Respect for Brazen Follicles.
The invasion began on summer break.
It sprouted slowly, a few trespassers of which he'd been inordinately proud because any sign of manhood was bound to please his father. But when it became a siege, he grew a bit concerned. No amount of maturity and worldliness would prepare him for the onslaught of hairs, bridging the timeline from a smattering on his chest to a burgeoning forest. Of course, in hindsight there wasn't as much foliage as his teenaged mind believed but Tony remembers vividly the daily routine of checking the area for further infestation.
That is, until he saw Magnum P.I..
The man had it all; good friends, a Ferrari and the best vocation on the planet. And more to the point, he had hair. Everywhere. A full head of the stuff, an unsafely thick mustache and, peeking out from a Hawaiian shirt, a shrubbery on his chest. And unlike the fair-haired juvenile, Thomas Magnum was possessed of dark locks, the kind that one could detect from a great distance. Primal to the point of beast-like.
And the man didn't care.
No, he flaunted the unkempt tresses by letting it get attacked by the breeze rushing past the red convertible, by allowing as many females as possible feel the tickle of that lip scarf and made sure the colorful shirts gave an optimal view of his manly, fur-covered torso. Magnum made it all seem not only acceptable but desirable, as though smooth-chested guys should hide their defect in shame. After the second episode, the boys at school began leaving an additional button undone, regardless of what stage of puberty lay beneath.
By episode three, Tony was sold.
Even now, he bends a knee at the altar of Magnum's confidence. When Tony removes his shirt he's proclaiming, 'Ladies, this is a real man. No pansy could own such a fine fleece of masculinity.' A woman may scoff from afar but when the density waits beneath their fingers, those questing digits tend to linger. There is potency in the display of testosterone that portends a further proof perspective mates eagerly seek. An epitome of evolution, one might say, as evidenced by the Magnum-worthy lifestyle upon which Tony's reputation is founded. Secure and indisputably male. And even now, when more time is behind than remaining, he watches the series with an unabashed admiration for the man's guts.
Age has not diminished the student's respect for the master.