courtneycrossley.weebly.com€¦ · web viewmustachios and the beards that often accompany them...

Crossley, Lee, Simpson

MUSTACHE MYSTIQUE

Courtney Crossley

Dionne Lee

Jacob Simpson

Prepared for

February 10, 2012

Dr. Karen C. Holt

Brigham Young University-Idaho

1


Introduction

Although much maligned, the mustache continues to plod along through time

occupying the upper lip of history’s greatest trend setters while causing political uproar and

keeping pop culture on its toes. Perhaps one of the most polarizing fashion accessories since

its conception in the early years of civilization, the mustache has permeated through political

happenings and even posed for pictures while accompanying the world’s most famous (and

notorious) leaders. While keeping such a busy schedule, the mustache has also cemented

itself in the very identity of pop culture. The intent of this paper is to document the mustache

in its different spheres of influence, from Charlemagne to the founding of the American

Mustache Institute.

Historical Aspect

Mustachios and the beards that often accompany them have fluctuated between

popularity and ridicule throughout history. Like many other aspects of history, mustaches

have gone through cycles which are very interesting to document.

The Original Mustache

The most obvious reason for the ancient popularity of mustaches is the lack of

shaving accessories in early history. But there is rarely a case when a single factor can be

given full responsibility for the reality of the time. In the case of the Early Frankish Kings,

beards were not a necessity because of technological shortages, but because their authority

and right to rule rested in their facial hair.

This tradition began with the Germanic Tribes in Europe. According to Paul Dutton

(2004), author of Charlemagne’s Mustache and Other Cultural Clusters of a Dark Age, The

young men of the Chatti were expected to stop cutting their facial and head hair when they

2


reached puberty, and not cut it again until they had achieved their first kill of an enemy (p.

5). Robert Bartlett (1993) describes the same custom, “A classic rite of passage practiced in

early medieval Europe was the first cutting of a boy’s hair as a mark of this transition to the

age group beyond infants and the very young” (p. 47).

Jump forward in history, and you come to the time of the Merovingians. In this

society, the roles changed. The members of the royal family were the only ones permitted to

grow their hair long. It became a symbol of ruling power and authority. Gregory reports,

“Custom has reserved this practice for royalty as a sort of distinctive badge and prerogative.

Subjects have their hair cut all round, and are strictly forbidden to grow it any longer.” (cited

in Dutton, 2004 p.12) Due to the violent nature of the times, sometimes the only way to

identify the king was by the length of hair and beard on the corpse lying on the battlefield

(p.13). The King’s hair and beard were actually thought to have some sort of supernatural

power. While this solidified their authority, this belief in the significance of hair was used

against the royalty also. If one wished to depose the king, the most effective way to do it was

to shave his beard, cut his hair, and bare the top of his head as monks did, capping it all by

sending him to exile in a monastery. This political use of facial hair was employed for many

decades. A few changes and reformations were made, but it was not until Charlemagne’s day

that the people lost their superstitious belief in the monarchal power of hair.

Changing Opinions

According to Dutton (2004), Charlemagne was very aware of the social and political

uses of facial and head hair in his time. He used it to his advantage, shaving and tonsuring the

members of the past royal family when he was attempting to gain power. Charlemagne then

proceeded to consolidate his power over his new monarchy by cutting his own hair and

3


beard, and removing facial hair from its place in determining the position of the king.

Charlemagne wore a mustache only in contrast to the combined beard and mustache that

were so integral to the Monarchy at the time. This was a visual symbol the populace

recognized which signified the change of ruling family. It was a sign of Charlemagne’s

power to govern without the superficial assistance of a beard (pp. 23-26).

For a period of time after Charlemagne, mustaches remained fashionable. The

traditional image of medieval aristocracy is of a bearded and mustachioed man. They

remained in style through the renaissance period in certain parts, and among certain races in

Europe.

