This is just throwing a wild hare, er... hair, into the mix.
All the talk last week of (paraphrased)'not looking like those other Presidents on the dollar bills' brought to mind an amusing thought:
While the U.S. Founding Fathers were a cleanshaven bunch in the most part, the two Presidents of the 19th Century most famously pictured on the obverse of modern Federal Reserve Notes are Grant and Lincoln, both handsomely bearded fellows. On the outmoded larger notes, McKinley is cleanshaven but Cleveland is moustachioed. Probably the most famous Presidential visage *not* pictured on the notes (but carved into Mt. Rushmore) is T. Roosevelt, the possesor of a proper gentleman's moustache as well...
So here's the discussion point:
If a candidate for President *today* was bearded, would you notice?
pre-disqualified answer: "If She had a moustache..." No, you wise-acres, a male candidate.
Have fun!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
35 comments:
I woudln't notice.
If the candidate were liberal, Fox would ascribe some negative connotation to his facial hair. If the candidate were conservative, his facial hair would become a point of casual humor for MSNBC.
Then I'd notice.
Good morning everyone
I am sure I would notice that fact in a overview of the whole person, but it would not be an issue whether a male candidate had facial hair or not. I would never vote for a candidate on their looks.
Actually, facial hair, in my humble opinion is very sexy on a man!!
Not unless he looks like Bin Laden!
here is some trivia-
The wearing of beards reached its 20th-century peak in the late 1960s
and 1970s, but there are still more beards today than in early 19th-century
New England. Since late in the 17th century, almost all American (and European)
men were clean-shaven--and stayed that way for 160 years or so. In the late
1820s, a few of the nation's most fashionable young men began sporting mustaches,
but beards weren't acceptable until the 1850s. In fact, there are reports
in the 1830s of men with beards suffering abuse and persecution from their
intolerant neighbors. Just two decades later, however, it was not only acceptable
but fashionable to be bewhiskered. (Just think of all those Civil War
photographs, with hirsute generals on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line
and Abraham Lincoln sporting one of the most famous beards in American history!)
bah, why can't i comment? :(
Now I can!
So i think unless the moustache was in the toothbrushstyle it wouldn't harm the wearer's electoral chances.
Hi Max
Soooooooooo glad to see you
What, no John Bolton "walrus" 'stache on your candidates?
(personal note: Welcome, Max!)
The walrus is not the toothbrush, the last person to famously sport one was Hitler. So maybe it'd help win elections in some areas...
@Max
Ah, commonly called the "postage stamp" moustache in my day...
...yeah, but that one wouldn't be widely applauded.
that Hitler moustache was so frigging ugly!! and don't forget Stalin's moustache! LOL a good place for the lice to hide!
Hi Max and KC--
As you can see, my favorite blog here! free history classes here!
I am just getting over from learning about Liancourt Rocks-- check out the South Korea thread-
Hi Mr. Bill--
are you one of LDG's friends as well?
LDG--
am I now your personal assistant here? since all my comments are now over here! hehe
Especially with the standard sidecombing of politicians and pundits. Have you ever noticed how most right winger politicos have their hair going to the right, and left wing ones have it going to the left?
Proof that Hitler was a leftwinger :D
Off-topic
@Susan
heh, no need for a P.A. here, but thanks. Looks like you have the rabblerousing job nailed, though. ((grin))
..and I saw you posted over at Housley's so don't trick us with a claim to be monoblogamous
On-topic
@Max
Hm, they wear Their Party Part in their hair, you say?
@LDG--
not monoblogmous-- just changed my routine of posting two thousand comments from there to here! LOL
@Max--
and if one is bald does that mean undecided?
I don't trust anyone who wears a toupee! LOL
at least we have instant posting here!
Susan - bald = undecided - Now that's funny
Max - How do you tell left or right wing on a female candidate??? hee hee
Susan: lol.
LDG: seems that way for those who chose side partings.
Ala Colmes does his straight back though.
Just look though, the majority of pundits with side partings will reveal their political leanings in their hair. Though i suspect the hairdresser can change it depending on the question asked:
"Which side do you want your hair to go towards?" "right!"
