Guardian columnist Tim Dowling has shaved his beard. Wearing one is a choice..
Regular Guardian columnist Tim Dowling has shaved his beard off (or rather had it shaved at the barbers). Very much in a currently popular Guardian genre of writing about inconsequential matters of an individual’s personal life (see Adrian Chiles) he has written about it
He quotes a (clean shaven) academic Alun Withey who has written interestingly on some aspects of the history of beards and provides a brief resume of past ‘peak beard’ episodes. He also quotes dodgy research from Australian ‘scientists’ on how attractive or otherwise beards are. Such ‘research’ appears to be a thriving industry in Australia.
He does not of course quote the one source that could have provided him with useful guidance and advice on his beard: the Beard Liberation Front. One of its founding principles is that people should be able to dress and appear as they want. Tim Dowling can (and has) shaved his beard. Later he can grow it again, if he wants to. Of course there are people and organisations that seek to regulate and control this. That’s why the BLF exists. To stop the pogonophobes.
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