The Internet Says Beards Are Out — & Hearts Break Everywhere

Beards. Since they started "trending," they've divided the Internet. Men have stuck unnecessary things in them, women have swooned over them, and science has claimed that, from an evolutionary standpoint, they're on their way out. Turns out, they may be out from a fashion standpoint, too. According to Mashable, facial hair is deader than disco. The post comes on the heels of another article, which declared the era of the hipster over — having been taken over by the yuccie (that's young urban creative, everyone). The yuccie is a descendant of the hipster. But, unlike the hipster, the yuccie can actually exist in a corporate setting. And corporate settings aren't exactly beard-friendly. So, the shears have started to come out, and dudes are letting their facial hair fall where it may. I, for one, am devastated. As a longtime fan of man scruff, I have admired many a facial bush. There's just something inherently mysterious and attractive about a dude who lets his beard grow. Will he be the type of guy who'll hang all the shelves in my apartment while reciting Tolstoy, and then brew me some craft beer? Or would I wake up in the morning to find he'd run off with all the thrift-store flannel, Mason jars, and fair-trade coffee beans in my apartment? This is why I'm hesitant to take this news with any more than a single grain of salt. Beards were big before they were "trending," and I'm sure they'll be big long after. It's also important to note that the person Mashable quotes as the expert on the death of beards is a male model (photo above) who says he struggled to book jobs with a face full of scruff. So, yeah — grain of salt. Beards will always hold an extra-special place in our hearts, so we're not quite ready to say goodbye to them. Long live facial scruff and the men behind it. Truthfully, as long as Leonardo DiCaprio is still around, there will always be at least one (extremely good-looking) person carrying the beard torch. And we appreciate that. (Mashable)