why was long hair such a taboo back in the 50s and 60s?

Question

pa on little house had long hair nobody cared

Answer 1

It was considered feminine. The hippies were rebellious, so they started the trend of wearing long hair.

Answer 2

In the 50s, long hair was a HUGE issue - and in retrospect, it's not surprising. Guys who had been fighting overseas, wearinng military haircuts (read 'scalped') came home after the end of the war, to find people lolling about, doing not much of anything, who hadnt been overseas fighting, or even still in the country but enlisted and serving somewhere. And many of those people had long hair. It was like waving a red flag at a bull. Add to that, the fact that many of the long-haired young men wore strange clothing - stovepipe pants, winklepicker shoes - again, nothing like the GI stuff the older guys were accustomed to.
Little House on the Prairie was a whole different thing. First of all, it was a TV series, not a real situation, or real people, and in pioneer days, people did wear their hair longer. So there was nothing untoward about that.
By the 60s, the battle lines were drawn and the short haired side were now parents, and looking askance at the way their sons (and their daughters) were dressing, and wearing their hair.
It seems the young have to find some way to disturb and disrupt the equinimity of their elders - today they do it with pants that hang on the edge of hips, revealing either underwear or bare skin, and the crotch of boys pants hitting around their knees (which looks dreadfully uncomfortable and makes youngsters walk in a very strange manner) plus most of them look as though they were given a set of clothing when they started school that had to last them until they graduate, so it's big and baggy to the extreme.
But that's just my opinion.

Answer 3

You've got to remember that the US was coming out of WWII. Communism was a big concern. The United States wanted to show the world that our country was the best place in the world to live, prosper, and be in health. We wanted the world to see our wholesome beliefs and family-orientated lifestyles were part of a strong and mighty government. We showed ourselves to be clean-cut, patriotic and productive in our homes, schools and cities.

In the 1800's, men that lived on the prairie rarely saw a barber. It was easier to tie it back. Men that lived in the cities had shorter hair, but really short hair became the norm during the draft days when young men heads were shaved when inducted into the armed forces. Soldiers were admired and appreciated in WWII.

Long hair started in the 60's when the peace movement began. The Beatles started growing their hair long when they began meditating with a maharishi. Long hair became the new symbol of strength, not an outward one, but an inner one. Peace, love, and being groovy with anti-war demonstrations overtook college campuses.

That's the long and short of it.

Answer 4

You might as well ask why aristocrats in the 17th-18th centuries (I think) wore wigs.
Basically it is just because of what is considered "proper" at any given time.
Long and short hair on both men and women have had their "heyday".
It's basically based on what is considered to be the "fashion" of the time.
I agree that in the 60's and 70's young men grew their hair long partially in rebellion against what they saw going on at the time. It is like the opposite of the crew cut that was so prevalent at the time.

Answer 5

50s had a "righteous" war in Korea and most of those in control were World War Two veterans, therefore it was a decade of flat tops and pompadours.

60's had a break away from the past and the death and confusion Vietnam. Long hair was one of the manifestations of that break away. The fifties people were in there forties and the sixties people were in their late teens and twenties when rebellion is natural.

Answer 6

Hair styles differ from generation to generation. Look at portraits of George Washington, he had long hair or at least a long hair wig.

The parents had short hair, letting your hair grow long was an act of rebellion.

Now the style has shifted back to short hair, bell bottoms are coming back into style as are platform shoes.

Answer 7

The draft in American during WWII meant almost everyone served in the military. When the war was over, they came home and had kids. Those parents had a real issue with hair and the things they felt it symbolized.

Answer 8

Little House used poetic license. He would not have been accepted in real society back then. I don't know why tho, because we had the 'Mohawk' and other weird haircuts albeit they were short.

Answer 9

haha good question.
maybe because it was different a way teenagers could rebel.
most of their dads were military back then ( draft) so they almost all had short hair. they associated long hair with "hippies"