Robert Bartlett (1993) comments, “One of the oldest and most general functions of

hair treatment was to distinguish ethnic groups” (p. 45). This was true with the previously

discussed Merovingian people. Not only did long hair and beard indicate royalty, the length

of hair and beard of the populace in general was longer than that of their Roman

counterparts, which served as a divider between the groups. The Romans even used this

characteristic to their advantage, cutting the hair of the Germanic people as they conquered

them (Dutton, 2004, pp. 9-10).

The people of medieval society also used different facial and head hair styles to

differentiate between racial groups of their time. For example, facial hair was the only way

one could tell the difference between the native Irish, and the colonizing British. It was

important for this system of discrimination to exist, because the individual groups were

treated differently. Laws were actually put into place beginning in 1297 which required

certain ethnic groups to wear their hair in prescribed manners. “The problem, as this

legislation goes on to say, was that Englishmen were being mistaken for Irishmen and killed

4


as Irishmen, even though the killing of an Englishman and the killing of an Irishman required

quite different punishments. Therefore the English settlers were required to maintain English

mores and tonsure on pain of distraint of their property or imprisonment” (Bartlett, 1993, p.

46). (Italics included in original.)

A similar situation existed during the re-conquest of Spain, “In the 1250’s Castilian

legislation required ‘that the Moors who live in towns settled by Christians should go about

with their hair cut in a circle and parted without a forelock and that they should wear long

beards as their law commands” (Bartlett, 1993, pp. 46-47). By doing this the Spanish

established a way to easily show the difference between peoples, and to exhibit their power

over the conquered racial group. Hair is one of the most malleable parts of the body, and as

such is it very easy to manipulate to show different characteristics of a person.

The Mustache Reinstated

After a long period of the mustache and beard enjoying general acceptance, they

faded from polite society around 18th century. When beards and mustaches first started

making their reappearance in the 1830’s and 40’s, the existence was frightening to the

common populace. Many newspapers and periodicals such as the satirical

newspaper Punch ran articles and cartoons at the time chronicling the public’s reaction of

outrage.

Up until this “Beard Revolution”, as it was called, facial hair of most sorts carried

very negative connotations in society. Susan Walton (2008) reports on “The fear caused by

the sight of men with beards – that hirsute men were wild, possible republican, unregulated

outlaws, likely to demand your money with menaces; that civilization had tamed these virile

characteristics but that now they were breaking through” (p. 232).

5


This reflects the societal issues of the day. This was a time of instability and war.

Christopher Oldstone-Moore (2005) comments “In the early nineteenth century beards

indicated particular radical political affiliations, including socialism or Chartism, and were

generally unfashionable” (p.7). Ordinary, decent citizens were afraid to wear facial hair

because it would label them as radical or uncivilized and ostracize them from society. (see

fig. 1)

Figure 1

Note: This cartoon was published in the Punch Newspaper, 1853, Volume 25, p. 188. It was

accompanied by the following caption. “Railway Guard: Now, Ma'am, is this your luggage?

Old Lady (who concludes that she is being attacked by Brigands): Oh Yes! Gentlemen, It's

mine. Take it away-take all I have: but spare, oh spare our lives!!” This illustrates the social

view of beards just before they made their full comeback into acceptable society in the

1850s, with the woman assuming the railway guards are outlaws because of their beards.

6


But leading up to 1850, many different factors in British culture began to change,

bringing with them the revival of the beard and mustache. This was the time of the industrial

revolution, the time when man’s production was being taken out of his hands and he was

losing contact with the fruits of his labor. Oldstone-Moore (2005) gives his opinion on the

effects of the industrial revolution, “Men of all classes face fundamental questions: What

sorts of work were honorable and appropriate for men? How could moral standards and

masculine customs be retained in a competitive and commercialized society?” (pp. 8-9)

Questions like these sparked the return to the fashion of allowing protuberances to grow on

one’s face. By growing out their facial hair, men were re-expressing their manliness and

“physical, ‘natural’ masculinity” (p. 9). As mentioned before, in the Middle Ages, beards

and mustaches were expected. They were a sign of one’s masculinity and social status. This

was just the sort of symbol the men coming out of the industrial revolution needed,

something that all would recognize immediately and associate with manhood; an image of

raw untamed power and authority which they latched on to.

