Beards

[Sexnotgender]

A bit of a ‘no shit Sherlock’ discovery to those of us currently battling MRAs but fascinating all the same.

www.discovermagazine.com/health/flashback-friday-men-with-beards-are-more-likely-to-be-sexist

I was pondering why sooo many anti women activists had beards and now I know

[GCAcademic]

I remember listening to a programme on Radio 4 a few years ago, about the new fashion for facial hair in men, and it made the point very clearly that the increase in popularity of beards was linked to a reassertion of masculinity.

[Sexnotgender]

Just realised my link isn’t clickable, www.discovermagazine.com/health/flashback-friday-men-with-beards-are-more-likely-to-be-sexist

[Sexnotgender]

Yes I heard that too. All makes sense😏

[Goosefoot]

I wonder if this would be different though, depending on the trend cycle with regard to facial hair?

When I was a kid, it was notable here in Canada that the best way to find a bearded man was to look at children's musical entertainers. Raffi, Sharon Lois and Bram, and Fred Penner all being notable instances (and I don't think any of them were particularly sexist.)

I might be biased though, I quite like beards, though not woke-blokes..

[TheRealMcKenna]

DH has a beard. He grew it when he was 22 and looked about 12. He’s had it ever since and he’s 46 now. I really can’t imagine him without it.

FIL also has a beard. He’s a Guardian-reading, vegetarian, virtue signalling, allotment keeping misogynistic arse. He’s happy to spout woke ideology all day long, but the mask slips every now and again and he reveals his true self which is not pleasant.

His beard is long.

[GrinitchSpinach]

So funny you posted this today. I was thinking of posting about an observation I made last week, but it's too trivial to have its own thread. I will add it to this one happily. :)

Last week DH and I had dinner at one of those impossible-to-reserve multi-Michelin-starred restaurants that is not just very expensive but also very cutting-edge. I note this to distinguish it from the kind of multi-Michelin-starred restaurant that has its stars for just outright impeccable quality and fabulousness (like, say, the Louis XV in Monaco).

As I watched the parade of bartenders, waiters, chefs, I noticed something: only one man had a beard! Every other man on staff was almost ostentatiously clean-shaven and short-haired.

Even a year ago I'm sure this wasn't the case for ambitious, very young (early twenties, many of them) restaurant workers. I told DH, "I'm calling it tonight! February 2020, the beard is over."

Let's hope that translates to the end of male-supremacist beardy politics as well.

[FleecyMoo]

Oddly, I am now wary of men with beards despite the fact that DH and other family members have them. I hadn't realised the source of my aversion towards beards in non family members but perhaps this article is correct. DH is more like Glinner than a woke beard I should add.

[GCAcademic]

I'm the same, FleecyMoo - I have quite a visceral reaction to men with beards, especially those I encounter in academia and who are under 60. It's one of fear, and a desire to get out of their company as quickly as possible.

[Goosefoot]

I know a couple long term beard-wearers who were rather dismayed when the beard became a hipster trend. They will be happy if it goes out of style again.

Speaking of waiters though, I am not sure I'd be keen on bearded waiters. Would they not have a higher risk of hair in the food?

[Siameasy]

Reading The Twits put me off of beards being associated with food

[Sexnotgender]

My DH has a stubbly beard. A relatively recent post traumatic bereavement beard. It’s a bit of a defence mechanism beard rather than a misogynistic beardy bloke beard.

[DuLANGMondeFOREVER]

I’m a pogonophile so I feel obliged to say NAMwbALT

[Sexnotgender]

😂😂

[MissChardonnay]

the increase in popularity of beards was linked to a reassertion of masculinity.

I'm not sure this can really be said of the manbun barista types (maybe in their heads). 😂

[DuLANGMondeFOREVER]

Yeah. They only look like lumberjacks, doubt they would actually be capable of cutting a tree down.

[theflushedzebra]

I've always loved men with beards tbh. Although Dh never sports more than a bit designer stubble really.

But now young bearded men do make me pause for thought. Especially the man-bun woke looking type. I always think "would you call me a terf? A bigot? Are you one of those men on twitter that so easily threaten women online?"

Same as the woman with blue hair who helped me in the Apple Shop the other day. We had a lovely friendly conversation, and then it just flashed into my head "I wonder if she'd call me a terf, or a witch, if she knew my dangerously subversive thoughts on women's rights and biological reality?"

[Saucy99]

On online survey of 500 out of the 3,000,000,000 men in the world is hardly 'conclusive' is it?

[Goosefoot]

I would not think you could extrapolate the results worldwide.

[InTheShadowOfTheMushroomCloud]

My DH has long hair and a long beard. He is also nearly 60.
He doesn't believe TWAW...he says it's bollocks!
He also dislikes 'hipsters' even though he looks like the grand daddy of the hipster!

[BlackForestCake]

I am not sure I'd be keen on bearded waiters. Would they not have a higher risk of hair in the food?

I seem to remember some sort of TV report involving a food factory and the bearded staff members had to wear hairnets over their chins.

[QuentinWinters]

I hate beards and blame the twits

[missproportionate]

My DF has always had a beard. He’s an ever retired left wing teacher. He’s a very nice man 😀. In the 80s he was continually (and actually quite nastily and rudely) taunted by his middle aged and middle class white friends in their middle class town. Pretty much all his friends who weren’t teachers.

In the same town me and DP used to nip out for a drink when tHe DCs were babies (10 years back) and he would get weird looks and actual comments if he dared to wear his hat as wellas his beard.

Now in the same bar at Christmas nearly all the men had beards, and barely an eyebrow raised at the group of men with beards, shaved heads and flowery dresses sitting (not ironically) at a table.

Still all white and middle class though.

[Sexnotgender]

Of course it’s not conclusive. It’s certainly interesting though and it’s far from the only study to draw the same conclusion.

[Saucy99]

Great, could you please indicate the other studies you mention please?

[Sexnotgender]

Try google.