USE OF FACIAL HAIR IN CLASSIC MOVIE HEROES

The film industry uses dermatological findings to help viewers differentiate between heroes and villains. This study sought to determine whether there is a significant association between the presence of facial hair and character type. Top 10 male heroes and villains were analyzed from the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest Heroes and Villains list for the presence of facial hair. A total of 20 characters were analyzed from 19 films. Facial hair was defined as hair present on the face that could easily and clearly be identified as a beard, goatee, or mustache. All 10 villains analyzed in this study had no facial hair compared to 5 heroes with this feature (100 % vs. 50 % respectively). The type of facial hair noted on heroes was a combination of beard and mustache. Fisher’s Exact test revealed a significant association between the presence of facial hair and character type (p=0.0325). Based on this analysis, there appears to be a tendency to help viewers distinguish heroes from villains by using mutable features. The use of facial hair to identify heroes is notable because while not a dermatological disorder, previous research has revealed higher use of dermatological findings in antagonists compared to protagonists.