Hair Watch: Diane McInerney

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Hair Watch

When a head of Super-Hair is on display, it's worth watching. When it's on display day after day and in risky situations, that earns special attention. This section of the site has a goal of providing it -- by keeping regular updates on how women with Super-Hair deal with the challenges they face, whether successfully or not.

DIANE McINERNEY of television's "Inside Edition" was the choice of Hair Fans for a 2005 study. We put her on our Hot List or a shoulder-length style which bounces a lot, yet stays in place with strength precariously close to her left eye. Will daily reporting pressures bring this style down? Expect some true hair drama here....

Because this show is syndicated, only the days of broadcast are listed - and all posts are based on our ability to watch and record the program:

Thu, 28 Apr: Diane grills a female National Guard member, who mud-wrestled and showed her (ahem) secret parts while serving in Iraq. Our exclusive vid-caps of this exclusive interview find no pressure on this style in a studio setting, with gentle waviness below the ears.

Later in the Inside Edition newsroom, notice how close to the left eye her hair is. That strip almost reminds us of Jamie Colby's flip, because it seems locked down in position tightly.

Tue, 26 Apr, Amityville, NY: Oh, no! Diane visits the Long Island house made famous in the "Amityville Horror" movies - and there's a little wind blowing outside! Is our hair hero's style in mortal danger? The right side of the style isn't; as always, it's sticking strongly behind her ear....

... and the light breeze isn't enough to cause problems for this overall straight-looking style. Diane even turned to her right twice while on camera, then turned back. We believe this vid-cap followed one of the turns - and she's leaning the head left a little for safety, which is unusual for her. But the hair around the left eye never comes close to a horror-filled drama.

Mon, 25 Apr: Martha Stewart's appearance at the Time magazine event is questioned as a possible "house arrest" violation. A short bit of McInerney's interview with Stewart is played, but all we see of McInerney is part of the back of her head.

(Stewart's hair, of course, is nowhere near "Super" status, as it plops in her face often.)

Wed, 20 Apr, New York: At a Time magazine indoor event, Diane asks celebrities what they think of the new Pope. Everyone seems to like him -- and we like this very natural-looking style with only a hint of wave and curl. The angle of the hair near the left eye is very low, but no doubt solidly sprayed into place.

Have you noticed in three months on this watch, Diane's never tied her hair back on the air at all -- not even a ponytail? She dares to wear it long, and so often wears it very well....

Mon, 18 Apr, New York: Can Diane's strong hair survive an ocean wave that's seven stories high? No, we don't see that - but she's portside, interviewing cruise ship passengers who just encountered a wave that huge off the U.S. east coast. There's no wind to test her waves in a short on-camera appearance. They're perfectly positioned off the left eye (thanks to spray, we suspect), with a bit of flip at the tips.

(We wonder a bit about the hair around the right ear. Is it out enough to blow forward, if a breeze came from that direction? With no breeze, you're left to speculate.)

Wed, 6 Apr, New York: Diane returns to the ABC building for a follow-up on Peter Jennings's cancer - and she offers quite a provocative look at this style. Her left eye is shadowed by the hair resting just above it! And that hair makes a dramatic S-curve, from the forehead around the left side of her face to her chin. There's even a slight S-curve on the right side, to push that hair back.

If only a breeze was blowing, to test this delicate looking style's strength....

Diane is seen walking outside with a lung cancer survivor, and with her head dipping down. But sorry, there's no wind today - so the left side of the style rests there, temptingly and precisely. This truly is McInerney's hair at its finest.

Her report also includes an indoor interview with CBS anchorman Bob Schieffer, showing the right side of her hair tucked back behind an ear. For a change, long hair actually is in front of her right shoulder.

Tue, 5 Apr, New York: Diane reports outside ABC headquarters, on the announcement that news anchor Peter Jennings has lung cancer. Three definite layers of hair are apparent near her left shoulder: the "bang" section above the eye, a middle level curving back at chin level and the longest hair touching her shoulder.

There's no wind blowing, so a slight tilt of the head doesn't affect the style. But it does show the top layer a bit better, in terms of how she has to be using spray to keep it in position.

Wed, 30 Mar, New York: Diane makes a brief appearance in the newsroom, interviewing someone long-distance about a shark outbreak along the Florida coast. She appears too quickly for us to vid-cap, but her style is the usual beauty: long, wavy and solidly in position.

