The Death of the 'Stache

Maybe it's just me or the corner of the country that I live in, but I cannot remember the last time I saw a guy sporting a mustache. Of all men's facial hair trends, this one seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent years. I still see plenty of goatees, beards, and the occasional soul patch but nary a 'stache. I can't think of too many famous men today who regularly sport one (with the exception of Dr. Phil) and flipping through any magazine, you'd be hard pressed to find a male model with a mustache. Even John Oates shaved his off years ago!

I'm actually not complaining about this fashion trend; truth be told, I prefer the clean shaven look on men or the Don Johnson shadow if they can pull it off without looking too sloppy. Many of my long-time readers also know by now that I adore sideburns. But I've never been a fan of mustaches and I'm guessing that today's Gen Y and Gen X men echo that sentiment. So what happened?

I think the mustache - which lost its popularity during the 40s and 50s but gained it back in the 60s along with long hair - is too closely associated today with 1970s tackiness and porn film stars, such as Ron Jeremy and fictional anchorman Ron Burgandy. Although it was considered macho back in the day, the 'stache has a somewhat cheesy and sleazy reputation now. Back to Hall and Oates, I can't tell you how many times I watched one of their videos on YouTube only to see someone in the comments ask who "the guy with the pornstache" was!

I also think there may be some gay connotations with having a mustache (think Freddy Mercury and members of The Village People) or that it's the facial hair pattern of choice by child molesters and Adolph Hitler. 

Despite the stache's decline in pop culture and the general public, there is a group dedicated to men who still proudly wear one: The American Mustache Institute. They even have an annual charity event called the Stache Bash. And new this year is a book just published in called The Moustache Grower's Guide. Since fashion trends are cyclical, it's quite possible the Tom Selleck look could make a comeback. 

So, readers, what do you think? Do any of you guys out there wear one, and do you ladies like a guy with a stache or not?