The mustache also had military significance. Beards were no more acceptable in the

military than they were in general society during the beginning of the nineteenth century, but

they were slowly gaining prominence. Walton (2008) reports that beards had been associated

for years with militarily focused countries, and since the British did not consider themselves

focused on their military program, they hesitated to adopt a style which other, more war

oriented nations had originated. “Beards and mustaches were seen as typical of those foreign

countries where universal military service was mandatory for male citizens. In the recent

past, English men had signaled their aversion to conscription by their clean-shaven faces ever

7


since they had ousted the bearded Stuarts” (pp. 7-10). But in the 1850’s, the common view of

soldiers was changing. According to Walton, the British Army was having more success, and

so their social standing was raised (p. 236). Through a long and difficult process, facial hair

was first allowed in the armed forces, selectively first and then with less reservations, and

later, as the social image of the army increased in positivity, so did the connotations of taking

on a military image, giving the mustache one more boost on its climb to common

acceptability (p. 235-239).

Social Influence

Whether it is realized or not facial hair has always had an influence regarding how an

individual perceives others. Sometimes the connotation with facial hair, especially with the

mustache, is negative. On other occasions it has a positive connotation. Dutton (2004) says,

“Hair is a raveling riddle of symbolism, insensation, and corporal tenuity; it is also the only

member of the body that we can easily and effectively change” (p.3). One of the ways for a

man to utilize his characteristics to his advantage is by analyzing when and where to wear the

mustache.

As mentioned previously, it was Charlemagne in 800 AD (Dutton, 2004) who

changed the social aspect of the mustache. At this point in time the mustache changed from

only representing royal blood to showing political or military power. This legacy was carried

on, died, and was brought back to life, over the ages. Many of the armies of the world at

some point required soldiers to have a mustache in order to look more intimidating. An

author merely called, “David” (1854) says this of a beard and a mustache, “[It is a] natural

connexion—that the growth of hair above the mouth gives to a man the appearance of

8


possessing those qualities for which a soldier should be remarkable” (cited in Walton, 2008,

p.233).

These are all past examples of what was allowed and when. What about today? What

kind of facial hair should a man have and when is it the most opportune or degrading for

him? Through research a few of the negative connotations and the positive connotations have

been revealed.

Negative Connotations

History professor Christopher Oldstone-Moore (2011) recounted a tale from the early

1900s. A woman named Emilie Spencer Deer had been raised in and married into a family

that was extremely Republican. But in the 1948 election Deer had decided not to vote for

candidate Thomas E. Dewey, instead she would cast her lot for President Truman. Her

reasoning behind voting for the Democrat candidate: “she did not like Dewey’s mustache”

(p. 47).

At first this sounds completely ridiculous. Should voters judge a political candidate

off of their appearance? Oldstone-Moore (2011) continues to explain Deer’s reasoning. In

this particular time period a mustache signaled a man who would do what he wanted without

considering others. On the opposite spectrum, a man that was clean shaven was characterized

as trustworthy and dependable (p. 47). At the same time the medical field was announcing

that instead of keeping good health up by having a mustache, a mustache actually caused

more illnesses (Oldstone-Moore, 2001, p.51). This also led for men who had an upper lip

accessory to be deemed as unclean.

Looking at the reasoning behind Deer’s thoughts, her decision of who to vote for

makes a little more sense now after learning what the mustache meant at that time period.

9


Even though her family bled Republican she was convinced to vote for the Democrat

candidate because of the public appearance of the Republican candidate.

This same theory that exists/thrives in America holds true for politics in England as

well. In a study done by Ray Bull and Caroline Hawkes (1982) they discovered that, “…it is

likely that a politician’s physical appearance influences the number of election votes he

receives” (p. 95). Bull and Hawkes (1982) discovered this by testing people on what British

Members of Parliament they thought belonged to the Conservatives or the Labour group. On

a surprising note, the personal party affiliation of the observers did not matter when it came

to judging the politician from their faces. Conservatives were thought to be the ones with

finer features and without facial hair. The Labour group members were thought to have a bit

more of a harsh look and they had facial hair. The finer, cleaner features promoted

intelligence while the harsh look promoted rashness (p.96).

