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The Beehive Hairdo is a woman's hairstyle in fashion in The '60s, in which long hair is piled high above the head and cemented with plenty of hairspray. A few elderly women could be seen sporting the beehive into The '90s, at which point it became more of a gag and/or trope hairstyle than anything real. They seem to have made a small comeback in the last few years, thanks to celebrities from shows like Jersey Shore making "poofy hair" trendy again. It is named as such because it resembles a Stock Beehive in shape.

Sub-Trope to '60s Hair. See also the Nefertiti Bust.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising 
  • An ad for MyHabit women's designer and fashion brands features someone with this hairstyle.
  • The main character in this ad for Smirnoff flavored vodka.
  • Louis Vuitton once featured an ad depicting pairs of identical twin women with their hair updone.

    Anime & Manga 
  • During the first episode of Haganai Next, Sena tries out a Victorian-style "poof", complete with various summer-themed decorations. Her father is not thrilled about her walking around with her hair like that.
  • Isabelle of Paris: When Isabelle is debuting at the Parisian ball for the first time, she wears her hair like this to signify that she's left her days of being a tomboy behind.
  • Ruruka from Jewelpet Happiness has one, meant to be seen as a practical hairstyle befitting her tomboy personality.
  • La Seine No Hoshi: Marie Antoinette and Madame Catherine, being wealthy French elite, have this hairstyle. Marie decorates hers with a feather headpiece and Catherine puts flowers in hers.
  • Telence D'Arby from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of the rare male examples of this trope, and seemingly one of the few villains in the arc without a mullet.
  • Iris styles her hair this way for a glamour contest in Pokémon the Series: Black & White. Her Pokemon can even hide inside it.
  • Edel from Princess Tutu.
  • Astharoshe Asran sometimes sports this in Trinity Blood.
  • Ryoko Sakurai in Symphogear sports this with a butterfly clip. As her true self her massive amount of locks flow freely. It's most likely this hairstyle was chosen by the designers to make a visual difference between Ryoko and Finé outside of hair and eye color being different.
  • Voltes V: The Boazanians are a Fantasy Counterpart Culture to Medieval France. The aristocratic female Boazanians have this hairstyle, including Lozaria and Oral's wife. Katherine, on the other hand, wears her hair in a French braid and a ponytail.

    Comic Books 

    Comic Strips 
  • Many panels of The Far Side featured one or more beehive-coiffed beauties. Beehive hairdos and harlequin or cat-eye glasses were Tertiary Sexual Characteristics for Gary Larson.
  • Pearls Before Swine:
    • Creator Stephan Pastis wrote a strip that, apparently, nobody got. Pig sees a "Beware of Dog" sign in a yard, that appears to have the "g" missing. He knocks on the door to let the owner know, only to be greeted by a woman with an atrocious beehive haircut. Beware of do. Geddit?
    • Also worth noting Patty and Pigita, even though the former is, um, a reptile.

    Fan Works 
  • Beehive Randomness, a one-shot Lucky Star fic about six of the (long-haired) characters' hair mysteriously becoming updone. Miyuki finds it rather embarrassing, and so does Kagami once she and Konata wind up next. (Despite the title, there is not actually much random about it.)
  • Starbound, another Lucky Star fic, also involves the Kagami, Konata, and Miyuki's hair becoming updone during the first half of its first chapter. They later find out from Kagami and Tsukasa's second cousin Rokuna (yes, that one, except with brown hair already also done up into a hive) that the crystals responsible for it are actually meant to enable them to use psychokinetics. (The version on Fanfiction.net is even marked with a photoshopped image of Kagami with her hair updone.)

    Films — Animation 

    Films — Live-Action 

    Literature 
  • Susan Sto Helit sported one when she was being Death's granddaughter (as opposed to Governess Susan) in the Sky One Live-Action Adaptation of Hogfather. Based on the painting by Paul Kidby which has her with more of an afro, which in turn is based on the description in Soul Music of her hair resembling a dandelion clock.
  • In Relativity, the supervillain Vera Barracuda uses a beehive hairstyle as part of her disguise. In her day-to-day life, she wears her hair down. This, plus a Domino Mask, is enough to completely hide her identity.
  • In Captain Underpants, George and Harold's teacher, Ms. Ribble, has a beehive hairdo.
  • The lady on the cover of Rich People Problems.
  • InCryptid: Many female gorgons who interact with humans wear beehive wigs, since there's more room to hide their snakes inside.

