new thread
Hello fellow longhairs,
After reading and thinking about PaulKMF's wonderful post re. Jack Kirby and the influence comics have had on men growing their hair out, I thought I'd share my own perspective and memories on the history of men's long hair, as per the era I was born (1953) to the present day.
From my earliest memories as a child, I don't recall seeing any male during the 1950s or even during the early '60s having hair that even remotely came close to shoulder-length -- that was just considered totally "taboo" in Western Society (in North America, at least). My dad, who was an ex-navy man, even hated Elvis Presley for having "long" hair... Can you imagine that Elvis's pompadour (which maybe at the very most, his bangs might have reached as far down as the tip of his nose, if combed forward) was actually considered "long?"
The only long hair on a male I remember seeing when I was age 10 or younger was in National Geographic magazines (photos of Native American Indians, or other similar Native peoples living in remote parts of the world from me); old photos or paintings of famous historical Europeans or early American Revolutionaries; or drawings depicting what Vikings, Barbarians, and other "exotic" men from the history books looked like.
To my eyes (as a kid), even Tarzan in the old black & white early Hollywood films had "long" hair!!!
When the Beatles first arrived in 1964 in the USA, their hair was considered "shockingly long!" Seriously, I'm not kidding, and I'm not making this up -- and yet now when you look back at old photos of what the Beatles looked like in '64, their hair doesn't seem long at all by today's standards.
The late 1960s brought about even MORE shockingly long hair on men.... It was a gradual thing, of course (after all, it takes awhile for hair to grow out, doesn't it?). Again, if we look back at old photos of the Beatles (as well as other Rock & Roll groups from the later 1960s), you can see their hair growing longer and longer -- eventually to shoulder-length (which was considered HORRIBLY SHOCKING by the older generation back then, my own dad being a good example of someone who absolutely despised it and didn't ever understand it).
By the time I became a teenager (in the summer of 1967), long hair was definitely considered "in" -- at least with the younger generation. My dad refused to allow me or my 4 brothers to have anything other than a military-looking super short hairstyle in his household. And at the beginning of every summer vacation, once school was out for the year, he insisted on all of us boys having buzz-cuts. We had NO choice in the matter. He viewed it as "good" for us, and would help us all prepare for whenever we were going to enter into "boot camp" (join the US military).
Again, I'm not making this up... I often joke around here at MLHH, being silly, etc. But in this post I am narrating what I actually lived through -- these are not theoretic comments or even "opinions", they are honest FACTS of what life was like for me when I was young, and how I viewed and experienced long hair on men as a part of my coming-of-age.
At age 18 I left my dad's home (after one year of attending college, so I was one month away from turning 19), immediately following him divorcing my step-mom and kicking my 3 step-brothers out of his house. Oddly enough, his biggest anger issues over divorcing her was that he felt she was a "bad influence" on me by not objecting to us growing out our hair!
Once I left home and entered into the workforce, my earliest jobs -- although allowing "long-ISH" hair on men -- had certain strict "dress-codes" that included a maximum limit allowed for males re. their hair length. Most of these dress-codes stated something like "cannot touch the collar" -- or as time progressed and the rules loosened, "cannot go beyond the collar"... the collar, by the way, referred to formal dress shirts (like businessmen wear).
I could narrate even more details about this history; but because I don't want to bore everyone by making this post to long (LOL), I'll stop soon!
To make a long story short: re. my own self, even though I had WANTED long hair for many many years (from as far back as I can remember, I always hated haircuts, and even remember crying & screaming in the barber's chair!!), I didn't successfully grow to ponytail length until my 40th birthday (1993)...
So now you've heard from one person who lived through a very important and ground-breaking time in Longhair History!
Long hair on men has been around looooong before I was born, of course; but for whatever reason it was historically not very popular and/or never or rarely seen during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, the 1960s was a big turning point, giving males in all corners of the globe (especially in Western Society) social "permission" to take a risk again in rebelling against the norm and growing their natural manes back out.
- Ken in San Francisco
My story is somewhat similar, I was born in 1954,
the rirst time I saw someone with long hair was the
Beatles in 1964 and I knew, at that time, I had to
have long hair.
Well the rest is history and my hair, now, in 2013
is still long.
My mom and dad divorced in 1964, dad objected to my long
hair but, being divorced he had no say. Mom was OK
with it and was very supportive.
So the long hair stayed long for all those 49 years.
Now I relished the idea of breaking the rules
in wearing hair and clothes. Every time I got
complaints from the school i'd take it as an incentive
to not only keep my long hair long but to grow it longer.
Yes, you being only one year younger than myself, you would remember the same basic things in American popular culture and living through that history as I did. I grew up in a small suburb of Chicago, IL, 5 blocks away from Lake Michigan and just a half-hour or less away from the Wisconsin state border. You being from New York state, our experiences and upbringing probably wasn't all that different (other than your parents allowed you to grow your hair out when you were still a minor, while mine did not)....
