Don't Blame the Beard -- #mugshotmonday

GOOD MORNING BEARDOS!

Today marks the start of a weekly feature that encompasses both recognition and public service components of our blog... it will help, while undoubtedly hurting a bit, our overarching philosophy of raising the profile of beards.

As many of you know, the good people at TheSmokingGun.com have for years disseminated some great visuals that remind us of the hillarity of crime, criminals and the legal system at large through proliferating the art of the mugshot. However pure the intentions of TSG, the ratio of beardless to the hairy within their mugshot walls is feeding the beast of pogonophobia among the many beardless, about the few rotten apples in our hairy barrel. Surely the good people at TSG didn't (and couldn't) anticipate the backlash and prejudice that such practice would yield to the facial hair community...

So, today B-a-B steps in to help level off the skewed ratio, and shed light on the two constants of the bearded shots in this series... their beards are pretty damn sick and they are innocent until proven guilty... so remember, however guilty, however horrible the crime, regardless of the bleak and empty stares... DON'T BLAME THE BEARD!

Welcome to #mugshotmonday everyone, we give you... the orange tennis ball beard:

Punxsutawney Phil and The Beard Shadows

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY EVERYONE!

Well, I have good and great news... the Good news is that Punxsutawney Phil (the PA groundhog with his ears to God's weather service) didn't see his shadow earlier today, meaning there will be spring soon! The GREAT news however, is even better and of course likely more accurate and believable...  Punxsutawney Phil was once again surrounded by wonderful beardos and staches in coats and top hats!

Never thought of Groundhog day as anything other than a weird event, a great Bill Murray movie or rodent filled national antics?! Well... neither did we! How did we find ourselves writing this item today? See email below...

Handler Ben Huges holds Punxsutawney Phil in the air after removing him for his stump on Groundhog Day Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Subject: Punxutawney Phil loves Beardos!
Message: Dear Build-A-Beard,

I am a very open and proud beardlover... have been ever since I was a tiny girl. My dad has been moustachioed (and sometimes bearded) my entire life and his facial hair was a matter of great pride for him. He always mocked me for being way too much of a *girl* to be able to grow facial hair. Sadly, he was correct, although I do have a Beardhead beard to try to periodically cover up my girlishness.

But that's beyond my point. I know it is too late to get in a feature by tomorrow, but I am hoping and wishing and baiting my breath for an interview with Ben Huges, one of Punxutawney Phil's handlers (you know, the groundhog!). I noticed Ben last year while looking at Phil photos... He has a dashing beard, but what's more, a fantastic handlebar mustache! I would interview him myself, but since I don't have a snazzy website, I'm afraid I would simply come off as a slightly crazed fangirl, and we can't have that. So, please, please, please, can you attempt to reach this awesome guy?

I have included a link to a slideshow of Ben and Phil for your perusal.
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10006487.html?tag=page

And because I'm thorough, I have a ink to the website of the awesome guys who associate with Phil as well. They call themselves The Inner Circle. You'll notice that a number of them are beardos.
http://www.groundhog.org/inner-circle/

Thanks, B-A-B! I absolutely love your site!

Tiff

Well Tiff, thank you we are honored, humbled and excited to take on this new challenge (especially with your already hairy legwork)... we will use our snazzy website, and we don't care to seem like slightly crazed fangirls, we are ready to have Ben Huges #proveit, and we've sent the request to The Inner Circle for an interview... hopefully they work for more than one day a year.

Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, right, is held by handler Ben Hughes after emerging from his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pa. Credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

A Q for the Ladies....

Riddle me this: If your significant other got down on one knee, revealed this new style of facial hair, and asked you to marry him... would you say 'YES'?    

LA Beardo - Bring It, Baby

So the rumors are true - I am heading to the land of plastic to see if a certain something is real... and I am not talking about boobs (we already know, LA... sadly, we already know).  No, the point of my LA trip is to scout West Coast beardos and challenge them to defend their scruffy constituency.  Are you important enough to be blogged about? Are you strong enough to go head-to-head against my beloved NYC? 

Los Angeles - this is your official invite to show me your best and shut me up because as far as I am concerned, the bearded assassins of cool still walk MY streets: Venture down to the East Village, the Lower East Side, Bushwick, Greenpoint or Williamsburg and you will find a pageant of bearded bohemians, handlebar mustaches worth a ride, and mutton chops that would make you hungry.  And guess what?  They think of themselves as being cooler than most of America (and you know - most are). LA is just a West Coast town suffering from mass facial hair erosion, too many collagen injections for your American-Apparel-wannbe-model girlfriends, and a largely over hyped rock-music scene.  

My Plan
To make sure I capture the "in" crowd and non-tourist traps of LA, a certain writer  (who will prob ditch me after reading this post) has volunteered to show me around your city to blog the facial hair essence of LA - the unpretentiousness and off the radar parts. I plan to take a ton of photos, record your stories, and above all - have Los Angeles #PROVEIT 

NYC vs. LA
After I get home to NYC, I will upload the photos of Los Angeles AFTER the 2010 Beard Ball happening on Thursday, February 4th.  I will use the photos from The Beard Ball to compare/contrast from those in LA.  And soon after... drum rolll.... "The Best Beard of the Coasts" will be announced (*per usual we will accept 'stache entries as well - no worries).  Most likely, we will have those on Twitter vote to help determine a winner using a specific hashtag - soon to be announced - but rest assured B-A-B will also be weighing in.
 
Hope Above Hope
In truth, I am teasing throughout most of this post (5%). LA isn't Brooklyn (thank GOD), but that doesn't mean you prob don't have a few dirty hipster beardos worth my time or SOMEONE of hairy interest.  As such, I am heading to your city to witness beards with an open and optimistic attitude - in what I pray will be many more trips to numerous other cities and towns to document the growth of hundreds and record the DIY facial creativity of a select few.  I want to find your rad bars sporting ratty booths, a jukebox, pool tables, darts, and a fantastical array of male fashionistas to actors (aka: waiters)... all willing to show off their bearded glory.   

Are you ready Los Angeles?  I am coming to scout you.