Is Long Hair the New Alpha Mane?

The pandemic acted as a great leveller in many respects — including hairstyles. With no access to salons, CEOs, politicians, rock stars and Lord of the Rings characters have all been sporting the same do — long, flowing locks. This has caused hair-a-kiri in the corporate world, with (early) Brad Pitts invading the boardroom, according to one US publication. The actor’s famous ‘shag’ has found favour with a breed known to hardly let its hair down, or leave it ungelled — understandable in a world where hairs are split to a worrying extent.

A 2012 theory goes so far as to declare that those with ‘right-parted hair’ are unlikely to be successful. While the ‘executive slick back’ has been associated with control, ‘long hair’ has been linked to youth, virility and attractiveness (a stereotype reconfirmed by a Canadian survey if not desi godmen aesthetics).

On the other hand, bald men are considered more masculine, dominant, tall and strong, according to another survey by Wharton School. The power struggle between the three (hair) do’s and don’ts came to a head recently, during the ultimate CEO battle for dominance on Earth and in space between the full-maned Richard Branson, smooth-pated Jeff Bezos and close-cropped Elon Musk. What could make this tussle even more interesting? Have a mohawked or mulleted adversary enter the ring next, of course.