Travis Kelce’s Fade Haircut Is Not Cultural Appropriation

Travis Kelce is arguably the most famous, active professional athlete – mostly thanks to his romantic relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.

As a result, males across America and Canada want to look like him. Well, at least share the same hairstyle.

Last week, a New York Times article covered a new-found trend among barber shops in which customers request "the Travis Kelce," a buzz cut fade.

"Not since Jennifer Aniston has a haircut become so popular. Barbers, in America and abroad, are being inundated with requests for ‘the Travis Kelce," the piece states.

A barber interviewed for the piece says men come into his shop with a picture of Kelce, so the barber knows the desired outcome of the cut. 

"They usually come in with a picture of him," said barber Jeffrey Dugas. "I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know who that is.’"

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 24: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on before kickoff against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The piece is rather harmless, fun, and trendy – even for those who are irritated by the magnified coverage of Kelce’s relationship with Swift.

However, the article was met with immediate backlash. Racially-charged backlash, that is. Grifters accused The Times and Kelce of trying to culturally appropriate the fade haircut. 

The unusual suspects demanded black people receive credit for the style.

While we regret ruining the outrage, black people did not create the fade. Travis Kelce did not culturally appropriate the fade.

The hairstyle originated in the U.S. military around the 1940s and 1950s. The website Ebony profiled the haircut in 2016, finding that the black community did not popularize the fade until some 40 years later.

"Naturally, new times usher in new trends. Over the decades, Black folks experimented with different hairstyles, whether it was the afro or the infamous Jheri curl. 

"By the time the mid-80s rolled around, a reworked, edgier version of the fade was emerging thanks to black barbers. It would soon become a standard in hip-hop culture during its golden era."

The Community Notes feature on X has since corrected several posts alleging cultural appropriation:

The outrage over the Times' article exemplifies the desperate desire to incite racial animus. Society is now so divided that vitriol spews over which race deserves credit for a hairstyle.

If you ever needed proof that the demand for racism outstrips the supply, look no further than the discourse around the fade. 

In actuality, neither race owns the style. And The Times never claimed otherwise. 

The article succinctly states that the fade is currently the most popular haircut for men and Travis Kelce is the catalyst for its popularity.

That’s it. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more benign story in The New York Times. 

Only the racists see racism where racism is nowhere to be found. Like here.