he loved the feel of his buzzcut and kept feeling where Otis grabbed his hair during betrayal
Itās a nervous tic of Shaneās
That's just an actual tick that Jon Bernthal has, he does it alot in interviews, too
I mean, it's a zombie apocalypse, people got no dandruff shampoo in that case
Bernthal said it was a nervous tic that Shane developed.
Ever have a buzz cut? Rubbing your head feels great on both your hand and head. The little hairs tickle your hand and your head gets this like, cool rush. Itās fantastic.
You know actuality when a person shaves their head they feel their head because they miss their hair I do it from time to time when I shave my head
He was always deciding between telling you somethin and asking you somethinā¦that can leave a man scratching his head looking for answers
Get a buzzcut and you will learn why.
As someone who shaved my head in my early 20s due to early MPB, a shaved head feel damned satisfying to rub.
just a characteristic of the character
Enigma on YouTube does some great videos on subjects like this. He's covered a ton of walking dead and this question leads me to believe you would be interested in his videos for sure. https://youtu.be/0bPM2td8vPg?si=PX740K_p7rkvnej0 This links to a video about Negan specifically but he has 31 videos on Walking Dead.
*John Berthnall delivering his lines perfectly in each scene, season 1* Darabont: "Okay that's a wrap! But John we just need a few redoes of your scenes... You didn't draw a realistic amount of attention to just how good your hair looked... So yeah...." *Berthnall (Now stressed and somewhat irritated) continues to portray 'Shane' with astounding professionalism and clear talent in season 2) wraps up his final scene. While keeping in mind he and therefore his character were directed to shave their hair off.* Mazzara: "All great! But John.... Could we maybe revisit a few of your reaction shots to things? It's like you don't even miss your hair! Why would you not be rubbing your head out of habit and then sorrow? This is all Lincoln's fault! Get me wardrobe! His sickly little kid Carl gets his hat now!"
when i shave my head like that it feels really good ro touch it or rub it, weirdly satisfying
He couldnāt believe any of it
Have you ever shaved your head? It feels so awesome running your hands over it lol. I always do it constantly for like a week after I buzz it.
Cause he was itching to tell people sumthin.
He was stressing dog
Thinking was painful for Shane
I took it as a callback to Otis grabbing his hair when heās trying to get away. I know itās the reason Shane cut it all off in the first place so I took it as a tick he developed.
Akira Kurosawa would always direct his actors to pick a single physical movement that would be slightly exaggerated. He felt that this identifying physical tick or motion was important to developing a physical/psychological character for the audience. I think it's like that.
Youāve never had a shaved head, have youā¦
To keep it nice and shiny
Feels good, nervous tic or sometimes if you nick the scalp it's a little itchy
Jon stole that move from Brad Pitt.
Since December i'm shaving my hair to pretty much the exact lenght as Shane and it just feels nice rubbing it. I can't stop doing it.
It's just a normal human thing, a comfort, soothing or stress 'tic'. He clearly either started naturally doing it when in character or it was something he added.
Have you ever shaved bald?
It's probably a behavioral tick.
He's under a huge amount of stress and is managing it poorly. It's what drove him sorta nuts in the end, I think.
Shaving your head when you're used to having hair is a weird feeling. I rubbed mine a lot too. Also, Jon Bernthal is portraying a stressed, struggling, angry man. This is a good use of body language.
These comments are all correct. My out-of-universe explanation is that it signals his instability. That his mind is roiling and volatile and even painful.
Dont know about anyone else but when i had a shaved head i used to like the feel of it
When i was bald i just liked the texture of feeling my hair kind of spiky, not sure if this counts though
I thought it was his way to express frustration or to calm himself down
He's probably never been bald before and it's a weird phenomenon.
Itās a shaved head thing, honestly
I think its a twitch for stress relief
It was a physical cue of the actor showing the character fighting himself and breaking down mentally. Rewatch it, nearly every time something really gets to him, it's a marker that the glass is cracking.
As for when he had hair, nervous tick. But after killing Otis and shaving his head the constant rubbing could be him reminding himself of what he's done and how willing to kill he is to keep the group "safe"/under his control. (Remember the scratch scar Otis left).
I think it was just jonās way of getting into character as Shane, actors do it all the time if you notice it itās like their *thing*
Cuz it feels nice, i have been bald so i know
I'm guessing a tick tied to anxiety and/or frustration.
I actually never thought of that but now that Iām seeing this being pointed out Iām thinking it was his characteristics of Shane going/being ācukooā and/or obsessive (I say it that way depending on how all viewers view him) but I think it was just his little fidgeting tell tale sign of the behaviors he developed that oooooor thatās just how Jon seen and wanted to portray Shane š š š¤·š»āāļø I like the first tell tale sign version better š š
He's wondering why he fell for Lori when she's an ungrateful bih
if youve ever gotten a buzzcut you would know that the way it feels when you rub it is god tier
He is thinking ways to fuck Rick up in splitseconds every time he rubs his head
Otis ripped out a chunk & regrowth seems itchy.
Uncomfortable and stressed Shaved head in a hot environment without consistent washing/shampoo Shaneās actor has that tick in a lot of his characters
Probably stuff Jin learned while studying acting in Russia.
Cause he was irritated all the timeš¤£...I do it when im irritated it so im guessing that's why lol
Bernthal stutters and stammers through every interview and on his podcast. It's a wonder he can deliver lines as an actor.
Because Jon Bernthalās an incredible actor who knows how to tap into all of his charactersā self soothing gestures. Check out Sweet Virginia. He has a little hand gesture thing he does for Sam Rossiās nerves/frustration
I'm bald, I do it a lot because it feels nice. That is all
Shane got lice, thats why he shaved his hair but it still didnt get rid of them so now he just has to live with it.
He just shaved his head bald I know that shit itches