Hatrack River Forum: The Brotherhood of Bearded, Long-Haired Dudes

This is topic The Brotherhood of Bearded, Long-Haired Dudes in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :

All you clean-shaven guys, baldies, and girls can stay out!
(j/k. Your insights are relevant to this as well.)

So this weekend I was at a convention with my lady-friend. We were hanging out by the stage area after one of the shows and noticed a small group of people who had just been in the show chatting nearby. One of them, a guy with a goatee and longish dreadlocks came over and started talking to me. Pleasant greeting, smalltalk, I told him I enjoyed the show, etc.

After he left my friend said "Where do you know him from?"
I said "I don't."
She was confused. "But he just came up to you out of nowhere. You sounded like you were old friends or something."
"Yeah, I get that a lot. It's a hairy-guy thing."
"What like some kind of brotherhood?"
"Yep."

So I was wondering if anybody else has noticed this? I imagine similar things happen with other groups with a distinctive visual, like people with piercings, tattoos, or particular styles of clothes. Do strangers approach you just because you have some part of your appearance in common?

--Enigmatic

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

I get this mostly with the motorcycle.

But I bought a hat recently that has a similar effect on people who recognize its brand or just like the look. It's a Tilly, and I get people coming up and starting conversations either about the hat or, as I later discern, because of it.

I'm a long-haired, bearded dude, but I think that particular brotherhood might be for younger/thinner types. I don't seem to get that kind of thing.

Although I do think that people find me more approachable because of my resemblance to a young-ish Santa Claus.

Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :

My dad has short (semi bald) grey hair, but I think he belongs to the hippie brotherhood. Whenever he drives his precious baby (1969 VW convertible) people come up, and have really meaningful conversations, if I ask who they were "I don't know, never seen him before, but he had a vw at some point).

Posted by J T Stryker (Member # 6300) on :

i get that with people who work in the same feild as me... we just kinda have a radar for other theatre techs...

Posted by JaimeBenlevy (Member # 6222) on :

That happened to me once while I was skimboarding with my friend. A bunch of surfers just came up to us and starting talking to us about the beach and stuff.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

quote:
I'm a long-haired, bearded dude, but I think that particular brotherhood might be for younger/thinner types. I don't seem to get that kind of thing.

Yeah, this doesn't really happen much to me.

But, in any case, Hi! [Wave]

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

Jeep people are the worst about it, really.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

And Bostonians.

[Razz]

Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kwea:
Jeep people are the worst about it, really.

So true. The two-finger casual wave is only the least of their problems...

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

My dad bought an old Jeep for the cottage in MI where they retired to this year. However, they lived in RI, near the beach, and dad really liked tinkering with it, so it took 3 years to make it's way to MI. [Big Grin]

Everywhere he wnet people he had never seen before kept waving at him...but only when he was driving the Jeep.

Once we were checking out some new houses built near the beach, on a busy beach day, and he waved to some people stuck in traffic...and they acted all weird about it.

I leaned over to dad and said " You forgot you weren't driving the Jeep toady, didn't you.".

[Big Grin]

Posted by digging_hoIes (Member # 6963) on :

It used to happen to me, but I now wear my hair in a ponytail, so I guess that means I've left the brotherhood or something.

Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :

I used to have long hair and a beard. I didn't notice anything. This might just be me being reserved, but when I drive my Jeep, I do get waved at by other Jeep drivers. I try to remember not to wave at Jeeps when I'm in my Hyundai. I'm afraid they'll give me the finger. [Smile]

Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

Um, this also happens, to a greater or lesser extent, to any woman who is visibly pregnant. The people who greet you are either pregnant, have been pregnant at some point, are trying to GET pregnant or just like to babysit.

You also get talked to by older men who have been around enough pregnant women that they think they can tell you what you're having by the way you're carrying. (Incidentally, the guy I remember most vividly just came up to me and asked, "So when are you having that boy?"

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

quote:
The people who greet you are either pregnant, have been pregnant at some point, are trying to GET pregnant or just like to babysit.

Part of that may also be that when you're pregnant, your "pregnant radar" gets way more sensitive. At least, most people I've talked to about it say it does. In fact, it was one of my first symptoms each of my pregnancies so far. [Big Grin]

Posted by dh (Member # 6929) on :

I'm worried about this thread turning into a conversation about the Brotherhood of Long-Haired, Bearded Pregnant Women. [Angst]

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :

Bob! You have a Tilly!

*waves

I have a Tilly, too. [Smile]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

We'll have to exchange "brag tags."

[Hat]

Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :

When I was driving back from college, I towed my '66 mustang. Even though it was covered, I got cornered at about every other gas station by someone who wanted to talk about it.

It was kinda fun, even though I wasn't very far into the restoration and didn't know anything about most of what they were saying.

"You know, in '68 they added the flapper-valve. That really made 'er ride a lot smoother. Then you just adjust the lower control arms for the same...."

Me:

"Uh huh, no kidding. I'll definitely look into that."

While nodding up and down like a bobblehead doll.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

The abundance of bearded longhaired dudes of both the rotund and scrawny varieties, [Wink]

was highly entertaining to me at BobNDanaCon.

AJ

Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :

Grisha needs to read this thread.... unless he shaved recently maybe. [Smile]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Oh! The Jeep thing!

I owned a Jeep before my present truck.

One day on the highway, I noticed another Jeep broke down.

Even though I was late to work, I stopped, talked to the driver (turned out to be a mother & daughter) put them in my Jeep and drove to the opposite side of town to get the daughter to school on time, and then dropped the mom off where she could get some help.

She asked me why I stopped (when many didn't).

I said, "Well - how could I not? You have exactly the same model and year Jeep I do! only a different color!"

