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[[File:Lincoln-Warren-1865-03-06.jpeg|thumb|[[Abraham Lincoln]], who shaved his beard into a goatee at various points during his presidency.]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2013}}
[[File:Lincoln-Warren-1865-03-06.jpeg|thumb|[[Abraham Lincoln]] periodically wore a goatee.]]


A '''Goatee''' is a style of [[facial hair]] incorporating hair on a person's [[chin]], so named for resemblance to that of a goat. The expression of the form varies by era and culture.<ref>{{cite web|title=Goatee|url=http://beards.net/style/goatee/|work=Authority Website|publisher=Beards.net|accessdate=22 November 2012}}</ref>
'''Goatee''' refers to a style of [[facial hair]] incorporating hair on a man’s [[chin]]. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture. <ref>{{cite web|title=Goatee|url=http://beards.net/style/goatee/|work=Authority Website|publisher=Beards.net|accessdate=22 November 2012}}</ref>


==History==
==Description==


Traditionally, the term goatee was used to refer solely to a [[beard]] formed by a tuft of hair on the chin—like on the chin of a goat, hence the term 'goatee'.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/goatee?q=goatee | title = goatee | accessdate = 2011-12-20 | publisher = Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref> Since the 1990s, "goatee" has become a [[blanket term]] to refer to any beard which incorporates the hair of the chin but not the cheeks, such as the style traditionally known as the [[Van Dyke beard|van dyke]] <ref>{{cite news
In [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]], the god [[Pan (god)|Pan]] was depicted with goatee. Christianity eventually coopted the imagery of [[pagan]] myth, with [[Satan]] resembling Pan in [[medieval art|medieval]] and [[renaissance art]].

The style was common in the Americas around the time of the [[United States Civil War]]; periodically, [[Abraham Lincoln]] sported a goatee during his presidency.

The goatee enjoyed popularity in late 19th century Paris, where they were emblematic of the [[bohemian]] movement, and similarly in 1940s post-[[World War II]] America, when it became a defining trait of the [[beatnik]]s . The style remained popular amongst the counter culture through the 1960s, and again in the 1990s.

By the 1990s, the term was also used to refer to the style of facial hair that combines a chin beard and a short mustache;<ref>{{cite news
|title=Year of the Goat: Goatee is kicking again
|title=Year of the Goat: Goatee is kicking again
|last=Howard
|last=Howard
Line 18: Line 11:
|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]
|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]
|date=10 September 1992
|date=10 September 1992
}}</ref>Individuals within the style and facial hair communities have debated the linguistic appropriateness of this, with some insisting that the term "goatee" continue to be used in the traditional sense, and others accepting an evolution of the word to refer to any beard style incorporating the hair of the chin but not the cheeks.<ref>{{cite news
}}</ref> there is debate over whether this style is correctly called a goatee or a [[Van Dyke beard|Vandyke]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=Goatees, the new hair apparent
|title=Goatees, the new hair apparent
|last=Shrieves
|last=Shrieves
Line 24: Line 17:
|work=[[The Buffalo News]]
|work=[[The Buffalo News]]
|date=12 November 1993}}</ref>
|date=12 November 1993}}</ref>
==History==

The style dates back to [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]], where the god [[Pan (god)|Pan]] was traditionally depicted with one. When [[Christianity]] became the dominant religion and began coopting imagery from [[pagan]] myth, [[Satan]] was given the likeness of Pan, leading to Satan traditionally being depicted with a goatee in [[medieval art|medieval]] and [[renaissance art]].

The goatee became popular again in the late 19th century, becoming one of the characterizing physical traits of the [[bohemian]]s in [[Paris]]. In [[United States|America]], the style became popular around the time of the [[United States Civil War]]. Numerous wartime figures from the era wore variations on the goatee, including [[Abraham Lincoln]], who shaved his beard into a traditional goatee at various points during his presidency.

The goatee would not enjoy widespread popularity again until the 1940s, when it became a defining trait of the [[beatnik]]s in post-[[World War II]] America. The style remained popular amongst the counter culture until the 1960s before falling out of favor again. In the [[1990s]], goatees with incorporated mustaches became fashionable for men across all socioeconomic classes and professions, and have remained popular into the [[2010s]].