From this study it can be gathered that a politician anywhere in the western culture

shouldn’t have a mustache. A mustache only symbolized to the people that you are

headstrong and inclined to follow your own pursuits. For example Adolf Hitler, the Fϋhrer

of Germany during World War II, wore a mustache that is not seen at all anymore. This

political leader created and sullied the reputation of the mustache he wore. Thus it is

recognizable that one of the times that it is not beneficial to have facial hair, especially that of

a mustache is when running for a political office; this is extended from a large scale political

campaign to a local, smaller one.

Another place that it is eminent that people should not have facial hair is in courts. Of

course there are always a few exceptions to every rule, but there should not be a change in

the regard of a client facing a judge and a jury. Journalist Anthony Synnott quoted John

10


Malloy, an Author who wrote Dress for Success, there Malloy (1976) says, “If you have a

client with a beard or a mustache, no matter who is on the jury or who the judge is, make him

cut it off” (cited in Synnott, 1987, p. 390).

This is done in a deliberate attempt to make someone look innocent. Those with facial

hair, especially a mustache standing out, tend to look rougher. This creates an intentional or

unintentional stereotypical impression in a person’s mind that someone with a mustache is

tough. As a judge or jury this could make the defendant susceptible as someone who is

willing to break the rules.

However it is for this same reason that a number of police officers sport mustaches.

They want people to think that they are tough. This severe exterior makes people believe that

they are in charge and they will succeed in bringing justice upon the criminal.

Positive Connotations

So far only the negative connotations have been discussed. There must surely be a

time and place for the mustache to be worn, and most certainly used to its advantage. When

is it acceptable for a man to have facial hair?

Two professors from separate Universities in Texas, Elizabeth M. Blunk and J. Ann

Reed (1990), did research on the effects of facial hair and employment opportunities. In their

study Blunk and Reed (1990) took aside both men and women in the hiring management

positions of different companies. Next they showed them the resumes of six individuals.

Each resume explained that the educational abilities and backgrounds of each employee

candidate was basically the same, this way there was no room for discrimination. The six

men only had one difference between them and that was their facial hair. Two of the

candidates were clean shaven, two had a mustache and the other two had a full beard.

11


Blunk and Reed (1990) then had the subjects rate who they would choose to be hired

and why. The graph below illustrates the results (see tab. 1). In the four categories of

“attractiveness, personality, competency and composure” it is noted that those who had a

beard or a mustache were rated higher in all the categories (p.173).

Table 1: Shows the comparison of bearded, mustached, and clean shaven men and

characteristics for employment (Blunk & Reed, 1990, p. 173).

Blunk and Reed (1990) say, “Men with facial hair were rated more favorably on

characteristics of masculinity, maturity, physical attractiveness, dominance, self-confidence,

nonconformity, courage, and industriousness” (p. 170).

It is obvious that in terms of employment, having facial hair is a good thing. It

increases the perception that people have of your intelligence, social abilities and your work

ethics. Having said characteristics would increase your chances of getting hired and retaining

the job.

12


Conclusion

It is noted from the history of the mustache and the research of the effects of facial

hair there is a definite connection between facial hair and the social influence it creates. It is

not beneficial for either those involved with the court system or politics to have facial hair. It

would be advantageous, however, for a man to have facial hair when pursuing a career

choice. By knowing when to have facial hair and when to cut it off, men can learn how to

increase their public image.

Pop Culture

Pop culture has been both kind and cruel to the mustachioed man. Changes in societal

acceptance of the mustache have hinged on political happenings and entertainment influence.

Since the 1960’s, the mustache has been in constant flux of popularity and acceptance. The

1960’s was a time of building for the mustache, and set the tone for the “Golden Age” of

mustaches. The 1970’s, for all intents and purposes, the “Golden Age” of mustaches,

ushered an unprecedented level of acceptance and promotion of the mustache. Like all things

in life, what comes up must come down. The 1980’s served as a warning sign that the

mustache was going to be heavily downplayed, leading to utter distain during the 1990’s.