[Smile]

(oh - and she sent flowers to me at work later that day!) Jeep people are the coolest!

Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :

When I had long hair and a beard I mainly noticed that I got screamed at out of speeding car windows by idiots.

(Slow down, brave boy. Let me show you what the hippie learned in kung fu class today...) [Mad]

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

quote:
The abundance of bearded longhaired dudes of both the rotund and scrawny varieties, was highly entertaining to me at BobNDanaCon.

Not I. I had (temporarily) cut my hair short.

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

Hmm.
Enigmatic, do you think Bob married Dana so he could have a real long-haired bearded brother? I wonder how many women with long-haired bearde brothers marry long-haired, bearded men.

On second thought, maybe I don't really want to know the answer to that.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese:
Bob! You have a Tilly!

*waves

I have a Tilly, too.

Me, three! [Cool]

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

I'm an Orthodox Jew. We recognise each other all the time, and exchange Jew-greetings. If an Orthodox Jew is looking for help from a stranger -- borrow the cellphone, catch a lift, etc. -- I find that they are much more likely to approach another one. And they'll sit next to each other on the train, too.

It's Jew-dar!

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

What I will be interested to observe is who Eljay finally settles down with.

If it is a long-haired, bearded dude, I am totally doing a study.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Despite dkw's & ElJay's brother and mate choices, their father is a very respectable, clean-cut all American kind of guy...... [Smile]

So it can't be some kind of "father complex".

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

Farmgirl, just wait 'til we get home and can post pictures. . . [Big Grin]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

ElJay! Are you going to totally corrupt this perfect father image I have of Posable Nurse?

Posted by Yank (Member # 2514) on :

Living in Utah, where long-haired bearded guys are pretty rare, you *definitely* notice other long-haired bearded dudes, and yeah, they'll stop just to talk with you. I think people who look, think, or act alike are simply drawn together. It's a human phenomenon.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

quidscribis! [Hat]

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

Farmgirl, this might not completely corrupt the image for you. . . he only gave me the relatively clean-cut one.

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Farmgirl:
Despite dkw's & ElJay's brother and mate choices, their father is a very respectable, clean-cut all American kind of guy...... So it can't be some kind of "father complex".

Golly. I DO hope that is not a "mother complex"!

Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :

I prefer the picture of him when he was younger (20 or so?) with sideburns that could poke yer eye out.

--Enigmatic

Posted by Poseable Nurse (Member # 7162) on :

Careful kidlets, I have more photos of you that you don't want posted than you have of me.

On the relatively OK to post front, does anyone want a photo of Enigmatic at age 6 with a painted on full beard.

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

Yes. [Smile]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

I just saw your post, ElJay!

How cute! He looks.........Canadian! *snicker*

Posted by Poseable Nurse (Member # 7162) on :

Long Haired Beared Guy started young. That is Enigmatic on the right. His mother just said, "ain't he cute?"

Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :

iirc, I was a hobo clown at the time.

--Enigmatic

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

Very cute. I like the red nose the best. [Smile]

Posted by TimeTim (Member # 2768) on :

I've got long hair now and I use a bandanna to keep it back when I'm not in Fro mode. When I'm driving on the highway I get a lot of high school kids giving me the devil horns salute. They seem to think I'm listening to death metal when its more likely that I'm rocking out to Paul Simon.

Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

My hair's really long, but I can't grow a beard.

Darned ovaries! [Wink]

Posted by Lynx (Member # 8760) on :

Well, my husband is very into Mopar muscle cars and I got him a shirt that says, "Hamtramck Assembly Plant" on it, which is where one of his cars was built. Everytime he wears that shirt we get stopped by people saying, "HEY! You're from Michigan, too! Are you from Hamtramck? I'm from... etc." Then my husband has to explain all about how we are not from Michigan, never even been there, but that his car was built there and that we're sure that Michigan really is a lovely place..." At this point these people all seem to stop being so excited and friendly and just walk away muttering. *sigh* Also, any time he's wearing any of his other Mopar shirts he has guys come up who want to talk to him about Cameros, Mustangs, which are not Mopars and he really couldn't care less about, or even worse the only Mopar they know anything about, The General Lee. *shudders*

Posted by Chreese Sroup (Member # 8248) on :

I've noticed that I get more people talking to me when I'm in a suit, wearing my horrible pink tie. It was our choir tie this semester.

:rollseyes:

However, it makes me hate it a little less when people talk to me because of it...

Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :

Mopar means Chrystler/Dodge right? One of my dad's friends owns this car Landy's Dodge

Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :

I get the same thing from goth guys and theater geeks--the latter is a lot of fun, while the former is just annoying.

I get approached by a lot of the guys and girls with heavy black make up and so forth. I have no idea why. I don't know where my goth vibe comes from. I am not nor ever will I be of that sort. And yet, they walk up to me and try to discuss bands which I could frankly care less about. [Grumble]

The theater folks are great, though. I guess I do project drama geek, and I can be out walking in Atlanta and just get approached by people who, coincidentally, act too. It's lovely.

Posted by Lynx (Member # 8760) on :

quote:
Originally posted by breyerchic04:
Mopar means Chrystler/Dodge right? One of my dad's friends owns this car Landy's Dodge

Hehe, that's a cool car. "Mopar is the manufacturer of the parts that go into the making of Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, and DeSoto's. It stands for Motor Parts." Hmmm... I just thought it was Plymouth and Dodge but maybe because those are the two my husband loves... interesting.

Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :

I knew Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge were owned by the same company now, I have a relative who owns a dealership. It is a cool car isn't it, it's valued at like 150k or something. My dad is currently restoring a 1925 Model T, but he's worked on almost every make and model of car made in the US and Germany. He really dislikes corvettes.