Beard of Organized Labor

The Beard of Organized Labor

A closeup

The Beard of Organized Labor is the facial hair worn by Galen Tyrol during his time on New Caprica as a union leader and insurgent.

Throughout history, men with beards have been viewed as wise, sexually potent, of high status, but have also been attributed a lack of cleanliness and refinement, or an eccentric disposition. Tyrol hits most all of these points during his time on the ground of New Caprica.

In some societies, such as the Amish, the men are clean-shaven until such time as they are married, at which point they grow a beard and are never without one from then on.

For the ancient Romans, a bearded man represented a man of virtue and simplicity. During grief and mourning, a Roman would let his hair and beard grow.

The militaries of many countries prohibit beards and sometimes even mustaches, usually for hygienic reasons. The Colonial military's stance on this is unknown, as Admiral Adama is wearing a mustache. It seems that Tyrol shaves his beard shortly before the Battle of New Caprica. Upon shaving the beard, Tyrol's former Underbite of Humility returns, as he resumes his job on Galactica.

After Cally's death, Tyrol goes in a different direction with his personal grooming and adopts the Slaphead of Mourning.

Notes

• "There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless - boys and women, and I am neither one." - Greek axiom
• Tyrol inexplicably loses his beard before "Exodus, Part I". This was necessary because Aaron Douglas's scenes were shot weeks after the main part of the episode, when he had already shaved and it was felt that a fake beard would not be convincing.

See also

• Adama's Adamastache
• Baltar's Sexy Treason Stubble
• Tigh's Guerilla Booze-Catcher

External Links

• Semiotics of Shaving: Beards in Battlestar Galactica An essay discussing the symbolism of facial hair in BSG

• Beard Liberation Front article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.