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February 12, 2008
Part of the backlash against feminism
Via Matthew Yglesias and Feministing, Time on facial hair throughout the years:
1990s
Goatee First seen on rebels like Johnny Depp, this quietly defiant display of masculinity may have been part of a backlash to feminism.
Uh, huh. Yglesias's commenters home in on the real reasons:
I thought people grew those to camouflage their double chin, or to compensate for balding.and
The goatee is the combover of the internet age.
Sounds about right to this bald guy with a receding chin...
Posted by ekr at February 12, 2008 9:00 PM | Filed under: IETF
Comments
But why the goatee in particular? Why didn't the 90s usher in, say, the "Amish chin strap" or the "Colonel Sanders"? I certainly don't blame anti-feminist backlash, but neither do I buy the claim that the goatee, of all possible facial hair configurations, is the inevitable refuge for the weak of chin.
Posted by: Dan Simon at February 12, 2008 9:40 PM
Mine came about by chance. I was busy at work and buying a home so I neglected to shave for a while. Then I went halfway towards cleaning up by shaving the cheeks, leaving me with a goatee. Then I met my now-wife, who liked it that way. She'll let me know when she doesn't like it anymore.
Posted by: Dan Weber at February 13, 2008 6:24 AM
I grew a goatee in the 90's because I tried other stuff like a beard and it never looked good. Besides, it was the greatest thing in winter having that extra insulation.
Now, I live somewhere that's warm all the time, so no more goatee.
(And, for reference, I had a mullet in the 80's. I'm such a fashion victim.)
Posted by: Dan Wallach at February 13, 2008 6:49 AM
What about the weak of chin who also are weak of whiskers? Who will help us???
Posted by: Chris at February 13, 2008 7:12 AM
Driting topic a bit, but everytime I glance at goatee some primordial part of my brain reads it as "goatse" and warns me to not dare click on anything.
P.S. Preview is broken.
Posted by: Dan Weber at February 13, 2008 8:18 AM
@Dan Wallach: the goatee is also referred to as the face mullet . . .
Posted by: paul at February 15, 2008 6:57 PM