Sat-Sun, 26-27 Mar: The weekend telecast delights us by replaying the "housewives" report - and we catch the dramatic moment we mentioned there, with Diane tipping her head to show off her outfit. The hair above the left eye does not "go vertical," as the rest of the hair does. This seems to prove she's used something extra there for hold, such as spray. Strength at the brink of defeat can be thrilling to watch -- and her style has it.

Tue, 22 Mar: Diane is inside a bar, warning about the risks of "power hour" rituals for people just turning 21. This hair seemingly couldn't be in a riskier position around her left eye -- but it sticks tightly throughout her short appearance, with the style not even flexing from what we can tell.

(This report included an interview with someone in Fargo, North Dakota, but we don't know if Diane actually was there.)

Mon, 21 Mar, New York: This picture is blurry on purpose (for once) - as Diane cleans the camera lens, to illustrate a story on how being a housewife is becoming chic again. This hair actually looks more daring than normal for her, as her left side seems to have no curl or support at all. But in other scenes during this report, the usual curl is there. And in a moment which occurred too fast for us to shoot, Diane lowers her head noticeably to point out something she's wearing -- and without tilting her head to one side, the long hair goes down and up precisely, with spray seemingly keeping hair above her left eye.

This report also is noteworthy for two different views of Diane's left side. This one has only a little curl at the end, and almost gives the impression the hair is cut in gradual layers.

But this moment in the Inside Edition newsroom shows hair actually tucked behind her left ear. She doesn't do this often, but she can when she considers it necessary. (Why it's necessary in a newsroom, we're not sure.)

Mon, 14 Mar, New York: Diane's hair doesn't quit, as she talks with the American Idol contestant who did. The only view we have is of her right side, pulled back around her ear. But in reality, only strands closest to her right eye seem to be actually on the ear We suspect spray supports the rest.

For those of you who like back views of hair, this is the best one we have of McInerney. She throws it behind her shoulder, but we really don't think all of it is long enough to go beyond the shoulder itself.

Sat-Sun, 12-13 Mar: The weekend edition of Inside Edition replays the 8 March Sean Connery report, allowing a second chance to see McInerney in motion. We get a better view of how well-curled the left side of the style is -- with the first big turn appearing to come above and off the left eye...

....but this rather blurry side view shows that's an illusion of the camera. The "bangs" sweeping above the left eye are curved, intersecting with long hair sweeping forward in a curl toward her left cheek. That strip of curl is quite wide, probably at least two inches.

Wed, 9 Mar, Chicago: Diane is outside in the "Windy City" examining new high-tech traffic cameras. Wind is blowing at her style -- but sending that left side back. You can almost count three layers of hair on that side: the top level above the eye, a center level much less tightly groomed yet flowing, and a bottom level with almost a full curl at the ends.

The breeze dies down, but the hair doesn't come down much. Serious teasing is noticeable above the forehead, to make sure things don't get out of control. Diane's also tipping her head left a bit (actually rare for her), so no strands drop down in her eye.

Isn't it interesting how much care Diane takes with the "off side" of this style? The right side is pulled so far back, it almost isn't visible. She doesn't want any surprises there, which could send flyaways in from the other direction.

Tue, 8 Mar, New York: "Sean Connery is a lousy neighbor!" a woman complains - so Diane is sent out to investigate. We never see her outdoors, but she shows us all around the woman's residence. The key left-side strands here seem sprayed a little higher than usual.

Diane shows us a damaged ceiling a couple of times, but looking up won't endanger this style. If anything, it lets her shake hair off the face if necessary - but on this day, her hair isn't moving much at all.

This view shows the left side looks quite natural, with hardly any extra curl at all. The strands above the left eye almost appear to be short bangs.

From the other side, Diane relies on her shoulder to keep hair back - although there might be a tiny strip secured behind her right ear.

Mon, 7 Mar, New York: Diane interviews the sister of Scott Peterson (no, Taina Hernandez was not present). The basic setup of the style is unchanged, and the hair above the left eye looks like it's in a delicate position. (We suspect some spray is hiding here, though.) And how about some wide curl, with a few tips pointing almost at her chin?

Diane walks down a newsroom hallway with her interview subject , and lets us see the left side better. All that curl could have been accomplished with extra-large rollers. But it's interesting to see an apparent "boundary line" in the style, where the wide curl stops and only end-curl remains.

Wed, 2 Mar: Diane never discloses where she is, but she interviews the mother of former "white supremacist" sect leader Matthew Hale. If there's hair behind the right ear, we can't really tell. The left side of the style appears to have a light wave from the ear down -- noticeably curving back around eye-level, for protection. We're in awe of women who prepare hair with this much attention to detail, so the style has as much room to flex and maneuver as possible.

