I’m not sure why beards have fallen out of favor among male politicians. I know that I initially grew a beard because I have sensitive skin, especially on my neck, and shaving was simply painful. It was also lower maintenance, since I opted not to go for a goatee or anything stylized. For me, half the idea is to not have to spend time grooming myself. I can probably go a whole week without once examining myself in a mirror.
I discovered later in life when a trimming mishap caused me to shave my beard off completely that I had developed a bit of a double chin. How bad it is depends on my weight, and I’ve lost a lot of weight over the last few years. Still, it isn’t a feature I like and I’m happy to cover it up. That’s about as far as vanity goes in explaining my facial hair decisions.
I certainly don’t keep a beard to look masculine or project any particular kind of image. But I wonder if politicians have been warned off beards and mustaches by political consultants. If I were to run for office, would I have a bunch of “professionals” advising me to go clean-shaven? Would my opponents suggest that I was a secret Muslim?
Maybe Paul Ryan’s beard makes people think he’s less sympathetic to women’s issues. I’d call that accuracy in advertising, actually, but I still think long hair tells you more about a person than facial hair.
What do you think?
Dad bod? Check.
Light beard? Check.
Hello, ladies.
Ryan’s beard makes him look less like Eddie Munster. I’m not generally overly fond of beards, but in this case, it’s the best thing he has going for him.
I would prefer 5 o’clock shadow on myself, but this is not the preference of my gf for two reasons:
So, I keep a beard. Clean shaven looks the worst of them all, and it takes a lot of time and money to keep it “clean”. Of course, right now, I have more of an outline of a beard due to a trimming mishap. First time using new clippers and I took too much off that it looked awkward and uneven, so I just took the whole thing off. Will be back within a week.
I call it my winter coat, which is a necessity living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I grow it every October, shave it off somewhere around April or May, and have done so since I was 17, which is a while ago now.
I’m not so sure that more than 10% of the population gives a tinker’s dam. However, for those 10%, I would assume that most dislike beards from an esthetic perspective.
I sincerely doubt that ANYONE makes a religious case against beards on politicians. Orthodox Jews, conservative Muslims and Sikhs simply don’t run for office enough for the beard to be a political issue.
I had a somewhat similar experience, kind of, shaving for the first time after many years–a formerly weak chin seemed to have almost disappeared. Or I’d grown used to the illusion of having a chin. Grew the beard back immediately.
The big difference to me about the current rash (hahaha, I hope Ryan gets one) of beards is their lack of a political connotation. In the previous bearded generation it was a kind of hippie thing, a display of refusing or not needing to conform to bourgeois necessity, or just being too occupied with spiritually rewarding things to waste time on one’s face, and now it’s a safe corporate thing, carefully curated, for a guy asserting a certain kind of rank in his organization.
And relative youth. Remember how Ryan used to boast about the coolness of his i-pod playlist in the 2012 campaign? He’s trying to show that the speakership hasn’t made him into a fuddy-duddy good-grandson type like the desperately shaven Rubio. And I’m sure he’d like younger women to imagine he’s more sympathetic to women by showing a little fashion consciousness (that’s what women’s issues are, if you’re a Republican).
My experience is that if you shave off or radically trim your beard, at first it always looks like you have a (comparatively) weak chin. It’s an illusion due to the sudden contrast. You’re used to seeing your face more filled out, and suddenly it’s a lot less so.
To each his own. However, OBL, Duck Dynasty long scraggly beards do creep me out.
Ugh yeah.
ZZTop is one thing. Duck Dynasty is a horse of a different feather. Complete fugly creeps (inside and out).
Creepy, ugly, and with a decided air of male dominance and aggression.
I thought beards are a big hipster thing or something. So I figured that’s why Ryan grew one. It’s hip, it’s trendy, he’s so whatever…
I don’t particularly care one way or the other. Ryan with or without a beard is still just horrible douchey Ryan.
Until recently (at least), I think the typical bourgeois corporate look was clean shaven, which is probably why most fed pols sport that look.
In my neck of the woods, people unfortunately mistake Sikhs for Muslims (some have been attacked and some have been killed), sadly (for both Sikhs and Muslims), but that has more to do with turbans than beards (which is teh stoopit but there you have it).
Before I went into the army in 1971 I had long blonde hair and a reddish beard. I could pass for a Viking.
I’ve grown out my beard recently and a problem is that everything is pretty much white now. The way the beard defined my face when it was red doesn’t do it now. However, having a beard is a lot easier than face-shaving.
I think beards are a trendy thing, too. All three of my adult sons wear full beards and they look great. I’m not aware of a stigma attached to having facial hair, but it might exist.
