Why do most men cut their hair short and most women grow it long?

falseatheist · 18-03-2016 12:09PM #1

I remember reading somewhere that during battles enemies would pull the long hair of males to catch them so they kept it short. But is there any truth to this?

More interestingly, it seems that a majority of people identify with their expected behaviour of their gender, (men not showing emotions, women wearing skirts, heels, etc) which is not wrong and they have the right to do whatever they want to themselves but I wonder why so many men and women are not keen to experiment.

I for example, am biologically a male but don't prescribe to my male gender identity. I have short but feminine hair which I sometimes grow long and during the summer I wear denim shorts . I shop for male shoes and female clothes in GAP, Timberland etc.

So would you ever experiment?

valoren · 18-03-2016 12:12PM

I don't have a choice in the matter.

Being bald.

podgemonster · 18-03-2016 12:13PM

falseatheist wrote: »

So would you ever experiment?

Tried Lyons Tea instead of Barry's for a week.

My father found out. We haven't spoken since.

The Moldy Gowl · 18-03-2016 12:13PM

Denim shorts on guy?

Far too early for that image

longshanks · 18-03-2016 12:14PM

I'm a ninja.

Pink Fairy · 18-03-2016 12:16PM

Only ladyboys have long hair !

mansize · 18-03-2016 12:18PM

whats the deal with airline food?

andekwarhola · 18-03-2016 12:19PM

Denim shorts exist on a plane of hideousness that cannot be bound by mere gender categorizations.

DrumSteve · 18-03-2016 12:20PM

Pink Fairy wrote: »

Only ladyboys have long hair !

And metal heads.

DrumSteve · 18-03-2016 12:21PM

andekwarhola wrote: »

Denim shorts exist on a plane of hideousness that cannot be bound by mere gender categorizations.

They are associated with a disorder known as "nevernude".

falseatheist · 18-03-2016 12:22PM

The Moldy Gowl wrote: »

Denim shorts on guy?

Far too early for that image

Well I did get a few whistles from men...

One eyed Jack · 18-03-2016 12:23PM

falseatheist wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere that during battles enemies would pull the long hair of males to catch them so they kept it short. But is there any truth to this?

More interestingly, it seems that a majority of people identify with their expected behaviour of their gender, (men not showing emotions, women wearing skirts, heels, etc) which is not wrong and they have the right to do whatever they want to themselves but I wonder why so many men and women are not keen to experiment.

I for example, am biologically a male but don't prescribe to my male gender identity. I have short but feminine hair which I sometimes grow long and during the summer I wear denim shorts . I shop for male shoes and female clothes in GAP, Timberland etc.

So would you ever experiment?

How is any of that more interesting than your question about enemies in battle pulling each others hair, so they kept it short? I want to know the answer to that question!!

Far more interested in history than I am in fashion trends, but that answers your second question I suppose - I experiment by timing how long it takes people to spot the fact that I wear essentially the same clothes every day

BattleCorp · 18-03-2016 12:24PM

falseatheist wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere that during battles enemies would pull the long hair of males to catch them so they kept it short. But is there any truth to this?

More interestingly, it seems that a majority of people identify with their expected behaviour of their gender, (men not showing emotions, women wearing skirts, heels, etc) which is not wrong and they have the right to do whatever they want to themselves but I wonder why so many men and women are not keen to experiment.

I for example, am biologically a male but don't prescribe to my male gender identity. I have short but feminine hair which I sometimes grow long and during the summer I wear denim shorts . I shop for male shoes and female clothes in GAP, Timberland etc.

So would you ever experiment?

Off to North Korea with you. They have 28 hair styles that are legal. That'll learn you what type of haircut you can have. None of your feminine lark. No denim shorts for you either.

The denim shorts apparently cause chaffing when you are in the work camps.

As for would I ever experiment, sorry but I don't play that game with anything with a willy.

mansize · 18-03-2016 12:27PM

BattleCorp wrote: »

Off to North Korea with you. They have 28 hair styles that are legal. That'll learn you what type of haircut you can have. None of your feminine lark. No denim shorts for you either.

The denim shorts apparently cause chaffing when you are in the work camps.

As for would I ever experiment, sorry but I don't play that game with anything with a willy.

you should, its so much fun!

kneemos · 18-03-2016 12:28PM

Unless you're a rock star,then it somehow becomes acceptable and even expected.

The One Doctor · 18-03-2016 12:29PM

falseatheist wrote: »

More interestingly, it seems that a majority of people identify with their expected behaviour of their gender.

I for example, am biologically a male but don't prescribe to my male gender identity.

You're asexual, aromantic and you find it confusing that I as a male don't want to wear a skirt?

Man these UCD/Indo reading types need to get a life.

