A broccoli haircut (also known as a Zoomer perm and in the UK as the meet me at McDonald's haircut) is a type of haircut with tapered sides and layered curls on top, usually achieved with a perm. It became popular among teenage and tween boys in the 2020s, particularly due to its spread on TikTok, and became an Internet meme around the same time.
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Definition
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The broccoli haircut is a hairstyle with tapered sides and short, uneven layered curls on top, which are often permed.[1] It is referred to as such due to its resemblance to a floret of broccoli. It has also been referred to as the "Zoomer perm" for its popularity among members of Generation Z, as well as "bird's nest hair"[2][3] or "alpaca hair".[4] It has been described as a variation on a bowl cut.[1][5]
History
editThe broccoli haircut was preceded by similar hairstyles worn by members of K-pop boy bands such as BTS and Exo. It has also been attributed to being inspired by hairstyles popular during the New Romantic movement of the 1980s, such as mullets and shags.[3] By 2018, it had become known in the UK as the "Meet me at McDonald's haircut", and achieved media exposure after a school in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk banned pupils from possessing the style.[6][7] In 2020, Dillon Latham, a then-15-year-old TikToker, posted a clip of himself getting a perm in the style of the broccoli haircut, which prompted its early spread among teenage and tween boys. It soon became more a trend in 2021 after being worn by TikTokers such as Noah Beck, Bryce Hall, Harry Jowsey, and Jack Doherty.[2][1] That same year, it became an Internet meme and a subject of scorn online, beginning with a 4chan thread that coined the phrase "Zoomer perm" to describe it.[8] The haircut also became unfavorably associated with stereotypical "fuck boys" and "gym bros".[9]
The broccoli haircut was especially popular by 2022 and gained further attention online in 2024 when a photo of American actor David Corenswet on the set of James Gunn's 2025 film Superman showed him with what many online described as a broccoli haircut, which was mocked by social media users.[3] GQ's Alex Nino Gheciu argued that the broccoli haircut had reached its peak by 2024.[2] Also in 2024, Marie Claire's Samantha Holender called the haircut "the TikTok tween boy hallmark".[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Holender, Samantha (June 20, 2024). "So We're Taking Haircut Inspiration From Broccoli Now". Marie Claire. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Nino Gheciu, Alex (July 11, 2024). "How the Broccoli Perm Became the Definitive Zoomer Hairstyle". GQ. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Patrick, Lydia (August 9, 2024). "What exactly is the broccoli haircut that teen boys love?". Newsweek. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "The 'alpaca' haircut teenage boys and young men are obsessed with — explained". NPR. 23 September 2024.
- ^ Baker, Ariel (April 5, 2024). "The 'Broccoli Haircut' Is Taking Over Social Media". PopSugar. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Petter, Olivia (22 February 2018). "'Meet me at McDonald's' haircut banned in Norfolk school". The Independent. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Senkul, Ceren (22 February 2018). "Not lovin' it: School's beef with 'meet me at McDonald's' haircut". Sky News. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Encinas, Amaris (August 9, 2024). "Broccoli hair is here to stay: Why teenage boys are serving floret looks". USA Today. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Martichoux, Alix (August 10, 2024). "Teen boys all seem to want a 'broccoli' haircut. What is it?". Nexstar. Retrieved August 10, 2024 – via KXAN.