Ask Mike: Remember Movember
Hey Guys,
November is a month when brave men throw their good sense and razors aside to grow moustaches. Why? The idea is that these hairy lips raise awareness for prostate cancer. The event, which has taken off in popularity in recent years, is known as “Movember.” I declined to participate, but I was inspired by my mustached comrades to research some great moments in facial hair history.
The first thing I wanted to know — who was the last President of the United States to rock the moustache? For as far back as I can remember, presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, have been a clean shaven bunch. According to the Web, the last mustached President was none other than William Howard Taft (America’s 27th Commander-In-Chief).
A hairy article from the Daily Mail explains that while Taft rocked a mean looking moustache, he wasn’t the world’s best politician. Contrast that with Abraham Lincoln, who went against the grain by having a beard but no moustache. A unique look and certainly not one we see often these days. Can you imagine Barack Obama with a beard like that?
An awesome blog from Nicholas Whyte breaks down the history of presidential facial hair. For example, there was only one election when candidates from both major parties had mustaches. In 1904, Teddy Roosevelt beat his Democratic opponent Alton Parker. Sure Roosevelt won at the polls, but if you ask me, both had formidable facial hair.
What are some of your favorite moustaches in history? Tom Selleck? Rollie Fingers? Burt Reynolds? Sound off in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
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Lets hope you can find an avatar with a proper mustache.
To answer the question Groucho Marx had one heck of a mustache.
Hulk Hogan’s takes the trophy!
Groucho’s apparent bushy moustache and eyebrows were, in reality, grease paint (a form of theatrical make-up). His real moustache was much more conservative, as can be seen on old re-runs of the old game show “You Bet Your Life” (“say the secret woid and divide a hundred dollars.)”
As for real memorable moustaches, how about Wilford Brimley? (He appears in the commercials for Liberty Medical, speaking about diabetes benefits.)
Of course, one of the ‘most trusted moustaches’ was that of Walter Cronkite, considered by some to be the “father of modern television news,” in a fashion not unlike that which Edward R. Murrow was considered the father of radio news.
Or Capt. Scott (Scotty) from Star Trek, and of course, Lt. Cdr. Worf and Cmdr. Riker had moustaches as well. Even Commander Data had a moustache in one episode. Oh, and we can’t forget the episode of the original series where “Mirror” Spock had a moustache and goatee!
And Capt. Sisko of “Deep Space Nine” had a moustache and beard, too, come to think of it!
Friedrech Nietzsche’s mustache could eat everyone else’s on this list.
Sam Elliott, moustache of course and Robert Redford, moustache in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!
~ for sure!!
Movember!!!!! My school is having that thing where all male teachers and staff are growing mustaches and if you donate a dollar or so, you can draw a mustache on your face. We all hope to raise lots of money at Hespeler Public! (:
Hi Ask Mike:
Very good article. I see that you made a reasonable mistake by spelling NOVEMBER incorrectly. You wrote” Movember”
You should correct this.
Of course, the letter N and M are very close to each other, and this was probably the case.
All the best.
Dad
Sorry ask Mike. It is me who is in error. Gee, I never knew there was such thing a Movember. Thanks for the enlightenment.
Dad
Coming off the Giants World Series Win. Another reason is to Fear the Beard =)
Rollie Fingers is my personal favorite, hands down. That dude not only rocked a very styling ‘stash, he did so with the confidence required to sport such a dashing look.
Really a great question, by the way.
Sam Elliot. Always my favorite! I must say Tombstone was my favorite of his mustaches though
Wow I had no idea that men did this but at the beggining of the month I had the strange urge to start growing a moustache and beard…so I did!
Eddie Murry (former MLB player) has to be my favorite. The man’s stach connected to his afro.
In “my wilder years” (after graduating college) I donned a face-full of fur that made me look like a spitting image of Tom Sellick %Magnum P.I.
Only now, I appear as SANTA CLAUS with a bit longer beard and a few extra pounds.
