The toothbrush moustache is a style of moustache in which the sides are vertical (or nearly vertical) rather than tapered, giving the hairs the appearance of the

bristle A bristle is a stiff hair or feather (natural or artificial), either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a brush or broom. Synthetic types Synthetic materials such as nylon are also used to make bristles in items such as ...

s on a

toothbrush A toothbrush is an oral hygiene tool used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles, atop of which toothpaste can be applied, mounted on a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard-to-reach ...

that are attached to the nose. It was made famous by such comedians as Charlie Chaplin and

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

. The style first became popular in the United States in the late 19th century; from there it spread to Germany and elsewhere, reaching a height of popularity in the

interwar years In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...

, before becoming unfashionable after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

due to its strong association with

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

leader

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

. The association has become strong enough that the toothbrush has also become known as the "Hitler moustache". In the post-war years, the style was worn by some notable individuals, including several

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i politicians and American real-estate developer

Fred Trump Frederick Christ Trump Sr. (October 11, 1905 – June 25, 1999) was an American real estate developer and businessman. A member of the Trump family, he was the father of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. In partnership wi ...

. From the 1960s onwards, it has appeared in works of popular culture, including cartoons, caricatures, and comedy—usually eliciting the association with Hitler.

19th century to World War II

In the United States

The toothbrush originally became popular in the late 19th century, in the United States. It was a neat, uniform, low-maintenance style that echoed the standardization and uniformity brought on by industrialization, in contrast to the more flamboyant moustaches typical of the 19th century such as the

imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

walrus The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the f ...

, handlebar,

horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human ...

, and

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion (mechanical), abra ...

moustaches. Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous wearers of the toothbrush moustache, first adopting it in 1914 after his first film, "Making a Living", for his

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in th ...

silent comedies. In a 1933 interview, Chaplin said he added the moustache to his costume because it had a comical appearance and was small enough so as not to hide his expression.

leader

was a fan of Chaplin films, but according to cultural historian

Ron Rosenbaum Ronald Rosenbaum (born November 27, 1946) is an American literary journalist, literary critic, and novelist. Life and career Rosenbaum was born into a Jewish family in New York City, New York and grew up in Bay Shore, New York. He graduated fro ...

, "there is no evidence (though some speculation) that Hitler modeled his 'stache on haplin's. Chaplin took advantage of the noted similarity between his onscreen appearance and that of Hitler in his 1940 film ''

The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...

'', where he wore the moustache in a

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

, one of which parodied Hitler. Comedian

also adopted the moustache style—using it at least as early as the 1921 film ''

The Lucky Dog ''The Lucky Dog'' (1921) is the first film to include Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy together in a film before they became the famous comedy duo of Laurel and Hardy. Although they appear in scenes together, Laurel and Hardy play independently. ...

''. Although Groucho Marx donned a larger moustache, novelty

Groucho glasses Groucho glasses, also known as nose glasses, the beaglepuss, or the GM 20/20s are a humorous novelty disguise which function as a caricature of the stage makeup used by the comedian Groucho Marx in his movies and vaudeville performances. They ...

(marketed as early as the 1940s) often elicit the toothbrush. American film producer

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

is sometimes claimed to have worn the style (1920s–1930s), but his facial hair was a more traditional (i.e. notched) moustache limited to the width of the nose. Another prominent animation producer,

Max Fleischer Max Fleischer (born Majer Fleischer ; July 19, 1883 – September 25, 1972) was an American animator, inventor, film director and producer, and studio founder and owner. Born in Kraków, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became ...

, had a toothbrush moustache. Clarence D. Martin, the 11th governor of

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingto ...

(1933–1945), donned a toothbrush during his tenure.

In Germany

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S33882, Adolf Hitler (cropped2)

The style was introduced in Germany in the late 19th century by visiting Americans. Prior to the toothbrush, the most popular style was called the 'Kaiser moustache', perfumed and turned up at the ends, as worn by German emperor Wilhelm II. By 1907, enough

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

were wearing the toothbrush moustache to elicit notice by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' under the headline "'TOOTHBRUSH' MUSTACHE; German Women Resent Its Usurpation of the

aiser moustache This is a list of deities and legendary figures found in Etruscan mythology. The names below were taken mainly from Etruscan "picture bilinguals", which are Etruscan call-outs on art depicting mythological scenes or motifs. Several different medi ...

. The toothbrush was taken up by German automobile racer and folk hero

Hans Koeppen Hans Friedrich Wilhelm Hugo Koeppen (July 31, 1876 in Minden – July 10, 1948 in Berlin) was an officer in the Prussian army, the German Reichswehr, and a participant in the first car race around the world. Military career He joined the 2nd Wes ...

in the famous

1908 New York to Paris Race The 1908 New York to Paris Race was an automobile competition consisting of drivers attempting to travel from New York to Paris. This was a considerable challenge given the state of automobile technology and road infrastructure at the time. ...

, cementing its popularity among young gentry. Koeppen was described as "Six-feet in height, slim, and athletic, with a toothbrush mustache characteristic of his class, he looks the ideal type of the young Prussian guardsman." By the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, even some of the German royals were sporting the toothbrush;

Crown Prince Wilhelm Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Crown Prince of Prussia (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst; 6 May 1882 – 20 July 1951) was the eldest child of the last ''Kaiser'', the German Emperor, Wilhelm II, and his consort Augusta Victoria of Schles ...

can be seen with a toothbrush moustache in a 1918 photograph that shows him about to be sent into exile. German serial killer

Peter Kürten Peter Kürten (; 26 May 1883 – 2 July 1931) was a German serial killer, known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" and the "Düsseldorf Monster", who committed a series of murders and sexual assaults between February and November 1929 in the city of ...

