Now these, my hairy friends…these are my kind of people. These are the kind of men with whom I could spend an evening drinking whisky and ‘raising hell’ as they say. Unfortunately, this image was found online with no citation or credit. If you’ve got information about these gentlemen, please do let me know.
Adam Magyar – Stainless, Alexanderplatz (excerpt) from Adam Magyar on Vimeo.
Medium.com has an excellent piece on Adam Magyar, his facial hair, and his innovative photographic work. It is highly recommended.
Adam Magyar is a computer geek, a college dropout, a self-taught photographer, a high-tech Rube Goldberg, a world traveler, and a conceptual artist of growing global acclaim.
It recently came to my attention that Hermann Rorschach had a moustache. And of course it is obvious to the meanest intelligence that his inspiration for the Rorschach ink blot test came originally from the symmetry of men’s facial hair and its impact on bare faced mortals.
And of course, the obligatory Rorschach joke:
A psychologist shows a patient an ink blot and asks him what he sees. “That’s a man and a woman having sex,” the man replied. He shows him a second inkblot. “That’s two men and a woman having sex,” he said. And a third inkblot. “That’s a man and two women having sex.” The psychologist says, “I think I know what your problem is; you’re clearly obsessed with sex.” “Me?” the man says, “You’re the one showing all the dirty pictures.”
My favourite movie of all time, Barfly, has finally been put back into production after being out of print for years…and I’ve also noticed that there are full versions available elsewhere, at least for the moment. The clip above is noteworthy because the camera passes by Bukowski himself, in a short cameo (Mickey Rourke played his character, Henry Chinaski).
It’s a truly incredible piece to me. While some look on it as a comedy or a base glorification of drunkeness, it is far more than that. The point of the movie is not the alcohol, the brawls, the women, the hangovers…it is the brief periods of flashing beauty in an ugly world. The poem that Chinaski writes while looking at his bloody face in the mirror, his appreciation for the purity in the vicious bark of a dog, and above all the fact that he writes because it is part of who he is – not in a vain attempt at fame or fortune, and even declining opportunities for those when they arise in a pure dedication that is rare in humanity.
I’ve read most of Bukowski’s work, and still feel that Barfly is a great introduction for those who are not familiar with him. Schroeder excels as a director, and Faye Dunaway is incredible in her role. If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth the purchase…and should you happen across me one late night raising a toast to ‘all my friends’ you will understand the reference.
Frida Kahlo arguably had the most famous female moustache, and will be the subject of a future article on Moustached Individuals of Distinction and Prowess. This, as well as her tremendous artistic talent, is why I plan the above portrait in my newborn daughter’s room. It will serve as both inspiration and an introduction to the moustache lifestyle!
At some point in the twists and turns of life with a moustache, one realizes that it’s a bit lonely being this hairy all by yourself. Sometimes it’s nice to have a companion, a friend – a bit of encouragement as you look down condescendingly upon bare-faced mortals.
Thus, I encourage everyone who embraces our dynamic and sometimes dangerous lifestyle to get a canine of the proper status befitting our kind…loyal, intelligent, and possessing a bark that will make fake moustaches fall off at 20 meters.
My own preference is for the German Shepherd Dog. It is a noble breed with all of the characteristics listed above, as well as a remarkable sense of humour and a jaw strength exceeding that of a pit bull. More than that, my young pup (only 8 months old in this picture) has better table manners than I do.
All text by Asa Gilmore unless otherwise noted. All other materials are copyright by their respective owners, and attribution has been given where possible. If your work appears on this site and you would like to have it removed or have the attribution changed, please contact us and we will be happy to oblige.
