11.03.2005

Facial hair uprising

The North American Free Beard Agreement's Whiskerino is in it's third day. What is it, you ask? A movement to reconnect men with their hirsute nature, I think:
We are alienated from our own facial hair. Society tells us that full beards are unacceptable. Businessmen, politicians, bankers, and the like are all clean shaven; all demonstrating the standards that middle class society expects us to maintain.

In other words, these are all examples of "the man" keeping down nascent beards everywhere. These are the people that alienate us from our masculinity, forcing us to shave and adopt public personas which might not reflect our own true inner animal.
The goal: grow a beard—a big hairy full one—between November 1 and February 28. Progress by contestants will be recorded photographically on the Whiskerino site. "Winning beards will be determined by a variety of criteria including: Beard Official opinions, ratings, overall participation, attendance, beard style, and spirit. Note: Immense facial hair density, girth, and coverage does not neccasarily determine winner. Spirit and Beard Fellowship are the highest ranked criteria according to the North American Free Beard Agreement."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

According to a landmark piece in the authoritative Psychology Today, a bearded man is seen by women as more trustworthy than a beardless man while men see bearded men as less suspicious.

Anonymous said...

correction: Men see bearded men as less trustworthy.