The Mustachio Bashio: A Top 10 Journey Through Hair Part 1

Ah, the mustache. There’s something almost comforting about it. My 1980’s heroes had them, my dad has one, and most of my friends’ dads have them as well. Even I had one for around three years. So where are they now?? They were all the rave in the 70s and 80s and were a trademark of the All-American-Man. “So guy, if you love ‘em so much why don’t you just grow one,” you may be saying as you read this. Truth is, I got no nookie partly because of my stache. In my young and naïve way of thinking, I thought only the “coolest dudes” were to have hair above their upper lip. Yet few chill people had them in my high school class, it was pretty much just me and two Indian kids. The only reason they had mustaches is because their facial hair was so out of control they had no choice. Even if they shaved, it’d be back by lunch anyway. As for me, well I accidentally nipped it while trimming and had to shave off the whole thing as a result. After several not-so-prosperous years of having that facial hair, many of my friends, peers, and the female persuasion by and large agreed I was better off without my hairy confidant (I laughed as I typed that). But why?!? Well, after conducting some focus groups and just plain showing girls my freshman year college ID (they made me keep the same picture all 5 ½ years), today’s young women DO NOT want the mustache. Well, screw off; I’m giving you 10 reasons, nay, 10 people that are icons because of their mustaches.

10) Alex Trebek – Here’s a perfect example of the mustache making the man. Throughout the majority of his quiz show tenure he has proudly sported his pepper-gray stache. Then, inexplicably, it was gone. But, oh yes, the memory remains. So much so that every time Will Ferrell partook in the Jeopardy parody on SNL, he wore the mustache. Why you ask? Well because it just would have been Will Ferrell trying to be the host of Jeopardy as opposed to an easily identifiable Trebek. I was hoping Ken Jennings was going to keep that winning streak going until Trebek agreed to grow it back. Alas, it was not to be, but I still think he’ll grow it back someday.

9) The Brawny Man – Let me be clear, THE Brawny Man, the one we all remember. I know there is a newer, younger hairless chap (once again why today’s newer, younger woman hates the excess hair, so there’s forced change) on the cover of today’s paper towels, but I’m talking about the sandy-brown haired beast that scared some kids in their infantile stages. Was I scared? A little, when I was very young. Did I respect him? More than words could do justice. That mustache was the real quicker, picker upper, folks.

8) MLB-Tie - Rollie Fingers/Keith Hernandez – There were so many great mustaches in Major League Baseball, but even if it was before your time, Rollie has the one stache that is the most striking. Curled-up and looking right out of the early 1900s, its so iconic it’s scary. As for Keith Hernandez, he was an 80s man, with an 80s stache which he reminds us every time you see a Just For Men hair commercial. However, he is a Met and kind of a jerk, so I respect him, but only as much as I can respect a Met.

7) Top Gun – How does a movie get on the list? Easy, there are two key mustaches here. There’s the big dog, the wily veteran Cmdr. Mike 'Viper' Metcalf, played by Tom Skerrit, who of course leads with an iron mustache. Then there were the hairless younger guys. This is how I imagine it went down: Director, Jerry Bruckheimer, “Ok one of you guys needs a mustache and damn it, we can’t cover Tom’s face, he’s the money maker and Val doesn’t need it. Anthony Edwards, you ain’t a vengeful nerd anymore, grow a mustache and be Goose…and die.” Alright, maybe that’s not exactly how it was discussed, but even if Goose’s facial hair is a bit unsettling in 2008, it was perfectly fine back in 1986, he even bagged a young, attractive Meg Ryan in the flick. You could do anything (or anyone) with the power of the mustache.

6) Mario - Speaking of death, one mustache that will never die is Mario. Yes, Super Mario who was a staple of my adolescence and continues to be for new generations of video gamers. Sonic the Hedgehog may have had is blow-out, Mega Man had his arm-canon/ helmet combo, and Pac-Man may have a, uh, mouth but Mario still manages to make classic games in his perfect over-the-top, over stereotyped Italian-mustached way.

So, this is all a bit to take in (and let's build some minor suspense), so the top five will be saved for the next post. Who made it? Why no love for Luigi? Don't worry more drama comin' in Part 2...