The state of a gay guy’s bush has been a barometer of the times for decades. Back when guys were flipping through sticky porno mags in the ‘70s and ‘80s, most men looked like some variant of Burt Reynolds—the reigning sex bomb of the time: boastfully bushy both above the waist and below.
After the rigid gender and sexual norms of the 1950s, the sexual revolution encouraged people (including gay men) to reject the idea that the body needed to be cleancut, well-shaved, and scrubbed down. Pubes became central to that rebellion. A mess of untrimmed pubes was natural, primal, and proudly masculine.
By the 1990s, in the wake of the AIDS crisis in the late ‘80s, visible muscle and bodybuilding became a way for men to visually suggest to each other that they were HIV negative. The more muscular the body, went their thinking, the less sick you’d appear. Bodybuilding culture took over, and with it, an emphasis on smooth, hairless skin which would highlight muscle striation. Gone were the days of unruly pubes and thick, meaty bushes.
In the 2000s and early aughts, the world was introduced to the term “manscaping.”, which sprung up from the explosion of online porn, hookup apps, and mainstream metrosexual culture. The 2000s ideal was about marketability, a body curated for visibility and consumption: Think Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake and Jesse Metcalfe.
Today, the bush is back. You’ve undoubtedly seen bush cropping up in more thirst traps; peeking up over teasingly tugged-down boxer waistbands as guys look for a new way to tantalize their followers. Antonio “Bush King” Gambino, for example, has amassed a 200,000 followers on X for his absolutely massive and unruly bush (and just as massive cock). Yes, it’s #FullBushFall, but pubes are on the brain for designers and artists too. John Galliano’s exquisite 2024 Artisanal collection for Maison Margiela featured models sauntering down the runway in custom, couture merkins. Unsurprisingly, the ideas been copied. Kim Kardashian’s “Faux Hair Panty” underwear collection is making waves in the tabloids.
Eric Romanguera, a popular content creator who has much to brag about physically, (an Adonis-like physique and big, beautiful cock) says it’s his fluffy but kempt bush which is in stark contrast with his otherwise hairless body that gets the most questions. Why does he have such a massive bush, they ask, and can they lick it?. “Even when I go out partying, people ask me to show it. And honestly, I don’t mind at all.”
Romangeura acknowledges the recent comeback, noting that it's taken him four years to amass the abundant bush he now boasts, and credits the juxtaposition of his otherwise hairless body to his pubic hair’s popularity. “Just don’t trim it and let it go wild,” he advises folks ready to get into the big bush game. “I only clean up the base a bit because I feel it looks better for the pictures and presents the cock nicely, and from time to time I use conditioner so it stays soft.”
The bush’s rise is refreshing. It’s a step back from the overly polished and manicured veneer that’s so often shoved in our faces. It’s a more relaxed, unfiltered sex appeal that feels confident. “I feel it’s wild, it’s masculine and it’s intimate.” Dani, a 45-year-old bush lover, shares. “The idea of playing with it or shaving it excites me because it builds connection by letting go and being free. It feels nice being truly intimate with someone’s most private area.”
In a world of filters, AI generated porn, and an oversaturation of picture perfect hairless bodies, the bush is symbolic of a return to realism—even if it's hidden in our jockstraps most of the time.