    Live-Action TV 
  • Turned up often enough in the original Star Trek, that it's been speculated that (like many, many other parts of the show) it was a case of Author Appeal with Gene Roddenberry. The most famous example was the do worn by Yeoman Rand, made by gluing two wigs together! In later series like Deep Space Nine, Human Aliens would be given towering hairstyles to portray a different culture without bothering with extensive makeup.
  • Mad Men:
    • Brought back from the dead by Joan Holloway and her startlingly-red updo. The show is, after all, set in the very early 60s.
    • Worn by by Betty Draper when she and Don go to Italy.
  • Vlad, the Divine Executioner, from Lexx had such a hairdo... about a foot-and-a-half high.
  • When beehives appear in Mystery Science Theater 3000 movies, one of the gang will probably make buzzing noises at least once.
  • Elvira, Mistress of the Dark sports a rather unusual beehive-mullet.
  • As mentioned above, Snooki's signature "poof" from Jersey Shore.
  • Joy once sported one in My Name Is Earl, when she and the rest of the cast went to see an independently produced movie.
    • She also wore one in a flashback to a day when she was asked to do some trade-show modeling at "Barba-Tubba-Con," until Earl accidentally ruined it by lighting a cigarette too close to where she was applying hairspray.
  • Patsy Stone's signature look in Absolutely Fabulous.
  • Lois sometimes styles her hair this way in Malcolm in the Middle.
  • In an episode of Malibu, CA, Tracey tries her hand in styling Stads' and Samantha's hair. Stads' is styled into an impossibly large beehive, which she initially pretends to love, before asking for Samantha's help to get rid of it once Tracey leaves.
  • Bug-Eyed Bandit styles her hair like this in The Flash (2014), tying to her queen bee theme.
  • The signature hairstyle of Warehouse 13's Mrs Frederic.
  • Rimmer, from Red Dwarf, on one occasion rudely demanded that Holly give him a haircut. In revenge, Holly inflicted a beehive on him instead.
  • Blake's 7. In "Assassin", The Reveal that a Decoy Damsel is actually the Villain of the Week is given when she somehow has time for an Evil Costume Switch into black clothes and a towering bun of hair. The latter makes her not as scary as she should be.
  • In Shining Time Station, Didi, the drummer for the Jukebox Band has this hairstyle.
  • Toast of London: Janet Plough sports a gray beehive hairdo along with her mod-print psychedelic dresses, which together give her an anachronistic 60's secretary look, consistent with most of the main cast being 60's throwbacks in the 2010's.
  • The Sopranos: Livia Soprano wore her hair in a beehive during Tony's childhood in the '60s. Apparently, his father "Johnny Boy" shot a bullet through it while driving home from a double date at one point. (We only see the beehive in flashbacks; by the time of the series Livia's beehive is long gone.)
  • Fawlty Towers: Sybil Fawlty sports a beehive hairdo, or "rat's maze" as Basil calls it.
  • The Crystal Maze: In series 3, Auntie Sabrina has a beehive hairdo.

    Music 
  • Ronnie Spector is the Trope Codifier who played a major role in popularizing the hairstyle.
  • Ariana Grande wears a short 60s-style beehive on the cover of her album Positions and a taller, poofier one in the video for "34+35".
  • Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of The B-52s used to sport a pair of beehive wigs. It's where the band's name came from, after all (because the way they did it resembled the nose of the Boeing B-52 airplane). They stopped doing it in the '80s, but the name stuck.
  • Mari Wilson of Just What I Always Wanted fame.
  • Adele, of course.
  • Diana Ross and The Supremes. And others of their time.
  • Amy Winehouse, probably the most notable example of the last ten years. It was a Shout-Out to '60s girl group the Ronettes (themselves an example), of whom Amy was a fan.
  • Dusty Springfield.
  • Cyndi Lauper sported the reverse version of the Elsa Lanchester beehive hairdo around the time of her 1989 album A Night To Remember.
  • A woman with one of these appears on the cover for Andre Kostalanetz's record album for Strauss Waltzes.
  • Patty Smyth of Scandal briefly sported one in the video for "The Warrior".
  • Mentioned in Australian rock band The Skyhooks' "Women in Uniform":
    Beehive hairdo, 45 on the hip
    Patrolwoman Saunders don't you give her no lip
  • Mentioned in "Honky Tonk Song" by Terri Clark:
    It's for that good ol' boy preachin', dealin' with the Deacons
    And the little ladies with the beehive hairdo's

    Pinballs 
  • True to the television series, Janice Rand has one of these in Data East's Star Trek pinball.

    Toys 
  • The black Barbie is shown with this at times.

