The history of the world is not written by the winners, but by those who are best coifed. From the tale of Samson and Delilah to Sanjaya Malakar's unexpected American Idol success, hair has played an important role everywhere. In that spirit, it's no wonder that Corbin Bleu's 'do is so big, in every sense of the world, and is one of the top five reasons to watch High School Musical 2.

Sure, his singing and dancing skills in the original High School Musical helped gain him popularity as Chad Danforth, the cocky basketball star and best friend to team captain Troy Bolton (Zac Efron). But there were plenty of basketball players, but only one giant exciting hair style.

Looking a bit like Sideshow Bob's African-American nephew, Corbin Bleu's wild mane is a refreshingly bold attempt to bring the afro back into fashion. Disney Channel original movies have become hugely successful, and so it's nice to see the network accepting of diversity not just in race, but in hairstyles as well. Much like Shirley Temple's curls, Bleu is cutting a swath through youth culture's favorite mode of expression: their hair.

Kids are always rebelling with their hair. Be it punk rockers sporting mohawks or dying their hair into oblivion, or girls pulling a Britney Spears and raging against the machine by buzzing it all off, it's a way for young adults to represent their opinions through a physical manifestation.

With Corbin Bleu, the message is clear: be loud and proud. He's not trying to force his hair down or let it adapt to conventional styles, he is his own man, that's his hair, and America must see it. It's a positive message to send the ever-growing tween demographic who are so obsessed with fitting in and falling in line with the masses. If your hair is big and poofy, let it be big and poofy.

What would the High School Musical franchise be without Corbin Bleu's hair? Well, it would be flat, and though many elements would still be enjoyable, it would just be a bunch of white kids sitting around,, dancing and singing with their boring, conventional hairstyles.


High School Musical 2 premieres this Friday, August 17 at 8pm on the Disney Channel.  Check back each day this week for the rest of our Top 5 list.

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-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of Disney Channel)