(The Beacon)
By Philip Ellefson, Staff Commentary
See that picture up there, right above these words? That's me with a mustache. If you saw me about three weeks ago, you may have noticed it was gone. If you see me today, you'll notice I have hair all over my face (well, not the whole face, just the lower part).
My decision to shave a few weeks ago was apparently some sort of earth-shattering event. At least, that's what it seemed like when people gasped and screamed at the sight of my naked upper lip. Of course I expected a strong reaction, since nobody at UP had ever seen me clean-shaven. But it seemed like everyone was baffled that I actually have skin underneath my mustache.
As silly as it sounds to say this, it's actually a bit frustrating to be defined by facial hair. When I first arrived on campus last year, everyone knew me as "that freshman with a mustache." I quickly became known to various people as Mustache Guy, Mustache Man, and the Mustachioed Splendor. (Okay, I made that last one up.)
Just after I shaved it off, I was walking up the stairs in Franz to get to class when a girl came up to me and asked, "Hey, aren't you Mustache Phil?"
No. I'm not Mustache Phil. First, it's Philip, not Phil (please and thank you). Second, is my mustache really so integral to my existence that you aren't sure of my identity if I'm temporarily clean-shaven?
I get tired of having conversations with people and constantly having to say that my eyes are up here, and that no, you can't touch my mustache - that would be terribly uncomfortable for both of us.
Really, though, I'm just part of a larger trend of mustache worship that's going on right now. There are all sorts of things you can buy that have mustaches on them - mugs, bookmarks, t-shirts, necklaces. You can buy a giant magnetic mustache to put on the front of your car. If you search "mustache" on Pinterest, you will find pictures of Joseph Gordon Levitt with a mustache, a baby with a mustache, and a drawing of a mustache that has its own mustache.
We think of facial hair in the strangest ways. Someone decided that November is the month of beards, so in one month, everyone will be talking about the hair that's growing out of their faces like it's some strange novelty. If you think it's a good idea to relegate beards to a month, then facial hair probably just isn't for you. Anytime is a good time for a beard.
The point I want to make is that beards and mustaches are awesome, but they're not that unusual - it's just face hair. A great beard is worthy of admiration, but it does not define its grower. A man may look splendid with a mustache, but he is not his mustache. Let's appreciate the beauty of facial hair without sensationalizing it and placing it on a pedestal.
Philip Ellefson is a sophomore english major. He can be reached at ellefson15@up.edu
Philip Ellefson (The Beacon)
