It seemingly began as an underground attempt at trendiness, I.E. the non-cliché hipster of 2014 and 2015. Men of all ages have begun to let those locks grow long, whipping it up into all unique styles of bun jobs, ranging from the tiny top-knot and shaved sides, the baby bun, and even the full grown head of hair that rivals most women (see the love of my life’s Instagram, Brock O’Hurn, and you’ll get the full glorious man bun effect).
The trend defiantly stands out, and has been steadily gaining popularity since its inception into pop culture in recent months with Jared Leto and David Beckham as their initial poster children; however what we don’t realize is that this style is nothing new. From the ages of the American revolution, to the turbulence of the late 60’s and early 70’s, the merman-like hair recycled trend has conveniently coincided with extreme social and political reconstructions and represented the people who openly defy current social, political, or cultural standards of their day.
During the American Revolution, men notoriously rocked the styled and coiffed wigs, and pony tails. Picture the great Thomas Jefferson with pen poised over parchment, tendrils of hair falling over his face as he intently leans towards the paper in concentration, or George perched leg-up atop his boat sailing gallantly across the Potomac to ambush, his long locks whipping back from the cold winter gales. These men worked tirelessly openly fighting the existing standard of British rule and oppression through both physical combat and the written word that acted as catalysts for change (cue high school American History class discussions of the Declaration and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense). In doing so, these men created a new nation.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the subcultural hippie movement of men against showers and haircuts, with a general distaste for organized work forces swept the nation in defying the economic, political, and cultural consequences of the day. “Make love, not war” became the mantra for living, and created a counter to the materialism and repression that they believed the modern society valued. The movement held a lasting impact by creating widespread concern towards the environment, and a general lessoning of cultural formality, including such formerly taboo topics as sexuality.
Conversely, the same can be said when we take a look at women. In the 1920s, those long innocent curls formerly peeking out from under ribbon-wrapped bonnets were chopped. Flappers with scandalous thigh-bearing dresses and cropped hair became the new image of “woman,” and the face of the feminist movement that finally provided women the right to vote in the United States. Today, pixie cuts on the likes of Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson, and Emma Watson are making their own comeback.
It’s no surprise then that once again, we are experiencing radical changes in hairstyle at a time that reflect the hearts of the people. Gender roles are becoming flipped on their head and entirely redefined and as well as sexuality and the stereotypes associated with them. We are at the cusp of a massive social movement currently in the works with the millennial generation, finding how we want to recognize the LGBT community and any form of sexuality that people choose to accept.
Maybe it’s really not too far of a stretch to assume that the follicles that define your looks may also define the future of your community, or of your culture. So this begs the question: Guys, what change does the Man Bun Movement bring?
