In the midst of the recent presidential debate, all eyes were not on the candidates’ policy positions or heated exchanges, but rather on the distinctive hairstyle of presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy, who had previously gained attention for his performance in a Republican debate, found himself at the center of a social media storm due to his hairdo.
During the course of the debate, social media, particularly the platform formerly known as Twitter, was flooded with memes and witty comparisons involving Ramaswamy’s hair. Internet users showcased their creativity as they drew parallels between his pompadour-like hairstyle and iconic cartoon characters.
One popular comparison likened Ramaswamy’s hair to the titular character from the nineties animated series “Beavis and Butt-Head.” Another analogy was drawn to “fifth grade genius” Jimmy Neutron and his unmistakably oversized cowlick. Some users opted for side-by-side image comparisons, while others found a single image of the cartoon character to be self-explanatory.
The online amusement reached a point where users began digitally altering images of Ramaswamy’s hair to make it appear even taller. One user humorously pledged, “Every 1000 likes, I’ll make his hair taller,” accompanied by an edited image of Ramaswamy with even more voluminous hair. This playful trend led to comments like, “Vivek’s hair looks like it’s about to leap off his head.”
However, the hair-related amusement wasn’t limited to the internet. During the debate, some of the other candidates also took humorous jabs at Ramaswamy. Nikki Haley, in particular, ridiculed the Harvard graduate for starting a TikTok account at the encouragement of controversial YouTuber Jake Paul. In response, she quipped, “Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say.”
Beyond the online jesting, Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old presidential hopeful, has faced criticism from voters in the past. His credibility was questioned when he disclosed in an interview with NBC that his Indian father was not a U.S. citizen, contradicting his previous claims that both of his parents had taken the citizenship test. Ramaswamy also drew criticism from fellow Republican candidates after his performance in the August presidential primary debate.
The latest poll from FiveThirtyEight indicates that Ramaswamy currently holds an average of 6.3 percent support, while former President Donald Trump leads the pack with a national average of 54 percent.
