American culture is full of constant debates and ever-changing trends. Beauty and style are no exception and recently, the man bun, or mun, has been in vogue.
The majority of voices on campus rang out in a resounding “not” when asked the question, much to the dismay of the mun-bearers at Marquette. But, the man bun occasionally got an “it depends,” or in a very rare case, a “hot” from students and staff who shared their opinions on the male hairstyle that has taken off in pop culture.
Matt Mussoline, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences who has a man bun himself, agreed that the mun is an asset for any guy to have.
“Guys I know who have long hair and man buns are probably the most attractive people I know,” Mussoline said.
Alexis Galante, a sophomore in the College of Communication, agreed that muns can indeed be swoon-worthy.
“I like man buns,”Galante said. “I think if a guy can really pull off a man bun, then it looks good. But if you’re scrummy (sic) and don’t do anything with it, then it’s not hot.”
While Galante deemed herself an ultimate fan of the man bun, the almost paradoxical ending to her statement embodied a fact that had arisen throughout the day of interviews. As people time and time again answered “it depends” to the question of “hot-or-not,” the more important question of the day had become: What makes a man bun hot-or-not?
And students had some definite opinions on this matter as well.
To Deissy Flores, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, a good man bun’s all about the length.
“(Hot-or-not) depends on how long they are,” Flores said. “If they’re really long, it’s ugly.”
Cleanliness and upkeep is key. Caroline Short, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, was firm when she said, “It needs to be clean if you’re going to have one at all.”
Sofia D’Acquisto, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences, agreed that her dislike of man buns came from a disgust of dirty ones. After answering “definitely not” to our question, she said, “(Man buns) are greasy and gross most of the time.”
Matthew Mussoline proudly asserts that he thinks man buns are indeed “hot.”
Besides keeping a mun clean and at an appropriate length, a final requirement held by many is for a mun-wearer to have the right “vibe.”
Samantha Bailey, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, knocked the mun because of the carelessness that often accompanies it.
“In my experience, I’ve found it to always be sloppy,” Bailey said.
Others aren’t a fan simply because the man bun isn’t inclusive. Mustafa Abu-Mallouh, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, was honest in admitting that his hatred of the bun comes in part from jealousy of it. Abu-Mallouh shrugged and said he wasn’t a fan because (he) can’t grow one.
Yet many, like Marlie Houston, a sophomore in the College of Business, would tell Abu-Mallouh not to lose sleep over not having a mun, declaring that the trend is on its way out.
“I think (the mun) is in its very last year,” Houston said. “We need to move on to something a little fresher, something new.”
Some students spewed grievances about the man bun, but other voices expressed that the trend is very much alive and well – and for good reasons.
“It takes a lot of effort to put (a man bun) up in the morning, and (mun-wearers) should be awarded for their efforts,” said Seamus McDermott, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, who’d answered the question with a firm “totally hot.”
Reilly Tracy, a freshman in the College of Communication, cited a specific celebrity in her explanation of this rather intangible expectation. “(The mun) has to fit your aesthetic, like if you’ve got a Harry Styles vibe, which I love,” Tracy said.
In another light, College of Health Sciences junior Sahar Jiwani, used regional terms to explain just who could rock a man bun.
“If (the mun wearer) has ‘California/rock-it’ vibes, it’s okay,” said Jiwani. “But if not, just take it out.”
So unless one is an ex-British boyband star or a Cali native, it sounds like the mun will get more jeers than cheers at Marquette. It’s never too late for a guy to donate their “flow” to a great cause, like the hair-accepting charities Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids. Those in need, and those who have objections to the mun, will thank them for it.
