Showing off personal beliefs through a “radical” appearance in the hope of eliciting a response from strangers.
That’s a particularly emotionally charged view on this. I think you’re spot on for those wearing MAGA hats, as openly declaring one’s political beliefs is hard to view as anything but as a hope to elicit a response from strangers, but equating that with rainbow hair is quite the stretch. Have you ever considered that those with rainbow hair might have it to signal to their own in-group that they are queer because this is not something immediately visible and can be a way to find community? Greasers, hippies, and punks also can widely follow this reasoning/purpose behind “flagging” oneself.
Showing off personal beliefs through a “radical” appearance in the hope of eliciting a response from strangers.
It’s always kinda been a thing. From Greasers to Hippies to Punks to whatever we’re calling what we have now.
It’s all a uniform.
That’s a particularly emotionally charged view on this. I think you’re spot on for those wearing MAGA hats, as openly declaring one’s political beliefs is hard to view as anything but as a hope to elicit a response from strangers, but equating that with rainbow hair is quite the stretch. Have you ever considered that those with rainbow hair might have it to signal to their own in-group that they are queer because this is not something immediately visible and can be a way to find community? Greasers, hippies, and punks also can widely follow this reasoning/purpose behind “flagging” oneself.
No, I don’t see it as particularly charged. It’s just the way it is and always have been.
It’s a signal, for sure. And definitely an identifier for people to their own groups.
This doesn’t make it less of a uniform. Quite the contrary.
A need to stand out, but also a need to fit in.