Through popular media, it's clear to see that men are often at each others throats for one thing or another. The battle of who can be more manly seems to play out in all aspects of a man's life whether it be in school, work, or in relationships. Instead of allowing men to turn to other men for advice and direction, a sort of social competition exist between them. Despite this, a not-so-new blog platform has been increasingly popular between men who grow beards called The Beard Board.
The Beard Board is a wholesome blogging platform where men in various stages of beard growth post for encouragement and advice. Under the guidelines that if you can't post anything nice or constructive, you can't post at all, The Beard Board celebrates men supporting men and takes away the shame that many men experience when trying to grow out a beard. The overall message of the blog takes form as body positivity and inclusion.
Jeff Falberg, who started the Beard Board almost 18 years ago never believed the board would grow to where it has and feels astonished by the positive response he got to the board. Although not as active as he once was, his staff of volunteers wake up early and make sure to comment and like post that aren't getting a lot of attention and ensure that the overall tone of the board is positive and supportive.
I took a peek at the Beard Board after reading the article, and out of sheer curiosity, and found it heart-warming and personal. Many of the the men include deep descriptions of the hard seasons they are going through and truly feel connected to the group that has pushed them along with encouragement. The Beard Board brings men together, in a climate that often make men battle in hyper-masculinity, and really emphasizes that men should simply support each other and uses beards as its means.
Beard Board: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/jefffsbeardboard/gallery?sid=d464c925b7f34f00df02e63e6dd418f9
No comments:
Post a Comment