Ironic beards. I can't take it anymore.

Fascinating analysis! Makes a lot of sense to me.

frogs wrote:

I wear a beard because I think I have an ugly face.

That's a straw man argument. OP is criticizing IRONIC beards, not satirical beards.

Some of you are struggling with the term ironic as it relates to facial hair, so hopefully this will help you out. It is more slang than literal. I think of it as novelty facial hair.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ironic+Facial+Hair

Living in the past wrote:

Some of you are struggling with the term ironic as it relates to facial hair, so hopefully this will help you out. It is more slang than literal. I think of it as novelty facial hair.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ironic+Facial+Hair

Thank you for helping us out! What would we do without a young, cool, and hip guy like you amongst us?

I have no problem with beards per se, it's the the people who seem to think the act of growing one (as has been mentioned numerous times, a man having hair grow out of his face is a pretty normal thing) is something akin to curing cancer and perhaps they are the first to achieve such an impressive feat.

It's similar to those women who get pregnant and act like they're the first person ever to be pregnant.

make it stop wrote:

Bro nobody would fault you for growing a good beard after losing your hair starting at 18, esp because of low T. If that is how you want to express yourself, then more power to you.

I suspect that people's attitude have a lot of do with my perception. The way they carry themselves can either minimize or amplify initial impressions. You sound like a solid guy.

That being said, you would have to be Jesus F Christ to pull off a waxed handlebar mustache. I haven't met him yet.

Hight T, not low.

We used to think that my mom had a beard. Turned out to be overgrown pubes.

"To actually try one's hardest--i.e. not disgracing one's body with tattoos and jokey facial hair--and to still suffer failure would be too mentally crushing.

As runners, we should be familiar with this phenomenon, as encountered by idiots who run races in costumes--"ya I ran a 50 minute 10k, but I was in a costume, so it's funny!"

The tattoo/beard thing is the same thing, just applied to life in general."

This is the truth. It's defense mechanism used to hide insecurity. And the costumed runner is the perfect example.

btw I hate the trucker hat thing almost as much as the overly grown out beard. I think the prevalence of these two things in ultra running is what makes me dislike it to an un-natural degree.

not me no way wrote:

I don't have a beard or a tattoo, but I don't have any problem with people that do. So what, they like them and you don't? Get over yourself. People are different.

Some people like people who are different and some people don't. Get over yourself.

I find it ironic that you don't see the irony in your comments.

Happy ultra runners:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvXkDYolYSY/U2B8bXNNr8I/AAAAAAAAFoY/5sHAxXd1rg4/s1600/sean+costume.jpg

geetar wrote:

btw I hate the trucker hat thing almost as much as the overly grown out beard. I think the prevalence of these two things in ultra running is what makes me dislike it to an un-natural degree.

Please contribute your views to this recent thread:

I am also genuinely curious about why "trucker" hats are so reviled by a certain group of cultural critics.

PS- If this weren't the internet, I think you could almost universally boil the whole beard-hate thing down to individual bodily capacity to raise a beard. I would lay money on the able-bearded going almost entirely unrepresented among the beard-hate camp.

don't be so insecure wrote:

Happy ultra runners:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvXkDYolYSY/U2B8bXNNr8I/AAAAAAAAFoY/5sHAxXd1rg4/s1600/sean+costume.jpg

That guy's beard makes sense to me. He is obviously a rebel and doesn't give a crap about what guys think about him. Here is the type of guy that I am reffering to:

Look at the picture and tell me there isn't something wrong here. The article is pretty good too.

Finally, just because you have a beard doesn't mean you are a tool. For me, this is what a big ass beard always meant:

- Mountain men: keeps them warm, not rebels but no need to assimilate by shaving every day.

- Some Muslim cultures: a beard has been symbolic for many, many years and is deeply ingrained in the the culture. It's also cold in many some of those areas.

- Bikers: outlaws, counterculture and maybe keeps face warm when riding

The list goes on...

Now, these particular beards I am talking about are usually on young hipster guys who live downtown and get a haircut every week and has no functional purpose other than to project some fabricated persona or style to make you think they are special because they have a beard. Facial hair that up until 5 years ago that was usually functional or counterculture is now little more than a facebook selfie fashion statement.

They wear flannel and boots even though they live in downtown San Diego where it is freakin hot and have never set foot on a trail. They get expensive haircuts and buy vintage clothing. They are trying to buy the look and culture of other people but it shows because something inside me says its wrong.

The article I linked to is a perfect explanation of this gut feeling I get:

"Female attraction to bearded men can arise due to the manly connotations of facial hair. Nicki Daniels certainly makes this point in her hilarious open letter to bearded hipsters:

"Unfortunately, you guys have turned it into a fashion statement. The beard has turned into the padded bra of masculinity. Sure it looks sexy, but whatcha got under there? There's a whole generation running around looking like lumberjacks, and most of you can't change a tyre."

If you don't get it, fine. I am jealous because you can walk through downtown without seeing this stupid fashion accessories.

ten-four wrote:

I am also genuinely curious about why "trucker" hats are so reviled by a certain group of cultural critics.

PS- If this weren't the internet, I think you could almost universally boil the whole beard-hate thing down to individual bodily capacity to raise a beard. I would lay money on the able-bearded going almost entirely unrepresented among the beard-hate camp.

I think I can explain the trucker hat thing. The trucker hat is something than unwitting, blue-collar folks have been doing for years. My grandpa wore a trucker hat. It's a classic symbol of the older generation hard-worker.

In an attempt to, ironically, identify themselves with said culture, the hipster has taken it upon himself to include such "fashion accessory" into daily coordinated outfit decisions. When I was a kid, the trucker hat wasn't "cool" cause my grandpa was wearing it. Which, ironically, is what makes it so cool to today's hipster crowd. "Yo bro, you're wearing a hat you bought from a gas station!? Outrageous!"

This is why people find it irritating (even though I don't care much).

This guy gets it.

A large minority of young people are like cultural locusts. They see something and copy it until it has no meaning, then move on to the next thing.

don't be so insecure wrote:

Happy ultra runners:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvXkDYolYSY/U2B8bXNNr8I/AAAAAAAAFoY/5sHAxXd1rg4/s1600/sean+costume.jpg

That's an impressive collection of dead soldiers behind them. Wonder Woman herself would have had difficulty pounding all of them.

I think they might also account for their clothing decisions for the day.

BTW Wonder Woman would not have trouble guzzling gallons of any liquid . . . they don't call her that for no reason.

Ironyman wrote:

not me no way wrote:

I don't have a beard or a tattoo, but I don't have any problem with people that do. So what, they like them and you don't? Get over yourself. People are different.

Some people like people who are different and some people don't. Get over yourself.

I find it ironic that you don't see the irony in your comments.

I have explained the irony as to the subject matter at hand in my comments.

What do you find ironic about my comments? Please enlighten me Ironyman.

make it stop wrote:

Ironyman wrote:

Some people like people who are different and some people don't. Get over yourself.

I find it ironic that you don't see the irony in your comments.

I have explained the irony as to the subject matter at hand in my comments.

What do you find ironic about my comments? Please enlighten me Ironyman.

You scolded another for not accepting the fact that people are different and for taking a self centric view of the world where his opinion rules.

Yet you are unable to accept his point of view because it differs from yours. Get over it. People are different, and his tendency to dislike people who are different is every bit as valid as your acceptance of them. You scolded him for not accepting people's differences, yet when you discovered his view differed from yours, you attempted to set him straight with a good 'ole internet thread ass wupping.

Trust me. There's irony there.