Thanks so much for your reply and comments, Mr. Albany!
- Ken
Now during the 60s i lived in a suburb of Milwaukee, only a few
miles north of you.
; You being from New York state, our experiences and upbringing probably wasn't all that different (other than your parents allowed you to grow your hair out when you were still a minor, while mine did not)....
Where my mom and dad were divorced, dad moved to Missouri with his new wife, my mom moved us to Massachusetts where we had
relatives living. I finished high school in Massachusetts, attended college in Massachusetts, and then moved to Albany.
Hi Ken,
First off great chatting with you over the weekend and the other day as we really talked up a storm! LOL.Always a pleasure hearing from you and talking about "whatever" one on one.
Reading your post here I really feel so bad how your desire to have long hair was denied by your dad and even early on in your working career.It makes me much happier today seeing young people able to present themselves more to their liking,some exceptions of course.LOL.Still I feel its easier now for men to have longhair then it was say 20 years ago.I feel very fortunate that I first started growing my hair out in my early 20s and have kept it long ever since!There is no way in hell I'd go back to short hair at all.More than half my life I've had longhair at this juncture.Currently I'm in the process of seeking a new job which is something I hadn't needed to do for 20 years.I worked for my last employer for 19 1/2 years.So when I go in for interviews I bun my hair with my wooden hair sticks and so far nothing was ever said about it.Maybe they didn't even notice but at my age I'm too hard headed and will not cut my hair;)With all that's going on at least my hair gives me pleasure so its gonna be a keeper.Anyway great narration my friend and glad you had fun this past weekend.Cheers
Mârk
I agree with you 100%, Mark, and also thank you for your other kind comments!
We all have slightly different experiences and personal history with long hair; but the one thing we do all share together is our innate natural desire to grow and keep it long, and our disagreement and resistance to anyone telling us we "have to" cut it short.
To an outsider (to guys with short hair who don't understand why anyone would want their hair long), it would appear as if we are just rebellious little brats who need to "grow up" and "fit in"; but to those of us who know on the inside that we feel more like ourselves when our hair is long (even if we have short hair at the moment, due to some sort of outside pressure to conform, or whatever the temporary reason), proves that there are "natural-born" longhairs, and that growing it out and keeping it long is NOT "just a phase!"
Yes, some guys do temporarily decide to grow their hair long; then cut it back to short after a period of time (for various reasons). But we should be just as supportive of these people as we are of long-term longhairs, because the issue is all about whatever makes us as human beings HAPPIEST in our individual lives -- and not being bullied into conforming to another person's "standard" of what would please them or be "approved" by them when looking at us...
I know, I know, I'm "preaching to the choir" again (LOL)!!
Thanks for your reply, Mark!
Long Lox 4ever,
Ken
Thanks guys for sharing your stories... and keep preaching to the choir!! I have wanted to do this for a long time, now I finally am... Like I posted before, others at work with ponytails shaved their heads a month after I started wearing one.... and wanted me to do the same! (no way)
Your story is very similar to mine, Ken, except I grew that ponytail a lot sooner. I went to high school in the '60s in Texas so long hair was something everybody wanted but schools and parents like mine and yours forbidded. I grew it out as soon as I moved out of the house in the early '70s, though. I did have my ups and downs with employers back then about hair length, but it was something I wanted enough I stuck to my guns.
During the '70s I mostly wore mine to a few inches below the shoulders. In the late '70s I caved to society and wore a shorter layer cut for some years. In the early '80s I wore a-- wait for it-- mullet for awhile (nobody but Billy Ray Cyrus wore that one for very long, I think). Then I went with a sort of '80s long layered cut for several years before letting it even up at the bottom and just grow long. By '94 I had it about elbow length. The I went kind of cuckoo and wore it short for like a decade while working at a conservative office job. I never really felt like myself during that time, though, and went back to long hair after leaving that job and becoming self-employed. The volume's not what it used to be, though, so I don't go much more than shoulder length these days.
Thanks so much for sharing your story and experiences, Gene, I much appreciate it!
You'll be happy (and amused) to know that at one time I had a mullet, too -- during the very late '80s... I need to find that pic someday and figure out how to scan it (when I don't happen to own a scanner - LOL)....
Like you, my hair is not as thick & full as it was when I was younger; but I still enjoy what I have, so it will stay long until the day I can no longer stand having old geezer hair (which means probably never - LOL)!
Thanks again for your reply!!
- Ken
You can improvise. Use the camera in your cell phone
to take a copy of the photo.
You can also do the same with a point and shoot camera.
Barring that you can rent the use of a scanner at places
like Fed Ex office (formerly Kinkos).
Thanks Ken, for sharing your hair history.
