The sad and curious exile of the American mustache

Boston Globe ^ | October 11, 2009 | Wesley Morris

[GQuagmire]

...What happened? For the past 20 years, a parade of facial hair has taken root on the faces of movie stars and American men - sideburns, the three-day beard, the chinstrap, the soul patch. The goatee returned from the 19th century and seemingly brought eight cousins with it. But the mustache? As far as pop culture is concerned, the mustache remains trapped in the land of porn and irony.

[Tax-chick]

“Mujer con bigote no necesita dote” is a Spanish proverb. It means, “A woman with a mustache doesn’t need a dowry,” which I think implies that the higher testosterone levels indicated by the mustache means the husband will be “taken care of” in non-monetary ways.

[School of Rational Thought]

After various beards, goatees, van dykes, mustaches, I have decided to go with the double chin.

[GQuagmire]

“A woman with a mustache doesn’t need a dowry,”

Says to me she won't be getting married due to the aforemention facial hair....

[JRandomFreeper]

Frieda was weird. Cool, but weird.

/johnny

[Tax-chick]

she won't be getting married due to the aforemention facial hair

That would mean a *lot* of single women (and men) in Mediterranean countries.

[Genflag]

I have one of those, but with mutton chops. I haven’t trimmed my ‘stache since december of last year, and if I don’t trim my chops about once a months I look like I should be in a BBC production of A Christmas Carol.

[School of Rational Thought]

Frida Kahlo? Mexican

[southernnorthcarolina]

Beginning with Lincoln, who began growing a beard after his 1860 election and before his inauguration, through William Howard Taft's term, all Presidents save Andrew Johnson had facial hair of some sort. Taft, elected in 1908, was the last.

Thomas Dewey, GOP nominee in 1944 and 1948, attempted to bring the trend back. But once Alice Roosevelt Longworth (TR's daughter and socialite) referred to Dewey as "that little man on top of a wedding cake," it was pretty much over for mustaches, at least at the Presidential level.

[jessduntno]

"I have one of those, but with mutton chops. I haven’t trimmed my ‘stache since december of last year, and if I don’t trim my chops about once a months."

You should head to Gettysburg to be a re-enactor...

[240B]

Ft. Gordon? That’s a 25mos.

From flag and torch in the civil war to signal satellites above...

[Ditter]

Shiver~~~~~~ I'll bet there are crawly things living in that mustache~~~~~

[Pablo64]

I have only shaved off my mustache one time in my adult like. Currently it holds it's place of honor for almost 25 years.

In college, I added the goatee several years before they became popular and took a bunch of crap from my friends for it ("Don't you think that's kind of old fashioned?"). Funny how none of them remember that I was ahead of the curve on that particular trend (probably the only time in my life).

Later on I went from the 'stache and goatee to the full beard and mustache and that's how it's been ever since.

My wife says she really likes how it looks on me and that's good enough for me (besides, I only have to trim it up once a week instead of shaving every day).

[mikrofon]

[Ditter]

I agree, facial hair is nasty.

[Patrsup]

I’ve always worn one - when I was in the Army - the Colonel only had to see me at a distance and he would shout “Trim that Mustache” I had a real nice thick full one also.

[muir_redwoods]

I have had a full beard and mustache since May of 1969. It's gone from bright, flame red to cinnamon splashed with more grey than red but I simply can't imagine shaving it off for any reason.

The problem is, if I did shave it off it would be back in about a week. It grows too fast for me to keep up with.

[Pablo64]

"The only ones who don’t care or prefer beards/mustaches are women who don’t want sexual activity. Who really wants to kiss a haribrush?"

You couldn't prove that by my wife. She will not allow me to shave the mustache and she tells me several times a year how good the beard looks (and Mrs. Pablo64 is always right!!).

[In The Defense of Liberty]

Couldn't resist posting on this thread... Had it, in varius forms, since 18. Will probably die with it.

[Candor7]

Si, es Frida.

[Revolting cat!]

Moustache? That’s so gay!