Diane kindly turns that left side toward us, to show that curve around the eye. It appears a coat of spray is the only thing keeping hair in position, off the left eye. No wind is blowing outside to give us a clue, or give the style a test of strength.

"Is your son a murderer?" Diane asks Hale's mother. We've brightened the picture from a quick question, to show how she set the style indoors. There's obvious teasing back around the crown, pulling the right side of the hair back and creating a "wave" on the left side somewhat like surfers would face at the beach. Hair from well back in the part comes over the top to be in front of the forehead -- while hair above the left eye is hidden, and perhaps protected from elements which would drop it down in the face.

(Oh, by the way -- Hale's mother answered the question no.)

Mon, 28 Feb, New York: Apparently because the Los Angeles reporters were out covering Oscar parties all night, Diane oversees opening statements in the Michael Jackson trial from the Inside Edition newsroom. She's on camera an unusually long time for this show, but her hair isn't even bouncing as she speaks. The slight tilt of the head to Diane's left ensures the bangs don't droop into an eye.

Note her right side of the style isn't completely behind an ear, showing it's sculpted into place (we'd guess with spray). Let her outside, bosses - please?

Sat-Sun, 26-27 Feb: Diane fills in as co-host of Inside Edition Weekend. We missed this show, but a Hair Watcher did not -- and we thank that person for sending us this great vid-cap of a very soft-looking style. The left side of the hair is blended together (perhaps with some sort of gel) to look just a bit "messy," yet no doubt sprayed to stay strong. And perhaps larger rollers were used, to create curls which start higher than normal.

Wed, 23 Feb, New York: It's yet another day in the newsroom for Diane, reporting on an alleged child art prodigy. The right side of the style again is tossed behind the shoulder, so Hair Fans can't help focusing on that left side. No bouncing is noticeable in a short appearance, and the curl in the hair seems focused on the ends.

Diane interviewed this young artist and her family in September 2004. Tape of that interview is replayed, with only this admittedly blurry shot of McInerney. The hair was pulled behind her left ear on this occasion to keep things secure, but other strands seem to turn back and forward even without this.

Sat, 19 Feb: The weekend version of Inside Edition replays the Ashley Olsen story and allows us this rather provocative vid-cap, as Diane turns the risky left side of the style toward the camera. Which section gets more of your interest -- the bulging curl near the cheek? Or that strip sitting temptingly in front of the long hair about four inches above it?

Wed, 16 Feb, New York: Diane is in the newsroom again, reporting on Ashley Olsen's lawsuit against the National Enquirer. The only noticeable style difference from the day before is a bit more rounded curl at the ends. But as always, the left eye is what we're watching - and the hair is angled a bit wider compared to the part.

A slight tilt of her head proves the sidepart is firmly in position, probably sprayed that way. We count one bounce of the hair during her short appearance, but nothing is going out of line.

Tue, 15 Feb, New York: Diane is in the Inside Edition newsroom, providing an update on the Michael Jackson pre-trial events. This is a straighter approach to her style, with curve occurring only around the tips.

A slight turn of the head surprisingly moves the left-side hair closer to her eyes. The strands never fall, but they remind us how little room for error she tends to display.

Mon, 14 Feb, Rockville, MD: The topic is the manufacture of synthetic diamonds. Diane shows more wave than full-curl here, with the strip near the left eye turning back dangerously low around eye-level. But for part of this report, that's not a problem....

....because the gem-making process requires her to put on goggles and a "hair cap."

The strip near the left eye seems to loosen from the rest of the style after the goggles are on. It's awfully close, but not dropping down completely.

Here's a picture from an interview in the report. A strip of hair is placed beautifully on the left shoulder, showing off the curl there - and hair remains mere fractions off her left eye. But the right side of the style is pushed as far back as possible. We suppose this allows Diane to focus on only one area of hair concern.

The right side comes forward in this admittedly-grainy shot, as she looks down at some gems. But the movement is at the ends, not up high around the ear where the face might become covered. Diane must have adjusted the left side of the style a bit, so that's kept clear.

Fri, 11 Feb: Google video shows Diane's hair finally back on the air, in a story on a more private body part. This is the best vid-cap available, showing she tucks hair behind the right ear for security. There's no good picture of the left side of the style, so see how it's doing.