But, just as all hope was lost, the new Millennium brought a newfound love for the upper lip

accessory, and the mustache has since gained a strong foothold in the American Pop culture

scene. Due in part to the American Mustache Institute and their commitment to mustache

acceptance and promotion, the mustache shows no sign of slowing down.

Building a Legacy

The 1960’s in the United States was widely considered an era of new beginnings for the

mustached American. 1960’s bands represented something fresh in contrast to the rigidity of

13


the 1950’s. Elvis primed the culture for something more edgy. The Beatles were the first

major band to break out into bona fide stardom. Rock and Roll music was the new thing.

Since culture reflects its idols, The Beatles became the standard. Ringo Starr, the Beatles’

drummer, was the one who first pioneered the mustache into American pop culture.

Originally known as one of the quieter members of the Fab Four, Ringo’s mustache is

considered one of the catalysts that encouraged widespread mustache growth in the United

States.

Frank Zappa, the best independent rockers of all time, wore the stache with pride until

his death in 1993. Staying true to the upper lip statement, it became an identifying trademark

that transcended him—scientists used his name upon the discovery of the Pachygnatha

zappa.

Upon being inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, an article surfaced about Frank

Zappa and his iconic mustache influencing scientists to name a spider after the famed rocker.

Zappa is a noun in apposition. This species epithet is given in honor of the twentieth

century composer Frank Zappa (1941-1993), well known for both his serious and

commercial music. The dark grey mark on the ventral side of the abdomen of the

female of this species strikingly resembles the artist's legendary moustache I never

met Frank Zappa personally, but I was very interested in his music in the seventies

and eighties. I saw about ten of his concerts in Brussels (Murkin).

With the mustache firmly entrenched in the 1960’s music culture, the stage was set for the

mustache movement to spread into sports. Without a moment to spare, the 1972 Oakland A’s

baseball team would carry on the proud tradition and bring it to a height never even dreamed

of.

14


The Golden Age

Often regarded as the Golden Age of mustaches, the 1970’s had a lot to offer for the

mustachioed man. Queen front man Freddy Mercury rocked the stache to grand effect while

Burt Reynolds wore his iconic lip hair during Deliverance—gaining critical acclaim for his

performance as Lewis, the Atlanta Business man. But neither of the above mentioned men

held a candle to what would be described as The Mustache Gang.

Mustaches were completely absent from the baseball diamond for nearly 50 years

before the 1972 Oakland A’s baseball team collectively grew team mustaches. The catalysts

for the stache were Reggie Jackson and Roland Fingers. On the first day of spring training

for the 1972 season, Reggie Jackson showed up with a beard. To protest the scraggly,

heinous looking growth, Fingers and a few other players started going without shaving to

force Jackson to shave off his beard—hoping management would force the team to shave.

Rather than enforcing the culture of being clean shaven, A’s owner Charles Finley,

(ever the showman who would do anything to sell tickets) offered prize-money to the player

who could best grow and maintain their facial hair until Opening Day—April 15 versus

Minnesota.

Fingers went all out for the monetary incentive offered by Finley and patterned his

moustache after the images of the players of the late 19th century. Taking it even further,

Finley came up with "Mustache Day" at the ballpark, where any fan with a moustache could

get in free.

A few of the other players went for the bonus but “Rollie” (as Fingers was

affectionately known as) won the completion with his Snidely Whiplash-ish mustache. Later

on, Rollie would clarify just how eager the team was to grow hair, "Most of us would have

15


grown one anywhere on our bodies for $300". Around the League, Oakland baseball would

become known as the "Mustache Gang".

Although most former A's players shaved their handlebar moustaches off after the team

traded most of their players in 1975–76, Fingers maintained his after signing with the San

Diego Padres as a free agent in 1977, and still has the moustache today.

Years Better Forgotten

The 1980’s saw a steep decline in mustache acceptability—the 1990’s was a complete

loss for the mustache. Because of the lack of respect paid, these two decades will not be

discussed in the research paper.

