Hair and now

How much of a role does the right hairstyle play in the making of a teen idol. Seems like a lot, judging from how fans are making a big deal out of Justin Bieber’s hair. You know the kid. He is the one who got a No. 1 selling album in the Billboard charts and is now the No. 1 teen girls’ heartthrob in many parts of the world. And you know the look. It is one of those inverted soup bowl things with long bangs swept to the side. It sort of covers the eyes and requires a lot of flipping to project the correct attitude. I saw a video of Bieber that has him blow drying his hair over and over and over again on YouTube.

As a result of his popularity, girls now like boys with hair like Bieber’s. Tim Urban, one of this year’s finalists in American Idol, sports the Bieber. That is what it is commonly called. But it has also been called the Flip because you flip it back to front, or the Flick because you flick the bangs. I read something that called it a Twitch because you twitch your neck when you flip or when you flick. But calling it the Bieber is more than enough. That is what a lot of boys are doing now when they get their haircuts. Give me the Bieber. Hair like Bieber is all the rage. Parents might wonder what the fuss is all about but they are also glad that their sons are spending more time washing and grooming their hair. Remember it takes clean hair to do the Bieber.

Come to think of it, what is it with singing teen idols and their hair. The combination of hit songs and unique hairdos makes for big success. I remember boys cropping their hair close, close to the scalp or nearly bald like Justin Timberlake’s during his Sexy Back days some years ago. Nice. It looked edgy but neat. A decade before there was Peter Frampton of the hit tune Baby I Love Your Ways, who looked like a blonde archangel with bangs and long curly locks. And the ‘70s saw TV and music star David Cassidy of The Partridge Family, also with bangs and a cute long layered bob. You might not believe it but Joey de Leon carried this hairstyle well and I even saw a picture of David Bowie with hair like David’s.

Of course, this fascination with men’s hair and its ties to music, harks back to many years before. I do not know who thought of it but The Beatles came to us from England in collarless teddy boy suits and soup bowl haircuts with bangs. They were very mod in the British way during the ’60s. They really looked cute and boys began to grow their hair long and sport bangs. Why they even followed suit when John, Paul, George and Ringo went for even longer hair and beards and mustaches as they got older and more successful. For the first time in years, boys saved a lot from not getting haircuts. All they needed to get hair off their faces was a rubberband for a ponytail.

And then, there was Elvis Presley. I do not know if truck drivers sported pompadours with sideburns and little duck tails at the back where he came from but his hairdo really set off a revolution of sorts. I do not think they had mousse or hairspray back then so Presley probably used a lot of pomade (yucky grease) to keep his hair in place. I do not know how much his hair had to do with it but he did become King of Rock and Roll and even made headlines when he enlisted in the army and got a crewcut.

Speaking of Elvis, now playing at the Bluewave on Macapagal Avenue is The Three Elvis Experience. The show stars Douglas Masuda, The Elvis Presley of Japan; Nonie Yambao, The Newest and the Youngest Elvis Presley of the Philippines; and Eric Alvarez, the 2009 Grand Champion of Enchanted Kingdom. Featured are tribute performances highlighting his early rock and roller days in the ë50s, to his showman days in Las Vegas and in the landmark TV specials like Aloha from Hawaii and That’s The Way It Is.

You can still catch the Three Elvis Experience on May 23 and May 30 at 9 p.m.