Mustached and Proud

I am 31 years old and I have never seen my dad's upper lip. Why? Because the guy has been rockin' a mustache since the mid 70s. Certain men (and women) seem to have an implacable bond with their 'staches, and understand that they aren't just some outdated bit of facial hair, they are a way of life!

And that's exactly why we are so happy that the folks at the American Mustache Institute are drawing some much-needed attention to this exceedingly important niche in US culture.

On Monday, the folks at the esteemed AMI released the finalists for their top honor, the prestigious "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year."

"This is not a best mustache contest," they note in bold on their Web site. "This is about finding the best contributor to the Mustached American way of life."

The 18 finalists run the gamut from politicians like David Axelrod and Eric Holder to heroes like US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III (who safely landed his jet full of passengers on the Hudson River) to athletes including Brendan Ryan of the St. Louis Cardinals and even everyday folks who plug away and make mustachios (we made that word up) the world over proud.

Check out the AMI site for photos and brief bios on each candidate and then cast your vote by Oct. 20th. The winner will be announced Oct. 30 at 'Stache Bash 2009 in St. Louis featuring John Oates from Hall and Oates (awesome get!!!). The event benefits Challenger Baseball, a league for kids and adults with developmental disabilities.

But (would you believe) not everyone is excited about their nomination. When asked about becoming a finalist, Attorney General Holder told reporters, "I was actually going to shave it," but his kids begged him to keep it, he said. "Now I think I should have followed my gut."

Say it ain't so! AMI CEO Abraham Froman Jr. said such a move would be devastating for the mustache community.

"If the Attorney General were to consider something like that, he would be making a mistake of biblical proportions and letting down the community of mustached Americans," Froman said.

So there you have it. Cast your vote and make sure the cultural icon known as the mustache keeps its honored place in American culture.

Photo courtesy of Liz Kearley via Wikimedia Commons.