Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Tony Korody/Sygma/Corbis, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
On Monday night, the fashion and Hollywood elite will descend upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s steps for the annual Met Ball. Hosted by Anna Wintour, this year’s theme pays tribute to the influence of punk culture in fashion. What will the red carpet denizens, who are used to looking pretty, do with their beauty looks? Maybe, if we pray hard enough to the punk gods, a handful will arrive with their hair fashioned into a mohawk.
Back in the seventies, the British punk-rock crew adopted the audacious spiky haired look to signify their rebellious, anti-establishment attitude. But now, everyone and their mother — literally, like Gwen Stefani and her son, Kingston — will sport a mohawk to say, “I’m so tough, you guys.” Athletes do it to look more fierce on the playing field (David Beckham, Andy Roddick), ex-members of boy bands do it in a sad attempt to appear less Teen Beat (Lance Bass, Joey Fatone) and Ke$ha does it because Ke$ha does as she pleases. In all cases, the mohawk is deployed when a celebrity or a character in a movie wants to make a statement. Click through the slideshow to see what messages celebrities were trying to send with the seemingly ubiquitous mohawk (or more commonly, the faux-hawk).
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Erykah Badu, 2010 Didn't think this was hiding under her signature hair wrap, did you?
Photo: Roger Kisby/2010 Roger Kisby
Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 2007 How to stand out in a family of seven.
Photo: James Devaney/WireImage
Rooney Mara in
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2011 Hackers. They're misanthropes, right? Photo: Columbia Pictures
Alan Cumming, 2006 Managing to make a mohawk look cheerful is perhaps the biggest subversion of all. Photo: Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic
Apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas, 2011 Just one more move in a long line of questionable moves. Photo: Mindy Small/FilmMagic
Willow Smith, 2013 Already exploiting the sociopolitical signifigance of gender and hair. At the age of 11. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Matthew Broderick in
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986 Every good boy has a Ferris in there somewhere. Photo: Paramount Pictures
Joey Fatone, 2006 Some childhood Mohawk dreams really do come true.
Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage
Agyness Deyn, 2010 What other haircut makes sense when you contstantly mention Doc Martens?
Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Sean Paul, 2012 A successful attempt to look like a human version of Marvin the Martian. Photo: Steven Lawton/FilmMagic
Kelly Osbourne, 2003 Where were the Fashion Police when we needed them? Photo: SGranitz
Adam Lambert, 2012 A test to see if the mohawk can stand the effects of aging. Photo: Christopher Peterson/Splash News/Corbis
Cassie, 2012 So when this happened, did Cassie decide to start growing her hair back out? Photo: D Dipasupil/D Dipasupil
Kim Kardashian, 2009Faux show, faux tan, faux-faux-hawk.
Photo: Steven Lawton/FilmMagic
David Beckham, 2009 The only time a Mohawk has ever been hot. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Cruz Beckham, 2009 Children are the silent victims.
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Bobak Ferdowsi, 2012 The mohawk that made this guy the most famous nerd of all.
Photo: Pool/Getty Images
Robert De Niro in
Taxi Driver, 1976 The fastest way to convey you are a psycho killer.
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Mr.T, 1983 An example of punk and hip-hop done right.
Photo: Tony Korody/Corbis
Sean Combs and Mase, 2004 An example of punk and hip-hop gone wrong.
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images
Ryan Philippe, 2001 The spicy hawk to Reese's sugary mane.
Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Kelis, 2006 The boys were probably still coming to her yard.
Photo: Shane Gritzinger/FilmMagic
Jean-Paul Gaultier, 2011 The most stylish answer to balding. Photo: Eric Ryan/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus, 2013 "It's Miley!" Miley no more.
Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Gwen Stefani and Kingston Rossdale, 2009 Supportive parents are the best parents: Mommy and me moment No. 1.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Jada Pinkett and Willow Smith, 2010 Mommy and me moment No. 2.
Photo: Leon Bennett/WireImage
Alicia Keys, 2010 Inspired by Elvis and Kid N'Play. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Johnny Knoxville, 2007 Somewhere between trying and not trying. Photo: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
Tyson Beckford, 2006 "Guys, I am more than a Ralph Lauren model."
Photo: Bennett Raglin/WireImage
Eva Simmons, 2011 The Firehawk. Game of Thrones' Melisandre sweats this look.
Photo: Tim Whitby/Getty Images
Seth Green, 2009 He can't hardly wait for his hair to grow out.
Photo: Dr. Billy Ingram/WireImage
Ke$ha, 2010 The more silvery and studded your face is, the higher the mohawk. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Andy Roddick, 2003 Take THAT, Roger Federer.
Photo: Robin Platzer/FilmMagic
Dennis Rodman, 2005 Having his Victor, Victoria moment. Photo: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage
Ricky Martin, 2005 La Vida Mohawk. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Mark Sailing, 2009 One of those weird GLEE things no one could understand.
Photo: Mark Savage/Corbis
Jeremy Scott, 2011 Ironically, while Scott is known for his crazy fashion concepts, his mohawk is surprisingly tame.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty I...Jeremy Scott, 2011 Ironically, while Scott is known for his crazy fashion concepts, his mohawk is surprisingly tame.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images
Lance Bass, 2009 While Bass still embraces his frosted tips, the mohawk says he's a lot less boy-band-y. See what he did there?
Photo: Michael B...Lance Bass, 2009 While Bass still embraces his frosted tips, the mohawk says he's a lot less boy-band-y. See what he did there?
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Casey Affleck, 2007 Alright, point taken. You're the funnier Affleck. Photo: Enos Solomon/FilmMagic
Pink, 2007 Casual Pink.
Photo: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic
Pink, 2004 Saturday night Pink.
Photo: Jo Hale/2004 Jo Hale
Janet Jackson, 2008 Stage presence. Photo: Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images
Rihanna, 2010 An opportunity to match your hair to your dress. Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage
