# Why don't many Americans keep moustache? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950 "2003-11-13T01:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Wolfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/1 "2003-11-13T01:59:54Z")
Is it a cultural thing? What are the reasons? A lot of men from other cultures/ethnicities grow moustache. I know in some cultures moustache represents manhood, authority or confidence. What does moustache (or absence of it) represents culturally in US? Or it’s just a fashion thing? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/2 "2003-11-13T02:14:43Z")
Just fashion. The Amish refrain from growing mustaches because of the association of mustaches with the military in Germanic countries a couple of hundred years ago, but the rest of us grow 'em or shave 'em according to whether we like what we see in the mirror (or what our wives and girlfriends tell us to do). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/3 "2003-11-13T02:17:29Z")
Several men wear moustaches in the place where I work. Until July of this year, **I** wore one. Different rules for different parts of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/4 "2003-11-13T03:14:29Z")
Every adult male in my family has one. Me, too. Some of the women, too, but let’s not go there. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/5 "2003-11-13T03:19:01Z")
I’ve never gone out with a guy who didn’t wear one. They’re around in profusion out here. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/6 "2003-11-13T03:46:31Z")
Mustaches come in and out of style here…for many decades (from the 1920’s until the 1960’s) a mustache - except on an elderly man perhaps - usually marked someone as “eccentric” or “shifty”. Thomas Dewey, the 1944 and 1948 candidate for president wore a mustache, and some people believe that his look may have cost him enough votes to narrowly lose the 1948 election for president. However for a while in the 1970’s, it seemed pretty much every man in America had a mustache. In the 1980’s a more clean shaven look reappeared, but many men now wear a combination mustache-chin whisker pattern such as a goatee or “van Dyke” style beard. A mustache by itself or a full beard with a mustache isn’t as common any more. Supposedly policemen like a mustache for the look of “authority” it gives, but nearly every policeman I see is clean shaven. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/7 "2003-11-13T04:05:53Z")
Just mustaches are not really “in” at the moment, but what is, is the goatee. As an example, Ben Affleck has a goatee – not a great one, a little scraggly, but a goatee – [url=“[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/)”]here. I like the look of a goatee on a guy, but I’m not crazy about kissing guys with facial hair. It’s not a deal-breaker or anything, but it’s kinda scratchy. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/8 "2003-11-13T04:10:22Z")
[Fixed link](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/). ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/9 "2003-11-13T04:18:09Z")
You should have left it broken. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/10 "2003-11-13T04:21:03Z")
Because Affleck has a goatee it’s in?? Who died and made him facial hair god? ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/11 "2003-11-13T04:35:09Z")
\*\*Who died and made him facial hair god? \*\* [/QUOTE] MAD Magazine publisher [Bill Gaines](http://antonfig.com/mad/billGaines.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/12 "2003-11-13T05:04:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*Just fashion. > > The Amish refrain from growing mustaches because of the association of mustaches with the military in Germanic countries a couple of hundred years ago, but the rest of us grow 'em or shave 'em according to whether we like what we see in the mirror (or what our wives and girlfriends tell us to do). \*\* No kidding about the Amish folks? Does that go for Mennonite, too? And did either wear moustaches before a couple hundred years ago? I ask, because I’ve noticed the trend, but always wondered what caused it. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Wolfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/13 "2003-11-13T05:12:39Z")
Interesting. It’s does seem like a fashion thing if you think of 70’s (actually make that “Thank God it’s a fashion thing!” upon thinking of 70’s). It might also have to do with men’s perception of what women like. They see women liking a more clean appearance and not the irritating stubble prickling the face during more intimate moments like kissing etc. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/14 "2003-11-13T05:26:27Z")
That goatee face furniture was big in the early nineties - you know, the beard that circumnavigates the mouth, but goes nowhere else. The big bushy moe with handlebars was big in the seventies (especially amongst cricketers for some reason). Moustaches now look very gay. OK not a US perspective, but one all the same. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/15 "2003-11-13T05:50:48Z")
I just don’t like the idea of hair on my face. I spent my childhood with a nice smooth face, and when hair suddenly started popping up there, I would have nothing to do with it. I could probably get used to a mustache but why bother? ---
**Author:** ![SunTzu2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@SunTzu2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunTzu2U)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/16 "2003-11-13T06:23:20Z")
I know of a casino which requires the male employees to be clean shaven. Apparently, the corporate idea is that a clean shaven man is one which looks trustworthy. Brings to mind Snidely Whiplash vs. Dudley Dowright and Penelope ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/17 "2003-11-13T06:34:45Z")
pitstop ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/18 "2003-11-13T06:46:35Z")
Then again, some of us are just lazy, and the less we have to shave, the better. Smooth cheeks = fast, easy shave Chin, and area under nose = lots of curves and indentations ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/19 "2003-11-13T07:14:50Z")
Because we know we can’t compete with those [damn Germans](http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/). ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950/20 "2003-11-13T07:15:27Z")
Just found this out: The state of Indiana in the USA has a law making it illegal for a man with a moustache to “habitually kiss human beings”. I think they may have been onto something there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-many-americans-keep-moustache/212950.md?page=2)