Talk:Pogonophobia

Pronunciation

The word could use an IPA pronunciation. 7&6=thirteen (☎) 15:22, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Treatments

Medical treatments would be a good section. 7&6=thirteen (☎) 19:18, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Lead paragraph formulation

Looking at the List of phobias, a lot of them incorporate the phrase "fear or dislike" of . . . pick a subject. Maybe that should be here. What do you think? 7&6=thirteen (☎) 20:20, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Yes perhaps "dislike" should be added. Maybe "discrimination against" since the article seems to concern cultural pogonophobia or 'beardism', rather than an anxiety disorder brought about by beards. --Hillbillyholiday ^talk

It seems, in this article, that we have both the "technical usage in psychiatry .. that describes irrational, disabling fear as a mental disorder", and "common usage ... that describes dislike or hatred of a particular thing or subject." Martinevans123 (talk) 22:11, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Agreed. The focus appears to be on "beardism". Have there been any clinical studies re. pogonophobia? --Hillbillyholiday ^talkHad a funny feeling this topic would lure you back! —Preceding undated comment added 22:40, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Political pogonophobia

Interesting piece by Lib Dem candidate Andy Boddington, in which he laments how his party have shaken off their image of being a 'beard and sandals' brigade in the last few years, and reports how Baron Bichard ..who had just finished twenty bearded years in local government ... confessed that he’d similarly been regarded as odd, even revolutionary, simply for growing hair on his chin amid the clean shaven world of local government.

Mr Boddington's study of (male) MPs reveals a parliamentary face-fuzz disparity:

• Conservative 4/256
• Liberal 3/50
• Labour 20/169

Finishing with a passionate pogonophilic polemic: We as a party must do more to promote beards. We should outlaw discrimination against people that wear them. We must also expand our energy efficiency policies. Imagine how much electricity is wasted every day in pursuit of a collective clean chin for the nation. A tax break for beard wearers anyone?

Andy Boddington (14 August 2013), "Opinion: Paxman, politics and pogonophobia" LibDemVoice

Anyone know the score regarding political beards in other countries? --Hillbillyholiday ^talk

Dictatorial beardism

Perhaps a mention of the Albanian dictator Hoxha's banning of "unhygenic" beards? Paxman's quote refers to it: Unless you're lucky enough to be Uncle Albert on Only Fools And Horses, Demis Roussos or Abu Hamza, the BBC is generally as pogonophobic as the late-lamented Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha.

Also, this Russian report reveals further institutional beardism:

Turkmenbashi definitely didn’t dig male facial hair. But that was less eccentric than it sounds: Like his fellow dictator, Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, he feared the beard as a symbol of political Islam. Even without a legal ban, his people got the message – other than my own beard and that of my friend, I didn’t see a single hairy face in the entire month I spent in the country.

When Peter the Great set about modernizing his country, he immediately reached for the clippers and started shearing the nobles, while taxing peasant beards in Saint Petersburg. Like Turkmenbashi and Karimov, he thought that a long, shaggy beard signaled the wrong attitudes.

Actually, let’s not kid ourselves. The hair police have always been active all over the world. Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonald’s, banned his male employees from wearing beards.

Daniel Kalder (4 March 2013), "The hair police" The Moscow News --Hillbillyholiday ^talk