Around 1939 when I was about five years old...I remember seeing a movie "Dead End" or something like that...with Humphrey Bogart...took place in New York..east end? One actor, named Bobby Jordan, who was about 12 in the film...had chin-length hair with shorter sides and cut at collar length in the back...I remember watching his hair fly when he was running or involved with "rough-house" with the other east-end gang members...wishing that I could have the same style...around junior high I asked the barber not to cut the hair on top for almost a year...I tried to keep it slicked down so one would notice...my father didn't ob ject and my mother was supportive...
I kept it that way until I joined the Navy at age 17...and then, of course, it was all shaved off...
I grew it long again...mostly on top during my teaching days and then let the sides and back grow after I retired...been long and short again for these past few years...
Thanks for your input and sharing of your own hair history, beachbum, it always gives me more insight and perspective to hear other's stories!
I've always liked the long hair in front and on top look -- what we in the USA call "bangs, folks in the UK and Australis call "fringe"... if I had no choice in the matter, and the social pressure for me to keep a certain degree of shortness were too great, I would opt for growing my hair as long as possible in front and on top, then slick it back (hoping nobody would notice how long it really is in front).
History has a way of repeating itself, though -- and long hair on men is a part of human history, in spite of the hair-haters telling us it is "out of style now" (as if we really care what they think is cool or not cool - LOL)!!
- Ken
Great post Ken! I loved it.
Like you, I have always hated haircuts even at an early age. For me it was my mom, not my dad, who insisted on short hair. So I asked her once (about the 4th grade or so) if boy's hair would not grow like girls hair. She answered "of course it would if they didn't cut it"
So I inquired as to why boys have to cut it and she got quite upset and asked me, "what do you want to be, a hippie?"
"What's a hippie?" I honestly had no idea.
"It's someone who lives in the woods, don't take baths and never cut their hair."
"Really?" I replied, eyes glazed over at the prospect of all those things which seemed very appealing to a 10 year old boy. "like Tarzan, who lives in the jungle?"
She knew right then her argument was lost.
As for Elvis's pompadour, my granddad (who hated my long hair) suggested I wear mine like that. He described how some of the guys playing baseball when he was growing up would have hair to their chin when it came undone from playing. But he also had a cigar box which depicted Raphael's Dutch Masters or something and the guys on that box had shoulder length hair.
I recently found out that my uncle on my father's side had longhair when he was a kid. They just didn't cut it and it was way down on his back. This would be in the mid 1930's. His oldest brother cut it before he started to school.
Although I grew up in the bible belt I didn't have to put up with much ridicule when I grew my hair out. There was some from the old timers but only an occasional remark.
I find it fascinating, the obsession and hatred of longhair that some people have. I never understood it and I don't think they do either. I'd be a liar if I said my hair is not important to me but it seems even MORE important to them. They are truly weird.
Amen, Paul, I couldn't agree more! And I don't understand the weirdness any more than you do.
Very interesting to hear about your own hair history, too -- and that in your case, it was your mother who tried to prevent you from growing your hair long...
It's not always easy breaking away from a parent's guilt-trips and insistence re. whatever they strongly believe we should cooperate with, some parents compromising and adjusting more than others once they see they may not be correct in their original viewpoints; but kudos to those who do compromise and adjust, as well as see the wisdom of allowing their kids to make their own decisions re. things like their own hair.
Thanks again for your reply, Paul!
- Ken
No sadly, they are NOT weird. They are normal. We all know the expression: "most people are like sheep". Unfortunately, it's true. Most people don't really think for themselves; they follow. That's what makes a rebel a rebel. Rebels are the tiny minority who question and challenge what the majority blindly accept.
Be proud! You are NOT normal. You dare to think for yourself! ;)
Damon
--------------------------------------------------------
Actually I did want to be a hippie and became one in the later
part of the 1960s.
Actually I lived in a house in a suburb of Milwaukee,
took baths regularly, and never cut my hair.
weird.
But when school was out during the summers I proudly called myself a hippie, it was a great time to be alive and to have
long hair.
Now I didn't graduate high school until 1973, I didn't do drugs
but I thoroughly enjoyed having long hair and being called a hippie.
Remember, hippies "do their own thing", so no two hippies are alike.
When total strangers call you a hippie, then you have an honest vote on the subject. Strangers frequently throw peace signs at me and want to take pictures of me, so damn. I guess I'm a hippie!
Bill
Yes, of course you did. You do realize that my mom was simply trying to dissuade me from growing my hair.
My point being, of course, that most ten year old boys would find those things appealing; not bating, living in the woods, etc.
So, in effect, her strategy backfired.
Haha, I am proud to be "not normal". Hell, I invented that shit.
Maybe I misspoke when I called them weird. I meant they are stupid. Judging someone based on preconceived notions is the definition of prejudice. Most everyone see prejudice as stupid so that would make them like... double stupid. Once for being prejudice and once more for not realizing they are prejudice.