Apparently we’re right in the middle of Moustache May. That is, for the entire month of May, some dudes are putting out a global plea for their fellow man to resist the urge to shave their beards. One website in particular, Moustache May, is encouraging men to commit to not shaving and post a picture every day of their continually growing facial hair. The site tagline, of course, is, “It’s like having a little pet for your face.”
It’s not really a new concept. These “no-shave” months have been around for a while, and each bears an interesting moniker. There’s Movember or No-Shave November, Masculine March, Manuary, and Forget-to-Shave February.
Some guys, I guess, just really love celebrating their facial hair. (And terrible puns.)
It’s actually kind of a cool subculture—if you want to spend a lot of time, I suppose, talking about hair. People make video tutorials about how to cultivate the finest facial hair in honor of “mustache months,” and large groups of men—on sports teams, among college friend groups, in offices, etc.—use it as a jumping-off point as a bonding exercise.
The idea can even be used for good. Actually, according to The Washington Post, the concept is rooted in philanthropy. In 2003, a group of 30 men in Melbourne, Australia, participated in a month-long no-shave campaign to raise awareness for prostate cancer after being inspired by their female friends’ and partners’ breast cancer awareness campaigning. The movement, Movember, inspired global participation and has exploded in recent years. In 2010, 447,808 people worldwide registered, and $176 million U.S. dollars was raised for prostate cancer research and depression initiatives (including 65,000 people and 7.4 million from the United States alone). Now, men (and women) with a proclivity for growing facial hair can pre-register for Movember 2011 online.
But a mustachioed marathon in May? Really—just as temperatures start to rise? Why not reserve the no-shave rule for the colder months? At least personally, I know, I’ll be reveling in a Stubble-Only Summer. But who knows … maybe I can be convinced to join in for Movember.
(Photo Jen S.)