Politicians With Facial Hair

I am currently reading a book called Manhunt: The 12 Day Search For Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. You can probably divine from the subtitle that the book details the search, which took place over twelve days, for John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

While perusing this volume, I came across a photo of Edwin McMasters Stanton. Stanton was Lincoln’s secretary of war, and the man who largely directed the manhunt. This got me thinking about facial hair and politicians. I’ve noticed this before, but American politicians are invariably clean-shaven. African-American politicians can get away with some facial hair, but it has to be subtle and discreet. A well-groomed mustache or goatee, perhaps. However, few white politicians in 21st century America would actually go out on the campaign trail for a major office sporting any kind of beard or mustache, regardless of how mainstream or well-groomed it was.

Compare this to Latin America, where politicians almost always have facial hair. In fact, it seems that Latin men frequently grow a mustache when they get to a certain age, to declare their maturity and gravitas. Most of the presidents and high-ranking politicians in Latin America have a ‘stache, and if they are leftists, they frequently have beards (like Luis Inacio da Silva of Brazil). There are a few exceptions to this rule, including Alan Garcia of Peru, Nestor Kirchner of Argentina, and, obviously, Michelle Bachelet of Chile.

As far as I can determine, the last American president with facial hair was William Howard Taft, whose orotund face was graced by a handlebar mustache. From Woodrow Wilson on, they have all been clean-shaven. I wonder how this started. Perhaps presidential candidates wished to distance themselves from the mediocre and forgettable heads of state of the late 19th century, nearly all of whom had beards. Whatever the reason, it is remarkable indeed to compare the dearth of facial hair on politicians today with the hirsute funkiness protruding from the chin of Secretary Stanton in the attached picture. This was one of the most powerful and distinguished statesmen of his day; a man who was largely responsible for directing the martial efforts of the Union in defeating the Confederacy. Yet today, if you saw someone with that peculiar agglomeration of whiskers, you would probably assume he worked at a record store.

Book Review - "Death & The Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman

Reading plays is awesome, as is writing them. Telling a story without anything but dialogue is quite the challenge. And when one reads a play, you don’t have the actors one would normally rely upon to provide nuance. Ariel Dorfman intentionally refrains from naming the country where “Death & the Maiden” takes place, although it’s obviously Chile. This is an obvious attempt to reinforce the universality of the tale, and it succeeds. Leaving aside the deeply creepy feeling of being confronted by mankind at his worst, committing the most heinous crimes imaginable, the narrative and pacing are very strong in this play.

At this point I’ll provide a brief synopsis of the story: Gerardo Escobar and his wife Paulina are staying at their remote beach house. The unidentified country in which they live has recently reverted to democracy after an extended period of military dictatorship. Gerardo, a lawyer, has been appointed to head a truth and reconciliation committee. Years ago, shortly after the military seized power, Paulina was abducted and tortured. It is implied that the army was using her to get to Gerardo, a leftist student leader at the time. Paulina never gave him up during the torture, so Gerardo was never captured, and this unspoken fact continues to color their marriage. At the beginning of the play, Gerardo gets a flat tire and a Good Samaritan, Dr. Roberto Miranda, gives him a ride home. Paulina, who was blindfolded the entire time she was held prisoner, hears Dr. Miranda’s voice and recognizes it instantly. She is convinced that he was one of her torturers. That’s when things get crazy.

The character development is especially strong in “Death & the Maiden.” I have a theory that in most stories there is one relationship that is more important dramatically than any others. In this case, it’s the relationship between Gerardo and Paulina. Dr. Miranda is meant to be more of a puzzle, a monkey wrench thrown into the machinery of the Escobars’ marriage that forces a cathartic conversation that is long overdue. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the character development is the constant shifting of power among the three characters. Power, and its ability to brutalize the wielder, is one of the main themes.

I understand that the American premiere of the play had Glenn Close and Richard Dreyfus as the Escobars and Gene Hackman as Dr. Miranda. Great casting. I would highly recommend the movie version as well (here’s the IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109579/). Directed by noted ephebophile Roman Polanski, it stars Ben Kingsley as Dr. Miranda and Sigourney Weaver as Paulina. Gerardo is portrayed by the totally underrated English character actor Stuart Wilson. You may remember him from such films The Rock, Lethal Weapon 3, & The Mask of Zorro.