Of Chips & Buns, Making Small Talk At The Dinner Table

I. The scene

Zen-Den and I went to dinner at a Tex-Mex place.  Sitting there at our table, me sipping a frozen Texas Twister, him drinking a Dos Eqius, waiting for our tortilla chips to arrive, we got to talking.

II. The Subject

Thinking about the recent news story that I’d seen that day, I asked Zen-Den what he thought about man buns.  Specifically, the man buns of Disney.

I figured that the sports babble radio guys who he listens to during his daily commute would have had something to say about man buns.  But apparently they’re not as aware of male hairstyles as one might hope.

Zen-Den had no idea what I was talking about.

III. The Conversation

He asked: What kind of buns? Ones that you eat? 

I said: No!

He said: Buns with your hair?  On men?

I said: Yes, the ones on your head.

He asked: Like granny buns?

I said: No, not like Granny Clampett.  More like sumo wrestlers.

He said: The guys are fat?

I said: No.  I don’t think so.  Maybe some are.  The photos show thin guys.

 He said: There are photos?  Where?

I said: Online.  In a blog or something, I think.  I read an article. 

He said: So these thin guys pull their hair up and twist it into a bun?

I said: Yes!

He said: How?

I said: I don’t know.  It’s just up there.  Maybe with a scrunchie?  Or bobby pins?

He said: Why do they do it? 

I said: It’s probably a thing like being a hipster with your hat.  Or those “git r done” guys with their shaved heads.  It’s cool, I guess.  

He said: Why?

I said: I dunno.  Because men are stupid? 

He said: That’s true… that’s very true. 

I said: I’ll send you the link to the article.

He said: Nah.  I don’t want to see it.  Sounds weird.  That’s why I like listening to radio.  I don’t have to see any pictures of stupid men.

IV. The Conclusion

The conversation ended when our server brought us fresh homemade chips and salsa.  They captured Zen-Den’s attention, so he was no longer interested in cross-examining me about man buns.

I stopped talking about them, but will admit that I enjoyed watching a middle age business guy struggle with the idea of men wearing their hair in an up-do… just because they can.

Published by

Ally Bean

Observant. Humorous. Adaptable. Charmingly cynical. Midwestern by chance. Kindhearted by choice. Fond of words.

27 thoughts on “Of Chips & Buns, Making Small Talk At The Dinner Table”

  1. Love – sounds like a conversation I recently had with my guy concerning men and skirts. I was commenting on how I can’t wait for them to catch on so I can find some nice looking, well made dress wear that doesn’t cost me a fortune (as we all know men’s clothing costs less than women’s). You could see the idea causing him much difficulty to process, lol.

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  2. I saw the man bun thing somewhere, too. I’ve always wondered who starts these fads, and how do they catch on so fast? To each their own!

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    1. Beth, I’ve no idea how man buns started, but that’s a good question. What was fun about this conversation was watching Z-D try to understand the what & why of man buns. I swear at first he thought I was making it all up!

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  3. I totally missed that topic. It’s work so I can’t figure out why guys would do it. Most guys (past puberty) don’t like to spend too much time on their hair (or maybe it just looks that way).

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    1. Kate, that’s exactly what I thought, too. Given the option of no hair styling demands, why would you make your life more difficult? But then, as Beth said above, “to each their own.”

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  4. The Man Bun doesn’t take long at all to do. That’s precisely WHY they do it. On a Certain Type Of Man, I like it. I really do. It looks a little Euro-Hipster-Artiste. But a Man Bun gone wrong is awful.

    Orlando Bloom can rock the Man Bun. Leonardo DiCaprio cannot.

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    1. nance, I agree. Some guys look great with man buns, but others look silly. Great examples. I fear that this hair style caught poor Zen-Den off guard. He doesn’t get out much into the Euro-Hipster-Artiste world, ‘ya know? 😉

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  5. Now I know why the stock market tanked. Apparently, everyone got so caught up in looking at pictures of men wearing buns that they failed to notice the collapse of the economy in time to do something. It amuses me the things people will actually stop and pay attention to (says the person who will always stop to gawk at a squirrel)….

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    1. evilsquirrel13, you make a great point. Why concern yourself with finances, when there are pictures to look at of important things like man buns and squirrels? Priorities, I tell you.

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  6. Mmmm. Man buns. Am I the only one that thought you meant man buns – of the sort that have nothing to do with hair? Anyway… They look more like folded pony tails to me, I apparently wear my hair in a men’s fad hair style? At least when it’s hot and sticky.

    But the best part is your conversation with Zen-Den. I think you should walk around with one of those mini-recorders on all the time. You two crack me up.

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    1. Zazzy, not that kind of buns! My goodness gracious, I am shocked. 😉

      They are folded ponytails? Not a twisted topknot? I’ve never seen a guy in person who wears this style, so I have no idea how one styles one’s hair to create this look.

      Fun to know that Zen-Den and I amuse you with our ridiculous conversations. Sometimes I really do wonder about us!

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  7. I’m afraid I’m with Zen-Den on this one. I thought you were talking about buttocks. Disney buttocks, and I thought, “What’s that all about?” But now you’ve enlightened me. Always a laggard, I am…

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  8. OK, I looked at your link and I now understand the “man bun.” Not that bad, actually – more pony tail than bun. My guess is that it comes from one or more of the movie comic book heroes, like Thor, who just need to take a little heat off the neck during a hot day fighting Loki and space aliens. See them on pro wraslers as well – a possible samoan/islander influence? In any event, thanks and hang loose . . .

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    1. Z-D, not so bad, huh? A look for you to consider when you retire? I like your theorizing about the source of this style. I imagine that you’re right. It came from comic books to real life, because that’s the way the world seems to work now!

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    1. Andra, they’re more theoretical than actual around here. Must be a hip east/west coast thing. But no matter where they are, whatever. Not my hair. 😉

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