As far as I can tell, there are only a few iconic beards and moustaches that are universally recognized and elicit strong reactions. Abraham Lincoln, Colonal Sanders, Fu Manchu, Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin are among the former category. Santa Claus, Jesus and Christian God, Castro, Hussein and bin Laden might pull a reaction.
But Hitler seems to be on his own as a universally hated historical figure. And much like the swastika, his moustache is a mark easily recognized and instantly loathed.
This is an extreme level difficult to achieve. If the goal of that little, black, upper-lip square was to brand a man, than it was a success. Being the megalomaniac that he was, Hitler had to be proud of his distinct mark, and thus it would have caused him pleasure. Again, what are beards and moustaches for if not to emit pleasure to the wearer? This is probably the most successful bit of facial hair I will ever see.
However, this is also (still) a feared mark throughout the world. Which makes it just about the worst moustache ever. Any hard feelings I may harbor over badly-drawn goatees are easily overshadowed by the disdain with which anyone might feel towards a genocidal dictator.
So, in the graphic design world, it’s easy to award Hitler’s stache a full ten points. But — torn by a sense of morality, and a little angry that this post isn’t at all light-hearted — it’s equally painless to assign a negative ten points.
Moral of the story: Use your facial hair for good or you will be hated worse than naked faces.
3 comments:
It's tragic when facial hair is pulled into politics and genocide. We live in an era where "my mustache was just following orders" won't get you off the hook anymore.
Hitler deserves the -10 for taking previously innocuous but well-known images and turning them into icons of evil as well as for innumerable other reasons. The mustache Hitler wore was really just a more militant version of Charlie Chaplin's humorous trampstache and the swastika was a symbol of good luck dating back thousands of years. Hitler may have been a master of appropriation, but the ends to which he pursued this appropriation cancels out any credit for ingenuity.
You're right. It's hard to be funny about Hitler.
In design school, the swastika isn't mentioned. Nazi Germany had some of the best graphic design (have you seen their posters??) and no one says a word.
Likewise, it's rare to discuss the Christian crucifix or a star of David in a design forum. But I find these to be akin to air. They are so overwhelmingly common we just don't care.
But there is conscious avoidance of the old knot. This grievous aversion is like nothing else. And it transcends the Hitler moustache.
It's altogether terrible and very much a successful mark. Coca-cola, Marlboro, Nike... they aren't even close in the world of branding.
That's why you get to choose if the plus-or-minus.
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