I know my subject is far from news to most people who don't live under a rock , but yesterday it came to a head. While watching the news coverage of Prince William and his new bride's honeymoon tour , I saw a brief clip of him shaking hands with English superstar David Beckham. I noticed right away that Beckham was unshaven and I don't mean five o'clock shadow, he was rockin' the three plus days at least. Since when does a man destined for a knighthood neglect shaving when he knows he's about to meet the future king of England? You can argue the future knighthood angle if you like, but you have to agree that David Beckham is a well known English citizen and I'm sure your garden variety London chemist would bust his ass to look as good as possible when he was scheduled to meet a member of the royal family. Does Beckham think he's so cool and close to the prince that he does'nt need to show him the respect he deserves? Why did he bother to wear a suit? My humble opinion is that this sloppy looking "too cool to comb my hair or shave my face" attitude that is so prevalent these days has reached it's zenith. Believe it or not, I put it above the 'tennis shoes with a tuxedo' thing and I despise that.
Yes, if you see me around the house, I probably will be unshaven, but if I leave my neighborhood, I shave. If I were told that I was going to meet Barack Obama, I would wear the best suit of clothes I own and I would certainly brush my hair and shave my face. And I hate the man. However, I do have respect for the position and I have the desire that every man should have, to be respected by others. That generally won't happen if I look like a homeless guy. Some will say that I'm stuck in the past and have no right to critisize a celebrity, that I'm an unhip loser. That may be true but the men I respect and have looked up to my entire life would have taken the effort to put their best selves forward and that's good enough for me.
