Moustachery... In Real Life and Fictional Portrayals Discussion

[Husky_Khan]

Coming upon a recent article that ranked the finest in game moustaches... and considering the current atmosphere of people sporting only moustaches in todays society (it's not a lauded upon look at present AFAIK) it makes me ponder, are moustaches, at least in this day and age, a facial feature that is better recognized, lauded and presentable within fictional mediums as opposed to in real life settings? Even in a fictional live action setting, it seems moustaches are more acceptable then in the real world.

Are moustaches one of those features that just translates better to a fictional medium? Are moustaches simply unfairly maligned or simply associated wrongly with unsavory anticitizens? Or are people just sporting moustaches poorly, ruining it for potential responsible users?

https://gamerant.com/movember-best-video-game-moustaches/

(one issue I have with the above article is that it conflates moustaches with the full beard and moustache combo... which seems improper to me at the very least and a separate issue and worthy of its own discussion considering how I feel many beards have been hijacked by f'ing hipsters... but I digress)

I mean look at those epic moustaches... but they're just fictional... and sometimes larger then life moustaches... are fictional likenesses such as the above simply offering an ideal moustache image and setting up a false image of mustachioed perfection unattainable by todays menfolk (and I guess others... whatever)?

Discuss.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Cassius Bright is the only major JRPG character I can remember who has a moustache.



Admiral Taylor is the only major WoW character I can recall who had one too.

Noticeable both Cassius and Taylor were awesome generals and the big good guys of their respective series. (Well, I guess there's Uther and Tirion, but they have fullblown beards).

Rather unfortunate to see moustaches being unpopular nowadays.

 

[Bear Ribs]

(one issue I have with the above article is that it conflates moustaches with the full beard and moustache combo... which seems improper to me at the very least and a separate issue and worthy of its own discussion considering how I feel many beards have been hijacked by f'ing hipsters... but I digress)

This is actually probably a Japanese translator thing. In the Japanese language "beard" and "mustache" done exist, they use the same generic word for all facial hair. This is how you get stuff like Whitebeard in One Piece both having a huge white mustache and no beard.

In general mustaches are associated with authority. Almost everybody with a mustache in fiction is either a badass, a commander, a noble, or some similar person in authority. The exception is thin scraggly mustaches which are associated with weasel wannabe types, the failed mustache is a sign of their failed morals and inability to live up to the standards of the men with magnificent mustaches.

 

[Skallagrim]

In (recent) modern society, aesthetics increasingly trend towards the feminine. You see this in the cut of clothing, as well as hair styles. (female hairstyles, meanwhile, become more androgynous. Inversion begets inversion.) You can even see it in architectural and decorative styles. A distinct lack of moustaches and beards is part of that overall trend.

In a society where aesthetics trend feminine, moustaches and beards are A) "exotic"/"other" or B) patriarchal and ur-male (and therefore untrustworthy). Conversely, in a society where aesthetics trend masculine, shaven faces are A) "exotic"/"other" (think eunuch) or B) feminine (and therefore untrustworthy).

Basically, look at portrayals of shifty villains in old sagas in Western culture. Very often, you'll see that that character is the one dude (besides the obviously beardless youths) who has a shaven mug, amidst a cast of bearded and moustachio'd persons. The shifty villain is quasi-feminine; of uncertain nature. Therefore, unreliable and unsound. (Meanwhile, in the context of what I said about inversion: all women in those sagas have very long hair, signifying the feminine.)

Now look at the portrayal of shifty villains in modern stories. Having a beard is literally the hallmark of the "evil twin" or "evil mirror universe counterpart". Villains have beards and moustaches. Villains, and "exotic, foreign" types. This perception reflects present aesthetic attitudes. Politicians rarely grow facial hair, because every single poll reveals that people find you less trustworthy because of it.