HALIFAX, NS—Cory Helman, a 28-year-old health food store clerk from Halifax, has worn a ponytail for the last several months. While his experience with the hairstyle has generally been positive, he's starting to feel an unexpected obligation.

"I love my pony. It's an amazing look," Helman explains. "The only weird thing is that people just assume I play bass now. Truth is, I've never picked one up in my life."

While Helman has nothing against the bass or music in general, this expectation has begun to really weigh on him.

"Honestly, I kind of feel like I'm disappointing people," he says. "Some kid approached me on the street the other day and asked if I'd recommend getting a Fender or a nice hollow body Ibanez, and I was like, 'Dude! I don't know what those words mean.'"

Perhaps surprisingly, the most difficult bass-related interactions have come from Helman's own community: pony-tailed men.

"I can't let another ponyman know that I don't play bass," Helman whispers. "If word gets out about that then the entire community could shun me. It'll get ugly."

Despite the mounting pressure, Helman hasn't yet revealed whether he will actually attempt to learn bass going forward.

"Honestly, I'm just not that interested in learning the instrument. I might just buy one and place it prominently in my apartment. Maybe take a photo of it and make it my Facebook profile picture. That should hold everyone off for now."