I guess politicians cannot exist as regular human beings anymore. Every element of their being has to be regulated by public perception and approval. How Trump and his appalling hair get by is a mystery to me.
i wore a beard my sophomore year in college, and never since. my late wife didn’t think it was a good look and encouraged me to stay shaven.
now if i let it grow it would be gray and I’d look ten years older, who wants that?
Could make you look distinguished.
Needs to be salt-and-pepper, preferably with more or less organized streaks, to pull off the distinguished effect. All white veers toward Santa-hood; dingy white is just, well, dingy.
I said “could.” Like Sean Connery, neat and short. Long and scraggly, regardless of the color, is never a good look. Depends on skin tone because gray does wash one out and looking like a cadaver is not a good fashion choice.
“could” look distinguished, helps when you start with looking like Sean Connery. I’m portly and would risk the Santa look.
>>Long and scraggly, regardless of the color, is never a good look.
i’ll echo that! as a sports fan I’m annoyed by the trend of “mountain man” beards among athletes, most of them look crummy IMO.
Ryan’s beard is both:
I grew the beard back in the early 70’s because shaving irritated my chin and neck. I’ve had it continuously since then. Who knows, I might look like Yoda if I shaved it off.
Along the way, I’ve discovered that the foil-type electrics don’t irritate my face. If you decide to lose the beard because, say, you’re going into the Witness Protection Program, you might want to give one of those a try.
One of the weird historical correlations was between beards and female British sovereigns. It’s not exact, but it’s there. And not just for the British. US beards started around the time that Victoria came to power. The return of beards with Beatniks started with the coronation of Elizabeth II. Wonder what a Hillary presidency will promote, or is that what Paul Ryan is pre-emptively signaling.
So with the anthropologists one must at least consider the symbolism of masculine power. And the more important tolerance of those who set rules for appearance and hiring/firing.
And while we are on symbolism of power, David Graeber must have gotten a necktie as a gift for Christmas.
Dickheads: The paradox of the necktie resolved
I do believe that this analysis goes to the clean-shaven look that is de rigeur in the elites as well. “You do not know what I am capable of.”
Now, start noticing the ties of the Presidential candidates.
Eagerly anticipating the end of tats and bald heads. Except for those that look like Yul Brynner (sorry guys, you don’t) and those with no choice, a bit of hair on the head is more attractive.
for me, it takes about 3 days growth for it to start itching, and then it’s Gillette time. had a volunteer fireman’s type fu-manchu ‘stache that went way down the chin/neck for a for few years but that’s the extent of my experimentation with facial hair. now it’s clean clean clean.
Changing to an electric shaver worked for me. No cuts or sensitivity problems. I hated shaving with a regular blade.
My guess is consultants suggest that facial hair are going to alienate a larger portion of the public than those who are drawn to it. In the 19th Century, a beard was pretty much expected of men. I think Grant was the first to go clean shaven. He could get away with it because he was a war hero. His beardlessness made it alright for other men and a new style eventually emerged. By the 1930s, men of substance and character were expected to be clean shaven every day. Only lower class men and bums and maybe a few old curmudgeons did not shave daily.
Part of what allowed for this new style was development of the safety razor and the disposable razor blade. Shaving with a straight razor requires real skill (or a barber). Then along came King Gillette and later on Eliphalet Remmington. They revolutionized men’s grooming. Gillette was first. Later on Remmington, known for his guns and typewriters, branched out into razors when he realized the repeat action of a gun could be applied to loading blades. Thus, the Remmington Injector.
I shave with antique razors. I would not grow a beard because it would mean giving up this hobby. Old Gillette and Remmington razors were loss leaders, designed to dispense the blades on which they made money. Those razors were designed to last. I have a collection of them. Today, you can pick one up for as little as $5 (though right now it seems decent ones are going for $15 or so). Some are mild, some aggressive. Others still are adjustable.
There are also modern throw-back razors. They sell for around $50 to $100. My favorite modern razor is this guy:
http://www.menessentials.com/merkur-futur-adjustable-double-edge-safety-razor-with-snap-closure-matt
e.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiAno60BRDt89rAh7qt-4wBEiQASes2tUpxdLdW1A4-2HlZOOjplUeaqoWvyj7A9vmVt7YQxTIaAkCU8P8
HAQ
Once you figure out your favorite razor or razors, there are countless blade choices plus soaps and creams (real ones, that you mix with a brush — not that crap dispensed from a can). Those are the basics. Some guys get into pre-shaves and after-shaves and all that, but I don’t.
The wonderful thing about old-fashioned safety razors is they work far better than modern razors, at a far lower cost and waste footprint, once you learn how to use them. It’s like driving a manual instead of an automatic; you’ve got way more control. Thus, no more razor burn. No discomfort.
