1st a disclaimer- I am generalizing. I know blah blah blah there will always be lots of examples of exceptions. What I am talking about is a possible observed upward trend. That is the point of the question marks at the end, because I am not sure if what I am observing is in my head, or a real trend.


I am talking most specifically about younger white males, although all ages, gender and ethnicity can be involved as well. It seems to me, in the very recent past and today, a big upward trend of younger males displaying much more of a duck dynasty like look. Younger being mid 30's for me btw. Actually we can round it to 40. Anyway, I have noticed lately.... SOOooo many pick up trucks on the road lately. Almost always being driven by the most stereotypcial looking... redneck. Yep, I said it, the R word. Sorry, but I really do not know what other or better way to describe them. But, so many these days.

Maybe its just me. Maybe I am coming to realize how much different I am to the "standard" male. But, I think back to my past, when I was a teenager or early 20's. We all dreamed about and wanted cars. muscle cars mostly, and the arguments about which was better, mustangs, camaros trans ams, corvettes. I see so many younger males today driving trucks, and I wonder if now instead of the talk of which hot rod we like, want, or have, has been replaced with the F-150, 250, the Sierra or a dodge ram?

And the look, so standard. completely unkept look, scruffy beard, as in an inch or more, sometimes several inches long, no trimming whatsoever. No bothering with any type of clothing, other than camo of course, which apparently goes with anything. It seems as if it is quickly becoming the white male uniform. I often run into these stealthy macho men in places like walmart, as they are so well disguised I never see them and consequently run into them.

Camo was not a style that I remember back when I was younger. And I never remember any of us getting too jacked about the latest pick up truck either. None of us felt the need to grow big bushy beards. We used things like razors, and combs. I remember when we would go out, we actually would specifically use those things, and would wear decent clothes too!

Is it just a fad??? Is it just my strange location, northeast in a liberal (supposedly) state, yet somehow has become a symptom of a polar shift??

Now, as to my question, Is what I am observing a response to the recent more acceptance of gay and transgender people? Is this what I am observing a way for straight cis guys to announce their cis hetero nature? To be anything else would qualify them as not masculine enough? I am attempting some humor in this, to a point. But I really do wonder, with all of the recent knowledge of gay and trans, is this really a result that is has pushed cis hetero males into this sad state where they feel they have to present so far into the backwoods look to prove their cis hetero nature??

Lastly, are women not only accepting this current trend in younger males, but looking for it too, so they feel more secure their "man" will not drop some bomb on them about being gay, bi, or trans?

I know this is a bit of a stretch- maybe I am just seeing how much different I am. Maybe it is just a trend, like the long hair bands of the 80's. Or the rolled up pack of smokes in a white t-shirt look of the 50's. I really do wonder though what is going on with the complete lack of any effort in grooming or sense of fashion other than it has to be camo.