the buzz log

Last Thursday, paparazzi photographs answered the question that's been on many minds since the 2006 debut of Disney's "High School Musical": Does Zac Efron have a forehead? Based on what the photos show, we can confirm: Yes, Virginia, there is a forehead.

Much to the horror of tweens everywhere, 21-year-old Efron cut off the locks that have grazed his mesmerizingly long eyelashes for the past three years, to reveal a sleeker, more manly look. Some speculate that he ditched his trademark 'do to get more mature roles, which makes sense considering Efron recently backed out of the remake of the teen flick "Footloose" and instead accepted a serious role in "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud." BuddyTV suspects he cut his hair to throw off the paparazzi that have been stalking him relentlessly, quoting him from earlier this year: "I just want to explore—but I don't know how I'd do it. Maybe I'd shave my head to try and go incognito? Yeah, that's what I'd do."

Or perhaps his agent read The New York Observer's article on "The New Male Beauty"—which points out Efron's strong resemblance to fellow pretty-boys Chace Crawford ("Gossip Girl"), Ian Somerhalder ("Lost"), Chris Pine ("Star Trek"), and others—and decided it was time for him to stand out from the crowd. If so, that plan has unfortunately backfired: NY Daily News reports Crawford got a similar haircut recently, as did heartthrob Jared Leto. E! Online thinks Efron's new cut makes him look like "Twilight" hunk Robert Pattinson, who underwent his own heartbreaking hair transformation last December.

One thing is clear: Man-bangs are out, foreheads are in. Teen-idol wannabes, take note!