I’ve turned a lot of friends on to them and also my wife, who shaves her legs with a vintage lady-Gillette:
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Gillette_Lady_Gillette
Whatever you do, stay away from antique blades. If you buy a razor, be careful when handling because the blade may remain loaded. Take out the old blade and discard. There are many wonderful modern blades. My favorites are Feathers, out of Japan, which sell for around 25 cents a piece. Best bang of the buck, in my opinion, are Astras at about 10 cents. (These prices are based on purchases of 100 blades at a time.) There are countless other blades and I can get a good shave from most any of them. But with safety razors, YMMV. That’s why you have to play around with razors and blades until you find the ones best suited to you.
PS: You can also go with real soaps that you mix up with a brush, either in a cup or right on your face, and continue shaving with those modern monstrosities. That alone will increase comfort and performance a whole bunch.
interesting discussion!
I’ve noticed the resurgence of old-fashioned razors, and wondered how much was hype driven by the “Dollar Shave” marketing people.
my style is the one in your PS: I like my multiblade razor and have happily used mug and brush for many years. As you say, good quality soap really improves the shaving experience.
The dollar shave club sells modern razors at a cheaper price. They’re still way more expensive than traditional blades and, though the technology is really quite amazing, you give up control. Modern razors allow someone to get a decent shave with no real knowledge of how to use them. It’s hard to cut oneself. Traditional razors require a bit of practice and expertise but you wind up with so much more control. No more razor burn or ingrown hairs once you learn the ropes. Cuts are very rare. And you can shave in a way that matches the needs of your face and your beard. I have touch skin and a tough beard, so I like razors and blades that are aggressive. A friend has a baby face and a Nordic fuzzy beard. For him, the mildest razor and blade is best.
I’ve been using a mug and brush since high school, but never even considered the older razors. I’m going to have to take a look at them.
PM me if you have questions or need info. There are excellent websites such as badgerandblade.com. BTW, don’t purchase the Merkur mentioned above if you’ve never used a safety razor. That’s one of the most aggressive razors on the market. Start with something mild. A vintage Gillette Super Speed (pretty much any year) or a Gillete Tech (pretty much any year). Even the “red tip” SS models, which were supposed to be for men with tough beards back in the day, are still fairly mild. The Super Speeds have silo doors that open for blade insertion. The Tech has a three-piece design that makes blade changing a bit harder but they are great little razors. If you want something modern, consider the Edwin Jagger DE89bl. It’s a mild modern razor that looks and feels great and I just saw they’re selling on amazon for just over $25 brand new. That’s a screaming deal. Here’s a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-DE89bl-Chrome-Plated/dp/B003LW4L2W
if the romantic partner in your life does not mind…
that is the only person whose opinion should matter with regards to beards, because they’re the one who will cuddling and kissing you.
There have been a few that have come close to saying it in this thread, but I’m really surprised no one straight out said it.
Lack of a beard is a sign of youth.
In today’s world run by old/older men a clean shaven face is a throw back and allusion to youth and vitality. It seems to me that there is also a historical allusion that a lack of a beard implied taking care of oneself that comes from having money and therefore presumably power.
That’s all I have to say about that.
OT. Wanted to ask about this post I just read on a site called Federalist (thefederalist.com). Not sure what they are; possibly clickbait. Still, here’s some journalist channeling Toqueville in re Sanders. The author is moderate and honest as far as I can read, but his example (the thinking of Toqueville) seems decrepit to me.
Anyway, as I read it, I thought, well it would be interesting to hear what Longman had to say about it. (I do know that Toqueville is a controversial name in the long history of the Enlightenment. But is he a reliable philosopher? That I don’t know. And beyond that, why raise Toqueville’s odd point-of-view to criticize Sanders? Don’t know that either.)
Hmm. Facial hair. Facial hair on the guy that will limit Clinton to one term is she wins the Democratic nomination next year. Something to think about.
The Federalist is right-wing clickbait. It’s like Breitbart.
In 1973, when I first could, I grew a beard. I have had a beard ever since. I went from a full beard to a shaped full beard when my dad recommended that I shape that, and to a goattee style in about 2000.
My wife has never seen me without a beard. She seems to either tolerate it or find it appropriate.
I grew a beard in 1974 at the age of 21 because I was on a six-week National Outdoor Leadership School course in the Uintah Mountains and shaving was not an option. I kept it for a few weeks after hoping it would grow out, but it still looked like the ass-end of a mangy Labrador Retriever. So off it came but I kept the mustache, which, depending on my tonsorial schedule, varies between neatly trimmed and 1970’s gay porn star.
I think the beard on Paul Ryan looks like the after-shot of a Just For Men ad.
As i am a woman!i can’t be sure what are the pros and cons of shaving but man with beards always be a center of attraction.
Thanks
Priya
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