I realize Groucho had mostly a grease paint mustache but it was funny.
Alex Trebek used to have a good mustache. Not too showy, nice and respectable.
It’s definitely called No Shave November.
then there is Chuck Norris. His mustache will beat you senseless while you sleep.
No shave November! The man with the stash is none other than Dennis Gage of My Classic Car.
Of course, there are also some reporters and journalists who have facial hair: Jim Cramer of “MAD MONEY,” Chuck Todd of NBC News, and there have been authors with facial hair: Kurt Vonnegut, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain. And some people who have never been much in the spotlight: my dad, and both of my brothers had moustaches and beards at various times.
Also, tangential to Chuck Norris: Actor Noble Willingham (actor who played retired Ranger CD Parker) had a moustache. Pat Morita (Karate Kid) also has (or had, if he’s no longer with us) a moustache and a little beard.
No one rocks the stache like Sam Elliot
My history teacher used to have a theory that all great world conquerers (great in the sense of powerful and effective, not neccessarily good) had a mustaches…but i’m not so sure that’s true
Hey i have mustache and im only 15! lol…im glad to participate in this lol
Ah Trebek his stache “may it rest in piece” was timeless sleek and well maintained a man’s man’s moustache I believe imigration caught up to it and sent it back to the motherland “canada” LOLZ
How can anyone overlook the hairy upper lip of Chumley the walrus, sidekick to Tennessee Tuxedo!
hey guys. all my male teatchers are doing this. i sponserd my scinece teatcher 10p to keep it on foreveer lol
I have a fact to share that debunks the theory that “all great conquerors have moustaches.” Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world in the 4th Century BC did not have a beard, and forbade his army — from the most junior soldier all the way up to the most senior general — from wearing beards, as he reasoned that since most combat was in close quarters, a beard would provide a convenient handle for an enemy to grasp during battle, thus making it easier for the enemy to behead Alexander’s troops.
My beard has nothing to do with prostate cancer and if anyone asks me about why I didn’t shave for November I won’t even bring it up. There are other reasons to grow a beard. Just to promote awareness of manliness is good enough for me.
Gordon Liddy, the guy who currently advertises for the Rosland Capital Gold company.
fredie mercury had a good one for a while
ive always heard it called no-shave-November, or novembeard, never movember
Burt Reynolds
I think you guys are forgetting about Jimmy McMillan, the “Rent is too dam high party” guy. That thing is a work of art.
Adolf Hitler’s moustache was probably the most famous moustache throughout history. It’s recognized internationally.
The reason for Movember is really quite simple. Late November is deer season (at least in Pennsylvania), and men grow beards to stay warmer during buck season.
In the run for the Twins AL Central Division CArl Pavano had a whole stadium of mustchio’d fans!
WHOAH whoah whoah — “Movember”? It has always been “Maystache” during the month of May. In November, you aren’t supposed to shave at all, and it’s called “No Shave November.”
I’ve never even heard of Movember. I don’t like the way it sounds.
I currently am rocking the full beard with no mustache, and of course my name at work is now Abe, short for Abraham Lincoln of course.
Mr. Monopoly from the board game. We’ve never seen it out of place.
i never heard about this until the Philadelphia Flyers started growing mustaches for Movember.
they all look rediculous, but it’s still hilarious.
their next game is on Wednesday, so they should be gone by then.
Hitler! Nobody said Hitler! But I’ll bet it wasn’t so neatly trimmed in the final days in the bunker.
ive been doing no shave november! its kinda annoying especially at school but i dont care anyway favourite moustache in history is…poirot if thats how its spelt i mean the dectective guy. either him or charlie chaplin
i wish i could the military doesnt let me grow it out
WHY IN GOD’S GLORIOUS NAME HAS ONE PERSON PUT CHUCK NORRIS?
Simple: Chuck has a beard. This was SUPPOSED to be on moustaches. But, Chuck Norris did give Jesus the gift of the beard. He was the fourth wise man.
what about paul tuetel of OCC?
Yay no shave November!