NoCrackHaving · 18-03-2016 12:31PM

Boring answer: hair-length's gender associations are highly culturally sensitive. For example the Romans thought having long hair was the sign of a barbarian while the Gaelic inhabitants of Ireland associated short hair with being a slave. During the English Civil War it was a mark of which side you were fighting on. In the West the fashion for short hair on men really began with WW1 when lice and fleas in the trenches meant having beards and long hair wasn't a great idea.

Real answer: does any really give a **** any more?

kneemos · 18-03-2016 12:32PM

Professors are another group I imagine with long hair.

Duggy747 · 18-03-2016 12:59PM

I have long, shoulder-length hair because I've never liked having short hair on me............that's pretty much it, it suits my face shape better.

It comes with the territory where people assume I have it because I'm a hippy, a goth, a "faggót", I'm sticking it to the man, a nerd, "hey look, it's Dave Grohl......hurr, hurr!!", etc.................It's hair for fúck sake, people care more about it than I actually do.

Though it was handy for attracting the wimmen......even if all they wanted to do was play with it / straighten it. The fiancee is a hair-stylist so free haircuts, haven't paid for one in years!

maudgonner · 18-03-2016 12:59PM

There's also the fact that if a guy is balding and has long hair it can start to just look...wrong.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

But generally I say have whatever hairstyle you want! Mullets for all!!!

falseatheist · 18-03-2016 12:59PM

The One Doctor wrote: »

You're asexual, aromantic and you find it confusing that I as a male don't want to wear a skirt?

Man these UCD/Indo reading types need to get a life.

Whats wrong with wearing a skirt as a male if it looks good on you?

kneemos · 18-03-2016 01:04PM

falseatheist wrote: »

Whats wrong with wearing a skirt as a male if it looks good on you?

I'd say they're extremely comfortable. Have to be careful no one sees your hoo ha though.

One eyed Jack · 18-03-2016 01:06PM

falseatheist wrote: »

Whats wrong with wearing a skirt as a male if it looks good on you?

It doesn't. That's what's wrong with it.

BattleCorp · 18-03-2016 01:07PM

falseatheist wrote: »

Whats wrong with wearing a skirt as a male if it looks good on you?

I wore a kilt to a wedding once.

Some shock when I sat down on the freezing cold church bench. :eek:

falseatheist · 18-03-2016 01:10PM

One eyed Jack wrote: »

It doesn't. That's what's wrong with it.

And can you please explain the logic of why it looks good on women and looks bad on ALL men. Not even some men or most men but "all" men?

Teyla Emmagan · 18-03-2016 01:28PM

You can wear whatever you want OP, but please don't feel the need to bang on about it.

18-03-2016 01:31PM

Longer hair used to be pretty common in 70s and early 80s Ireland I think, look at any gaa team photos from the period and a lot of the younger players will have a big head of hair.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 18-03-2016 01:32PM

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Boring answer: hair-length's gender associations are highly culturally sensitive. For example the Romans thought having long hair was the sign of a barbarian while the Gaelic inhabitants of Ireland associated short hair with being a slave. During the English Civil War it was a mark of which side you were fighting on. In the West the fashion for short hair on men really began with WW1 when lice and fleas in the trenches meant having beards and long hair wasn't a great idea.

Real answer: does any really give a **** any more?

Yes, long hair/beards still carry the stigma of being "unclean" or some such nonsense.

Link to all the "studies" you want, I don't believe you find more faeces in a beard than your arse. Or whatever crap these studies come up with.

One eyed Jack · 18-03-2016 01:35PM

falseatheist wrote: »

And can you please explain the logic of why it looks good on women and looks bad on ALL men. Not even some men or most men but "all" men?

Cultural norms influence what people subjectively determine looks attractive, or indeed looks ridiculous on the wearer. Men wearing skirts happen to fall into the latter category for me. It does for most people in Western society. It does even for you because you claim you don't prescribe to gender norms, so you are at least aware of those norms.

Now if you think a skirt looks good on a man, that's your subjective personal taste and I can't argue with that, but to claim it needs to be explained to you why someone else would think a skirt looks ridiculous on a man is your own wilful blindness of cultural norms.

CruelCoin · 18-03-2016 01:40PM

falseatheist wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere that during battles enemies would pull the long hair of males to catch them so they kept it short. But is there any truth to this?

More interestingly, it seems that a majority of people identify with their expected behaviour of their gender, (men not showing emotions, women wearing skirts, heels, etc) which is not wrong and they have the right to do whatever they want to themselves but I wonder why so many men and women are not keen to experiment.

Not sure what emotions have to do with long hair but anyhoooooo

I'm a man, i have long hair reaching the small of my back. I like it, and think it suits me as i look stupid with short hair.

As for the long hair in battle thing, depends on the era and the country. Romans kept it short, gauls/germanic tribes kept it long, etc etc (indeed in germanic tribes you weren't a real man unless you did have long hair).

superglue · 18-03-2016 01:51PM

I say live and let live, except when it comes to man-buns. They are hideous and are never excusable.

NEVER.

Why do most men cut their hair short and most women grow it long?

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