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==


In art and story telling, goatees have been used to designate an evil or morally questionable character, such as an [[evil twin]],<ref name="109.com">{{cite web|title=Scientists Prove that a Goatee Makes you Look Evil|url=http://io9.com/5914836/scientists-prove-that-a-goatee-makes-you-look-evil|work=i09.com|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref> or transformation from positive or neutral to evil. The television series [[Breaking Bad]] features the character Walter White growing a goatee to signify transformation into his drug-dealing alter ego, Heisenberg; the hair of the goatee grows darker as Walter sinks deeper into a life of crime.<ref>{{cite web|title=Walter White Bald Head and Faciah Hair|url=http://coolmenshair.com/2012/05/walter-white-goatee.html|work=coolmenshair.com|publisher=WordPress|accessdate= 5 May 2012}}</ref> Researchers from the [[University of Warwick]] conducted a study to assess the reasons for its emotional connotations, finding that downwards-facing [[triangles]] tend to be perceived as inherently threatening, the triangular aspect imparted by goatees read as inherently sinister or threatening.<ref name="109.com" />
In the media, goatees have often been used to designate an evil or morally questionable character; the convention has most consistently been applied in media depicting [[evil twin]]s, with a goatee often being the sole physical difference between the twins.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scientists Prove that a Goatee Makes you Look Evil|url=http://io9.com/5914836/scientists-prove-that-a-goatee-makes-you-look-evil|work=i09.com|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref> Goatees have also been used to signify a character's transformation from positive or neutral to evil; on the television series [[Breaking Bad]], the character Walter White growing a goatee in addition to his mustache signifies the beginning of his transformation into his drug-dealing alter ego, Heisenberg, with the hair of the goatee growing darker as Walter sinks deeper into the underworld.<ref>{{cite web|title=Walter White Bald Head and Faciah Hair|url=http://coolmenshair.com/2012/05/walter-white-goatee.html|work=coolmenshair.com|publisher=WordPress|accessdate= 5 May 2012}}</ref> The use of goatees to designate evil characters has become enough of a trope that researchers from the [[University of Warwick]] conducted a study to assess the reasons for its prevalence. The study found that the human brain tends to perceive of downwards-facing [[triangles]] as inherently threatening; brains tend to perceive of goatees as making the human face resemble a downwards-facing triangle, causing individuals to subconsciously perceive of those with goatees as inherently sinister or threatening.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scientists Prove that a Goatee Makes you Look Evil|url=http://io9.com/5914836/scientists-prove-that-a-goatee-makes-you-look-evil|work=i09.com|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref>


Goatees have also been used to differentiate between average characters and those belonging to a subgroup. In the movie [[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]], [[Bob Denver]]'s goatee served to identify him as a beatnik. Similarly, the character of [[Shaggy Rogers]] in the cartoon [[Scooby Doo, Where Are You?]] was, in part, identified as a [[hippie]] by his goatee.
In media depicting members of counter cultures, goatees have also been used to differentiate between average characters and those belonging to some subgroup. In [[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]], [[Bob Denver]]'s goatee served to identify him as a beatnik. Similarly, the character of [[Shaggy Rogers]] in [[Scooby Doo, Where Are You?]] was, in part, identified as a [[hippie]] by his goatee.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==

Revision as of 21:43, 27 April 2013

Abraham Lincoln, who shaved his beard into a goatee at various points during his presidency.

Goatee refers to a style of facial hair incorporating hair on a man’s chin. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture. [1]

Description

Traditionally, the term goatee was used to refer solely to a beard formed by a tuft of hair on the chin—like on the chin of a goat, hence the term 'goatee'.[2] Since the 1990s, "goatee" has become a blanket term to refer to any beard which incorporates the hair of the chin but not the cheeks, such as the style traditionally known as the van dyke [3]Individuals within the style and facial hair communities have debated the linguistic appropriateness of this, with some insisting that the term "goatee" continue to be used in the traditional sense, and others accepting an evolution of the word to refer to any beard style incorporating the hair of the chin but not the cheeks.[4]

History

The style dates back to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, where the god Pan was traditionally depicted with one. When Christianity became the dominant religion and began coopting imagery from pagan myth, Satan was given the likeness of Pan, leading to Satan traditionally being depicted with a goatee in medieval and renaissance art.

The goatee became popular again in the late 19th century, becoming one of the characterizing physical traits of the bohemians in Paris. In America, the style became popular around the time of the United States Civil War. Numerous wartime figures from the era wore variations on the goatee, including Abraham Lincoln, who shaved his beard into a traditional goatee at various points during his presidency.

The goatee would not enjoy widespread popularity again until the 1940s, when it became a defining trait of the beatniks in post-World War II America. The style remained popular amongst the counter culture until the 1960s before falling out of favor again. In the 1990s, goatees with incorporated mustaches became fashionable for men across all socioeconomic classes and professions, and have remained popular into the 2010s.

In the media, goatees have often been used to designate an evil or morally questionable character; the convention has most consistently been applied in media depicting evil twins, with a goatee often being the sole physical difference between the twins.[5] Goatees have also been used to signify a character's transformation from positive or neutral to evil; on the television series Breaking Bad, the character Walter White growing a goatee in addition to his mustache signifies the beginning of his transformation into his drug-dealing alter ego, Heisenberg, with the hair of the goatee growing darker as Walter sinks deeper into the underworld.[6] The use of goatees to designate evil characters has become enough of a trope that researchers from the University of Warwick conducted a study to assess the reasons for its prevalence. The study found that the human brain tends to perceive of downwards-facing triangles as inherently threatening; brains tend to perceive of goatees as making the human face resemble a downwards-facing triangle, causing individuals to subconsciously perceive of those with goatees as inherently sinister or threatening.[7]

In media depicting members of counter cultures, goatees have also been used to differentiate between average characters and those belonging to some subgroup. In The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bob Denver's goatee served to identify him as a beatnik. Similarly, the character of Shaggy Rogers in Scooby Doo, Where Are You? was, in part, identified as a hippie by his goatee.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Goatee". Authority Website. Beards.net. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  2. ^ "goatee". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  3. ^ Howard, Rebecca (10 September 1992). "Year of the Goat: Goatee is kicking again". The Globe and Mail.
  4. ^ Shrieves, Linda (12 November 1993). "Goatees, the new hair apparent". The Buffalo News.
  5. ^ "Scientists Prove that a Goatee Makes you Look Evil". i09.com. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Walter White Bald Head and Faciah Hair". coolmenshair.com. WordPress. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Scientists Prove that a Goatee Makes you Look Evil". i09.com. Retrieved 1 June 2012.