ironic mustaches

hot or not, this trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

cap to the hill digs em, however we feel it necessary to dive into wtf they’re all about.

urban dictionary says they’re initially grown as a joke to impress one’s buddies with the level of commitment necessary to maintain it.

meanwhile the folks over at online etymology dictionary (and the stranger) say that dutch slang has a useful noun, de befborstel, to refer to the mustache specifically as a tool for stimulating the clitoris; probably from beffen “to stimulate the clitoris with the tongue.”

hmm…k.

the chicagoist lists the pros and cons of a stache.

why or why not the joes around the hill adorn their facial tufts, it’s yet another thing you can use to subtly describe them to your pals without doing the awkward point. ex: flannel guy with the tom selleck is totally adorable.

i grew that mustache because it was easier than shaving, because it was softer than stubble, because it was fun to pet, because in very cold weather it was capable of supporting amusing icicles, because it created vertical lines that made my face look longer and thinner, because it made me look tough and dashing, and to a certain extent because it was silly. – aaron weber, secretly ironic

later aaron says:

but i did not grow it for irony. in fact, there is no such thing as an ironic mustache. perhaps when people say “ironic mustache” they mean “kitschy” or “campy” mustache; wikipedia points out that “‘irony’ as popularly used during the 1990s referred to an aesthetic equated with a fondness for kitsch.” but that’s a misuse of the term “irony.” it might be a sarcastic or camp mustache, grown to mock all mustaches and people who wear them, but it’s not ironic.

our buddy aaron brings up a valid point…are ironic staches mislabled? are they really just campy?