    Urban Legends 
  • A popular legend during the 60s, when beehive hairdos were all the rage, is one where a woman with one doesn't take it down and wash her hair for a really long time, keeping the hairdo going by continually adding more hairspray. One day she passes out unexpectedly, and when she is medically examined, it's discovered that she has a huge nest of spiders in her beehive hairdo that have bored a hole in her brain. She later dies from this.

    Video Games 

    Web Comics 
  • Dregs: Meatball wears her hair in a large bun, outside of her protective suit.
  • A spectator sitting next to Tycho in this strip of Penny Arcade.
  • Rosemary "Rosie" Willow from FAC-AgentC's dA comic Timepeace.

    Web Original 

    Western Animation 
  • The Simpsons:
    • Marge Simpson here is the modern queen of the beehive. She's never seen anyone with taller hair outside of Graceland.
    • Her mother's beehive is pretty impressive as well.
    • Sideshow Mel also counts, as a rare male example.
    • Agnes, Principal Skinner's mother, also has one, but not nearly as large (and it's a wig; she's actually bald).
  • This hairstyle was spoofed in one episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. In the episode, Robotnik's Mother adopts Sonic. A social worker comes to inspect the fortress and not only does she have a beehive hairdo, but real bees buzzing around it, and a hole for them to fly into.
  • Lady Nickelbottoms from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. According to one episode, it's actually a wig that she wears to cover up her "beauty mark".
  • Gerald from Hey Arnold!, though his is an exaggerated hi-top fade.
  • Sheila Broflovski on South Park.
  • A villain from Totally Spies! sported one of these to hide the top half of her head, which had grown huge after stealing the intelligence of several geniuses.
  • The Magic Schoolbus: Miss Frizzle sports one in the episode where they go see the inside of a beehive.
  • Cordoth's Daughter from The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
  • The Oblongs: Pickles Oblong wears a beehive hairdo wig, as the pollution of the Valley caused her hair to fall out.
  • In an episode of Daria, Brittney sports a hive at a dance. Someone on the sidelines can also be seen with one.
    • In the episode "Pierce Me", Helen wears one for a Mother-Daughter fashion show with Quinn.
  • Betty Jo Flynn from Phineas and Ferb.
  • The unnamed gift shop clerk in Bébé's Kids, whose hair might count as a "triple-hive" of sorts.
  • Rugrats: Didi Pickles has one that points in three directions.
  • Mrs. Brinks in Angela Anaconda wears a beehive wig, which periodically falls off.
  • Miss Sculptham in Moral Orel has this. Another hint (see page description) that this show might be set in The '50s.
  • In The Flintstones episode "Fred's New Boss", Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble get their hair done in gigantic, elaborate beehives at a salon, and the pair drive their car very slowly to protect their hairdos. Unfortunately, their 'dos are destroyed after a fast-moving dinosaur vehicle passes by and blows them down.
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph regularly wears her hair in a large, flat bun atop her head.
  • Eustace's mother in Courage the Cowardly Dog.
  • Marguerite Grey in the Over the Garden Wall episode Mad Love.
  • Olga in The Mouse And The Monster.
  • Some episodes of Kaeloo have either Kaeloo or Quack Quack wear a wig that looks like a beehive hairdo.
  • In the As Told by Ginger episode No Hope for Courtney, popular girl Courtney Gripling has her hair done in a beehive.
  • The female lead in the 1931 Fleischer Animation short In My Merry Oldsmobile.
  • Ms. McBrisk in The Crumpets.
  • In My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Starlight Glimmer has this manestyle as the Arc Villain of Season 5. In Season 6 onwards (post-Heel–Face Turn), she swept her cut bangs out of the way and curled it to her side, but otherwise kept her original style.
  • Little Charmers: In "Hairy Ways", Posie sports a beehive as tall as her body, though she's constantly struggling to keep her balance throughout the episode while trying not to fall over.
  • Li'l Gideon from Gravity Falls is a rare male example with a massive white beehive. It emphasizes his extravagant and vain personality, and adds a few feet to his short stature.
  • Cheryl and Meryl Farrell of The Loud House sport beehive hairdos. This is lampshaded in "Double Trouble", where Cheryl and Principal Huggins get chased by bees.
    Cheryl: RUN, HUGGINS! THEY THINK MY BEEHIVE IS THEIR BEEHIVE!

    Real Life 

 
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Video Example(s):

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You Are What You Look Like

Earlier in the episode Rimmer had disagreement with Holy as a result of which Holy has given him a Beehive haircut. Rimmer, still thinking that he has a military haircut, speaks to Lister, who see very clearly what abomination lies upon his roommate's head.

How well does it match the trope?

5 (2 votes)

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Main / GagHaircut

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