Why Are Duck Hair Clips Everywhere? UP Professor of Pop Culture Explains

(SPOT.ph) It’s “may bibe na ba lahat?” this and “may bibe na ba lahat?” that, but have you ever stopped to wonder why may bibe na lahat?

Several publications have tried coming up with explanations that trace the duck hair clip’s origins. Popular talk points to the fad first showing up in Baguio, where the sprout hair clips have also gained some popularity. But there seems to be no real rhyme or reason behind the rise of the bibe.

This is because there's likely no deeper meaning behind it. It's a bandwagon effect taking place, says University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD) professor on pop culture and literature Dr. Jimmuel Naval in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. “Unless merong Year of the Bibe, wala…”

So it’s less about the duck itself and more about the strong Filipino inclination to fit in with the use of modern trends. But why do we even have this inclination in the first place?

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Explaining the duck hair clip trend in the Philippines

Merriam Webster defines the bandwagon effect as “the phenomenon by which the growing success of something (such as a cause, fad, or type of behavior) attracts more widespread support or adoption as more people perceive and are influenced by its increasing popularity.”

In simpler terms: “Kung anong uso, gaya-gaya tayo. Meron tayong bandwagon phase growth na tinatawag para makasama sa uso. Ayaw natin maiwan,” Naval says. “Noon pa natin ‘tong ginagawa. Hindi lang dekorasyon sa ulo, kundi sa pagkain, etc.”

He cites Starbucks and milk tea as prominent examples of the bandwagon effect's prevalence in the Philippines. We carry them around like a badge of honor. Embracing a trend is not something to be embarrassed about, however, as it originates from a fundamental human need to conform. Remember Bondee and lato-lato in 2023?

This yearning to be seen and recognized is likely fueled by our past, too. Naval explains that Filipinos were often overlooked during the American colonial period because of our dark skin color, resulting in a collective effort to stand out: “Sila ang nakikilala. Tayo, gagawa ng paraan para makita tayo.”

Naval goes back further, bringing up the concept of bapor tabo, one of many symbolisms Jose Rizal used in his novel El Filibusterismo. The bapor tabo is a ship whose different levels represent the social classes. Naval compares our response to the duck hair clip to how Doña Victorina—Capitan Tiago's socialite friend—tries to brush elbows with the Spanish upper class, driven by her desire to fit in.

“Parang ganoon tayo,” Naval offers. As for the bibe trend, it will probably last for another three to six months, says the UP professor, before it fades into the background and we move on to the next.

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