Beards

From MSNBC:

Beards are back

These days, the hirsute pursuit has evolved into a full-blown, full-grown trend. According to the marketing research company The NPD Group, sales of electric shavers and men’s facial trimmers have dipped 12 percent just in the last year while beard-related activities are, well, bristling.

Beard Team USA, a division of the World Beard and Moustache Championships, boasts 36 chapters in the U.S. alone, many in urban hotspots such as Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis and New York. There are beard contests and beard blogs, mustache movies and facial hair fundraisers.

Indeed, the month-long mustache-growing event Movember (a “mo” is Australian slang for mustache) has raised $29 million for men’s health since it got its start in 2004. Similar events – No Shave November, Mustache-a-Thon, the Super Macho Tuff Man Charity Beard Competition – have brought in bucks for everything from food banks to the fight against testicular cancer.

Why the sudden growth spurt? The blustery weather – and brutal job market – are certainly part of it. But Paul Roof, assistant professor of sociology at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, says there are other issues at play.

“For some it’s a trend, but for others it’s a way of life and simply self-expression,” he says. “At the heart of the revival, I think, is the ‘reclaiming of masculinity.’ Beards are a direct backlash against metrosexuality and the feminization of modern man. But beards are also the only accessory route that men have – the only way men can change their looks.”

Facial hair is a way for men to bond, he says, the male rendition of the shoes-and-purse love you often see in women. Beard clubs and bulletin boards act as a sort of fraternity, offering camaraderie, community involvement and support – not to mention a steady supply of beer buddies.

For many years I have been a cheerleader for facial hair. Since high school I have pretty much been rocking some kind of facial hair about 99% of the time. As the article says, it’s fun and allows you to change your look. It’s also super-manly and makes you feel like a lumberjack. I also suggest just ignoring the second half of the article which discusses women’s potential objections. Some times you just have to tune them out.*

* If my wife reads this, please ignore that last sentence. I love you sweetie!