# ZZ Top turn down millions to shave beards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238 "2002-07-22T17:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/1 "2002-07-22T17:28:24Z")
I just sent this one out to Snopes, but rather than hold my breath for a response from Mrs. Mikkelson, I figure I’ll ask the dopers. I’ve heard off and on for about ten years now that some shaving cream or razor company offered the bearded members of ZZ Top a large sum of money to shave their facial hair for promotional purposes. Apparently, they turned it down. Anyone else hear this? I’ve seen a couple sites that back this up, but I’m not sure of their credibility. Anyone know of a news article or something more authoritative than Wikipedia (or can vouch for said page)? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/2 "2002-07-22T17:42:27Z")
It’s true according to [Wikipedia](http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/ZZ+Top) (normally a reliable online source). Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill were offered a million apiece to shave for a promo. Frank Beard had no beard. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/3 "2002-07-22T17:49:46Z")
“A large sum of money” is a relative term. How long would it take for them to grow it back and/or would they tour beardless? Fan-base wise they would probably suffer a huge “selling out” loss. I could see them getting away with shaving for a charity but not for Gillette. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/4 "2002-07-22T17:51:57Z")
Oops, sorry. Didn’t see your Wikipedia disclaimer. There’s [an interview](http://www.rockpublication.com/zztop.htm) in RockPublication. There’s also the [Tucson Weekly](http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tw/1999-12-02/sbites.html). ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/5 "2002-07-22T18:01:09Z")
That works. That is, unless Rock publication is in the habit of making up quotes. I’ll take their word for it: > [@](#): > > “We have declined Gillette’s offer to have them pay us to shave them off,” Gibbons said. “The offer was pretty attractive until they considered our answer: ‘We’re too ugly under here.’” Thanks, Libertarian! ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/6 "2002-07-22T20:13:30Z")
Their beards are fake anyway. If you look real close you can see those little elastic staps that loop over your ears like a Santa Claus beard. I done ran into my baby and fin’lly found my old blue jean. I done ran into my baby and fin’lly found my old blue jean. Well, I could tell that they was mine from the oil and the gasoline. - (PARTIAL lyrics to: blue jean blues) ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/7 "2002-07-22T22:16:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CarnalK \* > \*\*“A large sum of money” is a relative term. How long would it take for them to grow it back and/or would they tour beardless? > > Fan-base wise they would probably suffer a huge “selling out” loss. I could see them getting away with shaving for a charity but not for Gillette. \*\* And the ads that Billy (or is it Dusty?) does for Quaker State Motor Oil **aren’t** signs of a sell-out? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/8 "2002-07-22T23:26:41Z")
Heard a comedian talking about this. Paraphrased: “For a million bucks, I’d shave my balls with a weed-whacker!” ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/9 "2002-07-23T00:15:42Z")
postcards: Well Gibbons already is a well know hot rod collector, and one presumes that he has someone put oil in them so the fact that he endorses a motor oil he might in fact use isn’t selling out. Wheras he has never shaved his beard before now, but if her were to tell others to shave (something he does not normally do) with any brand of lotion/cream then he would be getting paid to tell people to do something he himself obviously does not do. Selling out is when George Carlin does a series of bits against corporate America and then does a long distance phone company commercial. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/10 "2002-07-23T00:17:05Z")
i don’t think that they would lose anything from their fan base…the fans that zz top have would think that it was the right thing to do. only the teeny bopper crowd would think of using the term sellout. sounds like UL to me…no, not UL…PR ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/11 "2002-07-23T03:58:09Z")
Do ZZ Top still even tour or, for that matter, exist? Since I haven’t seen them or heard from them (other than on the radio, of course) in at least 10 years, they might have shaved and I’d sure never know. Maybe 15-20 years ago, when they were more in the public eye, such a stunt would have an effect… ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/12 "2002-07-23T05:13:53Z")
What _is_ a sell out? And is there something wrong with that? If so, what? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zz-top-turn-down-millions-to-shave-beards/120238/13 "2002-07-23T06:40:55Z")
What is a sell out? \>Someone who abandons principles for luxury(ie they ain’t starving) And is there something wrong with that? \>Nothing at all if you like your morals relative and if the aftereffects of abandoning your principles don’t scare you. Generally, we judge people by what they say and compare that to their actions. If they don’t match up that’s what we call a “hypocrite”. Not that I think the shaving **would** be selling out just that it might be percieved that way by fans. They actually started out their career beardless (or at least only one bearded guy). BTW **harry** , I hear the phrase “selling out” more often than I hear the grandpa phrase “teeny boppers”. 🙂 “…the fans that zz top have would think that it was the right thing to do.”- pray tell, how did you come to that conclusion? Is the ZZtop fan demographic all marketting execs?