"Which side do you want the parting?" "right!"
@LDG--
are you going to maybe do a trivia thread? I have to get Patty over here!
And thank you for setting this up-- it nice to see some of the nice people from Adam's over here-- only because I miss our daily chats- and don't get me misunderstood-- I love Adam's blog-
And if it hadn't been for his blog, I would never have met you nice people! (sob)
unless you are left-handed-- you would naturally comb your hair to the right--
I just went and tried this! Hair LAB- 101
@Max
re: Hairdresser's questions
((snort))
@Susan
re: trivia
If you mean frivolity, this is it for today unless someone else hauls something out in the Open thread.
For more serious exercises, the daily Discussion items are supposed to make folks think. Granted, I didn't spell out any "Open Ground" for today's disc.
...thought I would get some one to rise to notice the complexity of the U.S. funding part of that issue.
time to go do some things here!!!
thanks for the fun-- will be back later-- (sorry)
hugs to all!
@LDG-- I hope this blog doesn't interrupt your life or sleep!
Here's the work of a private citizen researcher, posted to the 'net over the years 2002~2004. It has lots on this topic, and most importantly links to most all of his historical research sources.
Nicholas Wythe on Facial Hair and Presidential Elections
(personal note to Susan: No, I'm around doing other things while monitoring here usually. For now though, I am off to rest.)
@All
Hope you have fun with this!
((departs for now))
Well now that everyone has left, I finally have time to post my thought:
Can anyone here name 10 people in/around American politics who have facial hair?
5 people?
I can only come up with 1: Wolf Blitzer, and I'm not really sure he's still alive.
Apparently my brain just doesn't index people by facial hair presence.
Well..LDG, you took my question from the get go...humph! (the female thing) Hi everyone!
I will always notice a terrific stash...it makes for better eye candy! Would it effect my thoughts of a person? None that I will admit to in public! ;-)
LDG
I know this is your rest time, so when you get up, have your coffee, and are bright eyed and bushy tailed, I have a question for you--
Everytime I post on your blog, a picture of a garbage can appears at the end of each and every comment I make, no matter what topic I am on. Why is that???? I am being good and have not caused any problems yet!!!
Are you trying to tell me something?? I noticed it only comes up on my comments.
KC...thats so you can delete your own comment if you choose. We dont' see it on your comments. Only on our own. That make sense? btw: hiya ;-)
re: Will...I agree. Details of a face really don't stay with me either. I'm sure I would be a terrible witness to a crime. I wouldn't know if that person even had hair, let alone what color!
America has not had a moustachioed president since the back-to-back administrations of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, a century ago.---
and LDG has already picked John Bolton-
good question Will- I can't think of anyone!!
Patty-- I missed you- waaaaaaaaaa! my out of towner is finally gone! Yay!!! If I never drive again, it won't be soon enough!!! I must have put in hundreds of miles on my car!!
@LDG--
Your Wythe link-- that answered pretty much some of the conversation going on here! Great link! and a fun one too! You are the Master when it comes to finding the best links!
even if it is trivia or frivolity, something can always be learned! (smiling)
BTW-- Hillary has a moustache, she just uses NAIR with a fresh citrus splash scent-- Billy buys it for her--
@Will
Of working politicos with beards, hm...
Bill Richardson (Governor of New Mexico, former Cabinet Secretary) has a rather good growth right now.
photo reference
How about a five o'clock shadow?
does this count?
(BTW-- left post on Colombian thread-- Chavez land up in arms)
KC: hillary had a sort of side parting.
Will: Full bearded politicos (5): Governor Corzine, Blitzer, Gov Richardson, Dennis Miller, Michael Moore
Partial/moustached (6): John Bolton, Rev Jesse Lee Peterson, lt Gov Michael S. Steele, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Michael Savage
No facial hair please. head hair short and above the ears.
Scott
Maxkon88
Michael Moore has a "Neckbeard" it's not a real beard.
Scott
Post a Comment