Former Congressman Anthony Weiner was recently spotted with a wispy mustache. Whether he’s cultivating a disguise or simply honoring the Movember charity movement, the facial hair isn’t improving his image. From Brad Pitt to porn star ‘Johnny Wadd’ Holmes, see more famous people sporting the look.
Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner was spotted in New York City on Black Friday sporting a skinny mustache. In a rare public appearance, Weiner covered up with a baseball cap and sunglasses while hitting stores in SoHo with his pregnant wife, Huma Abedin—but his ‘stache stood out. While a photo at the center of his sexting scandal last June suggested the former Queens rep preferred the hairless look, he may be turning over a new leaf in honor of Movember, the mustache-growing charity movement to raise awareness of male health issues. But if Weiner was hoping to make over his image, the thin line of facial hair reminiscent of ‘70s porn stars and fascist dictators has only made him look like more of a creep.
Weiner’s new mustache has prompted comparisons to the legendary adult film star John C. Holmes, a.k.a. “Johnny Wadd.” The mustachioed Wadd was most famous for being abnormally well endowed and credited with making the adult industry chic in the ’70s with the success of his X-rated films Deep Throat (1972), Behind the Green Door (1972), and The Devil in Miss Jones (1973). Wadd’s legend inspired Hollywood films Boogie Nights and Wonderland, as well as an in-depth documentary on his life. Given that Weiner boasted about the size of his member in one of his sext sessions, one can’t help but to speculate that the ex-pol might be channeling Wadd with his new look.
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Perhaps Ron Jeremy deserves equal credit for potentially inspiring Weiner’s “pornstache.” Born in Queens, Jeremy has been a larger-than-life figure in the porn circuit ever since he appeared in Playgirl in 1978. The nude photo launched Jeremy’s extensive career in the adult entertainment industry. Nicknamed “the Hedgehog” for his rotund figure and hairy back, Jeremy is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for most appearances in adult films.
Chris Pizzello / AP Photo
While Attorney General Eric Holder is respected for his admirable career, that hasn’t stopped the public from poking fun at his facial hair. (There’s even a Facebook fan page discouraging his ’stache.) Research suggests voters are less likely to trust political figures with facial hair, because of its association with dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam Hussein.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
We have the Nazi leader to thank for giving mustaches a bad name— even in the case of an adorable, 6-week-old kitten. Earlier this year, “Kitler” was snubbed by potential adopters at a British animal shelter because of a black mark under her nose resembling the despot’s facial hair.
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When Brad Pitt appeared on the red carpet in 2008 for the premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with a structured ’stache, the actor defended his new look. “I don’t think ’staches are respected enough,” he told Extra TV, adding, “It’s a political statement.”
Peter Kramer / AP Photo
Not even George Clooney could pull off a mustache in the 2009 film, The Men Who Stare at Goats. The sleazy-looking stubble certainly didn’t suit his clownish character.
Miguel Villagran / AP Photo
After the actor went on an alcohol-fueled, anti-Semitic rant in 2006, the handlebar mustache he grew for his role as KFC founder Colonel Sanders in the 2009 biopic looked all the more creepy.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Michael Phelps’s “splash ’stache” was proof that mustaches are better suited to porn stars than Olympic swimmers.
David J. Phillip / AP Photo
One would think a little facial hair might have served Rourke well after years of plastic surgery. Unfortunately, the Van Dyke-like mustache and goatee he showed off in The Wrestler only drew more attention to his dilapidated features.
Amy Sancetta / AP Photo
