Friday Five: Moustaches

The no-nonsense reign-of-terror tache of Joseph Stalin

Last week we went to see the shake & stir production of Animal Farm, which was excellent. The person playing the character of Napoleon was sporting a moustache reminiscent of Joseph Stalin - obviously not accidentally. Generally I'm not a big fan of moustaches, but there are certain aspects of this type of facial hair that are instantly recognisable, and have become iconic. On the way home we discussed which ones instantly spring to mind.

1. Apparently it was once known as the 'toothbrush moustache'; now it can only be seen as the Hitler-tache. It was also popular with Charlie Chaplin (born 1889, the same year as Adolf Hitler) and Oliver Hardy (born 1892). So it seems that for a few years in the early 1990s, if one sported this style of tache, it would be touch and go as to whether one turned into a beloved comedian or a fascist dictator.

2. Salvador Dali lived his surrealist art through his facial hair - weird and improbable; somewhat nightmarish but certainly memorable. A special mention in this category must go to Hercule Poirot, who was also a twirling tache fan, but since he is fictional, I'm going with the David Suchet representation.

3. The mid-80s manly actor version as popularised by Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds. It shouted American TV to me, and I found them strangely off-putting (plus I couldn't tell them apart). I always expect people with this type of tache to speak with an American accent.

4. Merv Hughes. He was a brilliant bowler who (being Australian) was equally revered and reviled by England fans, crowds of whom used to imitate his warm-up stretches behind him. But when his name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to my mind is that moustache.

5. For sheer shock factor, Austrian Conchita Wurst stands out with her 2014 Eurovision-winning entry that confused and confronted several viewers and made her a style icon for others. When she accepted the trophy she announced, 'We are unity and we are unstoppable', which she later admitted was a direct message to Vladimir Putin whose administration had implemented a law restricting LBGT rights the previous year. I have never liked a moustache more.     

That's all, folks!