The Mustache Renaissance

After virtually 20 years absent from the pop culture scene, the mustache has been making

a comeback. The organization that is most responsible for the increased awareness is the

American Mustache Institute. “AMI was founded to protect the rights of, and fight

discrimination of mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care and culture of the

mustache” (AMI faculty, 2011). The organization has done just that.

Dr. John Yeutter, the noted tax expert and Professor of Accounting at Northeastern State

University as well as an AMI advocate, is currently promoting and backing the Stache Act.

The Stache Act offers tax incentives for mustached Americans in the form of a $250

deduction. It is meant to cover expenditures for mustache grooming supplies. The only bad

part of the incentive is the individual is only eligible for the deduction if they itemize.

To further emphasize the mustached renaissance, the American Mustache Institute has

conducted studies to track the monetary advantages included in maintaining a carpeted upper

lip. The study’s conclusion found by the AMI and Quicken Analytics determined that in fact,

16


mustached men don't just make a hair more than co-workers, but 8.2 percent more than men

sporting beards and 4.3 percent more than clean-shaven men. Unfortunately, the study also

showed men with mustaches tend to spend 11 percent more and save 3 percent less than their

facial hair-less peers. The study was taken during the first six months of 2009, polling 2,000

men with mustaches, 2,000 men with beards and 2,000 shaven men (Carr, 2009).

Figure 1. Illustrates mustachio styles of the common man. Please note that the “Little

Tramp” is never an acceptable style.

Conclusion

While the road to acceptance has been a long and sometimes fleeting trip, the mustache

has endured—setting a shining example of perseverance. The mustache has left a lasting

legacy with history. Politics will never be the same, and pop culture, although finicky, cannot

exist without the mustachioed individual. Overall, the human race is forever tied to the upper

lip accouterment—for better or for worse.

17


References

AMI Faculty. (2011). AMI’s about us. Retrieved from

http://www.americanmustacheinstitute.org/about-AMI/.

AMI Faculty. (2011). History: The mustached American movement. Retrieved from

http://www.americanmustacheinstitute.org.

Arnold, E. (2007). A man and his famous moustache: Hall of fame reliever Rollie Fingers

and his facial hair visited York Area Sports Night. Retrieved from

http://www.ydr.com/.

Bartlett, R. (1993). Symbolic meanings of hair in the middle ages.

Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 6, (4), pp. 43-60

Blunk, E. M., Reed, J.A., (1990). The influence of facial hair on impression formations.

Social Behavior and Personality, 18(1), 169-176.

Bull, R., Hawkes, C. (1982). Judging politicians by their faces. Political Studies, 30(1), 95-

101.

Carr, E. (2009). Men with mustaches make more. (October 10, 2009). Retrieved from

www.nbcnewyork.com.

Conklin, M. (2003). 90 Chin music: The art and science of pitchers' facial hair. Retrieved

from http://www.chicagotribune.com/.

Dutton, P. E. (2004). Charlemagne’s mustache and other cultural clusters of a dark age.

New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

McKay, K., McKay, B. (October 31, 2011). The Art of Manliness Mustache Style Guide. Art

of Manliness. Retrieved from http://www.artofmanliness.com.

18


Murkin, A. (n.d.). Rock and roll hall of fame induction. Retrieved from

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/

natphen.html.

Oldstone-Moore, C. (2005). The beard movement in Victorian Britain. Victorian Studies, 48,

(1), 7-34.

Oldstone-Moore, C. (2011). Mustaches and masculine codes in the early twentieth century.

Journal of Social History, 45(1), 47-60.

Rock and roll mustaches. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.cracked.com.

Synnott, A. (1987). Shame and glory: A sociology of hair. The British Journal of Sociology,

38(3), 381-413.

Walton, S. (2008). From squalid impropriety to manly respectability: The revival of beards,

mustaches and martial values in the 1850s in England. Nineteenth-Century Contexts,

30(3), 229-245.

19

courtneycrossley.weebly.com€¦ · web viewmustachios and the beards that often accompany them...

Documents