Thu, 10 Feb: After an apparent week away, Diane has only been heard in a couple of reports this week - not seen on camera. Do you think there's a conspiracy going on against us?

Thu, 27 Jan, New Jersey: The topic is skin-showing prom dresses - and for some reason, Inside Edition shows very little of Diane. She previews the story and does an interview, but April Woodard is the "reporter." Our camera doesn't do McInerney's preview justice, but there's good curl at the ends -- and we count one good bounce in about ten seconds.

This is the only view of Diane from the interview. How about that S shape at the left edge of the style? The wave is clearly defined, and prepared to turn above her left eye.

Tue, 25 Jan, New York: Diane interviews an animal expert about his appearances with the late Johnny Carson. She's in a studio, with hair we can't recall seeing quite this long before. Perhaps a wavier look as opposed to curled ends adds an inch or two of length. The critical strip around the left eye is well-sprayed for hold, and perhaps flipped with an iron slightly as well. The hair on her right side probably doesn't need to be thrown back behind her shoulder, but she does it.

Thanks to the wonderful new "Google video" search engine (bound to only get better), we can catch up on some recent days we missed. Here Diane's right-side hair is forward, and looking rather close to trouble. The left side is at an even more acute angle compared to the part, seemingly more difficult to keep off her eye - but the curve of the hair begins even closer to the crown, to keep the style in place.

There's barely any curve noticeable in this vid-cap, which may explain why Diane's leaning her head to her left a bit. That lean drops long hair down just enough to give the left eye room, and keep her unbeaten in our watch.

Thu, 20 Jan, Washington: It's inauguration day - and if you're distracted by the parade and protesters, you miss an amazing McInerney moment. In the first 30 seconds of the telecast, she speaks to us while going up an escalator. There's a bit more curl at the tips today, and those bangs near the left eye look loose.

We're going to see how loose they are, because she turns right to refer to the crowd below. This turn reveals to us a bit of wide "body curl" on the left side of the style, bending toward her shoulder. But she's going to have to turn back to the camera in a second - and remember, she's going up an escalator. Will any loose hair refuse to move with her, and fall in that left eye?

Without even tipping the head to protect her face, Diane turns back quickly. Almost half the left eyebrow is covered! But the hair angles away, perhaps two-thirds of an inch off the eye....

....then the hair bounces up (this is the maximum point, seemingly revealing some hair tucked behind the left ear for some reason)....

....and it bounces back down, dramatically stopping at the very edge of the left eye. There's slight bounce after that, but nothing to defeat this style.

If that's not enough, Diane appears minutes later outside near the U.S. Capitol. There's a bit of wind blowing, but it's blowing the hair back more than anything.

This is as much as the hair flexes in the breeze. What looks like straight-angled strands near the left eye above somehow shows a bit of a curve above the left eye when the wind presses it. We think that's proof she used spray on the critical area, and it held tightly.

Did we mention something about "hair drama" with this woman? It's certainly on display here - and as it does so often, McInerney's high-risk hair bounces enough to attract us, then holds tightly enough in the clutch to leave us marveling at its strength and endurance. Wow....

Tue, 18 Jan, Washington: Diane is covering the U.S. Presidential inauguration - and showing a style that for her is a bit flat. Hardly any curl is noticeable beyond the tips. But she's inside a hotel, so no weather threat can push the hair around. The key for her style obviously is around the left eye, and that area seems solidly sprayed.

(By the way, Diane's teeth are not really that shiny and dazzling. That's the flash from our new, higher-quality digital camera. Please be patient with us, as we learn to use it.)

Diane steps into a kitchen preparing food for an inaugural ball. The slight dip of her head is not enough to bring hair down toward her face. In fact, we think we spot a bit of lifting on the right side of the style to push hair back.

Diane also steps into a frosty-cold horse arena, and provides this great side view (admittedly a bit dark) of her hair's left side. If there's spray here, it must be only around the eye - and the bangs appear to start bending a touch below eye-level, not above it. This adds to the riskiness of the style, but it never even bounces on-camera.

You can join the "Hair Watch," by contributing reports and/or vid-caps of styles under our focus. Send them to us via e-mail: Super-Hair@email.com .

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OTHER HAIR WATCHES:

Season 5: Taina Hernandez (Final 1/16/5)

Season 4: Katie Couric (Final 9/12/4)

Season 3: Jennifer Hawkins (Final 7/17/4)

Season 2: Stephanie Woods

Season 1: Norah O'Donnell (Final 3/22/4)