I wouldn’t be surprised if the clean shaven soldier is some kind of marketing conspiracy.
People have shaved for all of history, but the idea that the default is a clear chin is something that only started during WW2 and with the following GI Joe comics. Beards go in and out of style, but to consider the clean face an ideal probably comes from the American religiously puritanical way of thinking.
The image is part of the cultural spread of the American Dream and sold alongside Gillette, Frosties and Coca Cola through the American “liberators” of Europe.
It began with WWI, beards hindered gas mask sealing. That led to the rise in clean shaven being seen as professional as well as the origin of the postage stamp mustache (as made memorable by a certain Austrian and an actor who hated him)
America loved beards in the 19th century and mustaches were in in the early 20th. Facial hair trends come and go, we were into clean shaven looks in the 18th century, and even wore the stupid wigs the brits liked then.
but the idea that the default is a clear chin is something that only started during WW2 and with the following GI Joe comics.
I thought the idea of keeping your beard short can’t from older warfare where you’d get your beard grabbed for an easier stabbing if it was too long? Don’t even know where I heard that though… Just remember getting it from decades ago
Most militaries started requiring their soldiers to shave during WWI, because facial hair will break the seal on a gas mask (see also: why I started shaving during covid).
Lots of good reasons to shave. Gas masks were also a reason.
A soldier can shave real quickly before serving, so I just don’t get the ideal of keeping it like that.
As far as I’m concerned it’s all cultural propaganda in the same way as the nuclear family with cut lawns and car dependency. At least it seems to be the same people preaching all of it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the clean shaven soldier is some kind of marketing conspiracy.
People have shaved for all of history, but the idea that the default is a clear chin is something that only started during WW2 and with the following GI Joe comics. Beards go in and out of style, but to consider the clean face an ideal probably comes from the American religiously puritanical way of thinking.
The image is part of the cultural spread of the American Dream and sold alongside Gillette, Frosties and Coca Cola through the American “liberators” of Europe.
It began with WWI, beards hindered gas mask sealing. That led to the rise in clean shaven being seen as professional as well as the origin of the postage stamp mustache (as made memorable by a certain Austrian and an actor who hated him)
America loved beards in the 19th century and mustaches were in in the early 20th. Facial hair trends come and go, we were into clean shaven looks in the 18th century, and even wore the stupid wigs the brits liked then.
I thought the idea of keeping your beard short can’t from older warfare where you’d get your beard grabbed for an easier stabbing if it was too long? Don’t even know where I heard that though… Just remember getting it from decades ago
Most militaries started requiring their soldiers to shave during WWI, because facial hair will break the seal on a gas mask (see also: why I started shaving during covid).
Lots of good reasons to shave. Gas masks were also a reason.
A soldier can shave real quickly before serving, so I just don’t get the ideal of keeping it like that.
As far as I’m concerned it’s all cultural propaganda in the same way as the nuclear family with cut lawns and car dependency. At least it seems to be the same people preaching all of it.