new thread
I was a teenager during the 1980's.I've always had
a passion for the hard rock/metal music culture
that was prominent of the decade.Music became a
part of my inner
soul as far back as I can remember.I was
influenced by
a variety of artists who's members sported the
long-hair
image.Because of my goal and dream of becoming a
musician,
and a slight self-esteem problem,I began to grow
my hair
following HS graduation.I wasn't happy having the
"clean-cut" boy-next-door image that so many of my
peers
had at the time.My self-esteem was low when I had
short hair and I hardly ever attracted attention
from women so
I essentially was a misfit.Within the next 2
years,my hair
was growing in at a rapid pace and I started
experiencing
a change in my social life.I was attracting more
attention
from women and gaining more male friends as
well.It lifted
my self-esteem enormously and became a happier
person in general.By 1995,My hair was 3/4 the way
down my back and
still going.But by this time,the media and
cultural environment have changed rapidly,and it
seemed that more
and more people were reverting to that short-hair
"clean-cut" image brought on by the "alternative
rock" wave of the early 90's.Most of my friends
who dressed in black and sported the long hair
look between 1987 and 1994,were
slowly becoming possessed by the cultural climate
and gave
in to the new society by chopping it off! Their
reasons for giving in to this new "conservative"
look ranged from absurd to paranoid.But live and
let live.I resisted all notions of "change".I was
happy with my image until the end
of 1995 when I found myself in the midst of
changing jobs.
It seems that a lot of employers frowned on male
employees
sporting long-hair and really never seriously
considered
those who did as viable candidates.So I was forced
to visit the barber for the first time in 6
years.It wasn't because of social pressure or
musical and fashion "trends",it was
simply a case of human survival.I was already in
my mid-20's at this point and supporting myself.It
was give
in to the "norm" or live in my car! But I also
realized that my post-high school friends drifted
away and sort of
"grew-up".They outgrew the lifestyle we once held
dearly.
I found myself an alein in a rapid changing
culture,unable
to find new friends.I felt like an outcast and a
relic in
a forgotton decade.
So my question is,how do you long haired guys
maintain that
look without a backlash effect from society in
general and
what kind of support does it take to feel
comfortable with
the image?
There are other ways to wear long besides the "heavy metal" look. Just look at the longer haired male models.
There are many ways to wear long hair without looking grungy.
Just MHO. (and those of many women I know)
Sorry, Nick. What's "MHO", please?
With thanks,
OM
***************************
Ah! This answers a question I've had for a while now about increasing pressures on people to cut their hair short at this time.
I was in Vancouver, Canada from 1992 to 1994 and boy, I felt that in certain parts of downtown Vancouver, one could throw as stone while blindfolded and hit a longhair and their hair was beautiful.
However, I was there at the tail end of a longhair boom and now the longhair trend has gone bearish.
That's hard decision to make but sometimes we have to make such decisions, especially when it's between hunger and destitution and long hair.
Many of my longhaired friends have changed their image too but not their lifestyle, most because of hard reality, some because they just wanted a change of image and some perhaps because they are dedicated followers of fashion.
I don't think high school or college students have really found their lifestyle yet. Many in that age group are probaly experimenting or just doing things to be accepted by their peers.
I guess that's why people say, "life begins at forty." I'm 45 and I now realise that I am myself with confidence and don't need to do or say things just to be a part of a crowd.
Anyway, you'll find new friends who are committed to longhair like you.
I'm lucky though, I had over two years growth when I joined The Star, a newspaper in Malaysia and they did not tell me to get my hair cut and quite a number of my colleagues have long hair, one of the down to mid-back, another down to his shoulder blades, my colleague next to me has his down to past his shoulders and he wears it untied, while mine is sort of down to my shoulder blades since it does not seem to grow any more.
And some time back, I attended our union's national executive committee meeting and I found that the National Union of Journalist's vice-president is banlding on top but has a pony tail down to mid-back.
Well, most of us here wear it in a pony tail. I do most of the time to keep my hair out of my face, since its very fine and gets blown around easily otherwise.
Otherwise, I plead ignorance about hair care, except for using commercially available shampoo and conditioner.
As for support, I guess the only support will come from like-minded people -- ie. men or women, whether longhaired or shorthaired, who favour longhair on men.
Longhair will not die, it just waxes and wanes, as other trends and fashions eclipse it for a time.
However, other list members have assured me that boom times are returning for longhair, so hang in there and don't cut it, it's barely a month to the new decade. What it holds, we do not know yet but let's be optimistic that it will be a favourable decade for longhairs.
May the new millennium (which incidentally begins on 1 January 2001) be the Men's Longhair Millennium.
Charles