(1883–1931) took up the style and eventually reduced it to only the

philtrum The philtrum ( la, philtrum from Ancient Greek ''phíltron,'' lit. "love charm"), or medial cleft, is a vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip, common to therian mammals, extending in humans from the nasal septum to the tuber ...

. Hitler originally wore the Kaiser moustache, as evidenced by photographs of him as a soldier during World War I. There is no agreement as to what year he first adopted the toothbrush.

Alexander Moritz Frey Alexander Moritz Frey (1881–1957) was a German author known for his fantasy books. He was also known for his satirical columns in the press. World War I Frey, a pacifist, served as a medic in the same regiment as Adolf Hitler during World War ...

, who served with Hitler during the First World War, claimed that the latter wore the toothbrush style in the trenches after he was ordered to trim his moustache to facilitate the wearing of a

gas mask A gas mask is a mask used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Most gas mas ...

. A 1914 photograph by

Heinrich Hoffmann Heinrich Hoffmann or Hoffman may refer to: Hoffmann *Heinrich Hoffmann (photographer) (1885–1957), German photographer *Heinrich Hoffmann (author) (1809–1894), German psychiatrist and author *Heinrich Hoffmann (sport shooter) (1869–?), German ...

purports to show Hitler with a smaller moustache, but was probably doctored to serve as

Nazi propaganda The propaganda used by the German Nazi Party in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's dictatorship of Germany from 1933 to 1945 was a crucial instrument for acquiring and maintaining power, and for the implementation of Nazi polici ...

. According to other sources, Hitler did not wear the style until 1919. Despite the photographic evidence of his much larger moustache during the First World War, Hitler's sister-in-law, Bridget Hitler, said she was responsible for giving Hitler his toothbrush moustache before the war—considered by most scholars to be fiction designed to cash in on Hitler's notoriety. Bridget claimed that Adolf spent a "lost winter" at her home in Liverpool in 1912–13. The two quarreled a lot, mostly, she said, because she could not stand his unruly Kaiser moustache. He cut it, as she says in her memoirs, but that in doing so—as in most things—he went too far.

Anton Drexler Anton Drexler (13 June 1884 – 24 February 1942) was a German far-right political agitator for the Völkisch movement in the 1920s. He founded the pan-German and anti-Semitic German Workers' Party (DAP), the antecedent of the Nazi Party (NSDAP ...

, a mentor of Hitler, wore a notched version of the toothbrush.

Friedrich Kellner August Friedrich Kellner (1 February 1885 – 4 November 1970) was a German mid-level official and diarist who worked as a justice inspector in Laubach from 1933 to 1945. Kellner was an infantryman in a Hessian regiment during the First Wor ...

, a

Social Democrat Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soc ...

who campaigned against Hitler, also wore the style. Many notable Nazis besides Hitler donned it, including

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

, Karl Holz,

Ernst Röhm Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer and an early member of the Nazi Party. As one of the members of its predecessor, the German Workers' Party, he was a close friend and early ally ...

and Hitler's chauffeur

Julius Schreck Julius Schreck (13 July 1898 – 16 May 1936) was an early senior Nazi official and close confidant of Adolf Hitler. Born in Munich, Schreck served in World War I and shortly afterwards joined right-wing paramilitary units. He joined the Nazi ...

. Additionally, an apparent body double of Hitler was found wearing the style in the aftermath of the dictator's death.

Other places

The toothbrush was quite popular in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

in the early 20th century. A Chaplin-influenced clown named

Karandash Mikhail Nikolayevich Rumyantsev (russian: Михаи́л Никола́евич Румя́нцев; 10 December 1901 – 31 March 1983), better known under his stage name Karandash (russian: Каранда́ш which means ''pencil''), was a famous ...

had a version of it. Many Soviet officers and soldiers wore it up until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In more unique displays, Commander

Pavel Dybenko Pavel Efimovich Dybenko (russian: Павел Ефимович Дыбенко), (February 16, 1889 – July 29, 1938) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a leading Soviet officer and military commander. Prior to military service Pavel Dybenko was ...

paired the style with his beard and Major General

Hazi Aslanov Hazi Aslanov ( az, Həzi Əhəd oğlu Aslanov; russian: Ази Агад оглы Асланов; commonly described as Azi Aslanov and A. A. Aslanov,Aleksander A. Maslov, David M. Glantz, ''Fallen Soviet Generals: Soviet General Officers Killed in ...

wore a variant covering only the philtrum. English author

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalita ...

wore it during the early 1930s. Spanish general

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 19 ...

, the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975, had a toothbrush throughout the 1930s. FredTrump1950-02

Post–World War II

After World War II, the style fell from favour in much of the world due to its strong association with Hitler, but some notable people continued to wear it. American real-estate developer

, the father of former U.S. president

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

, sported it from as early as

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

until perhaps 1950, although during the war he began concealing his German ancestry. Several politicians of

( formed as a state in 1948) flaunted the style, some for much of their careers.

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n chancellor

Julius Raab Julius Raab (29 November 1891 – 8 January 1964) was a conservative Austrian politician, who served as Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1953 to 1961. Raab steered Allied-occupied Austria to independence, when he negotiated and signed the Aust ...

exhibited it in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yiji ...

while negotiating for restored independence. Hitler's dentist,

Hugo Blaschke Hugo Johannes Blaschke (14 November 1881 – 6 December 1959) was a German dental surgeon notable for being Adolf Hitler's personal dentist from 1933 to April 1945 and for being the chief dentist on the staff of ''Reichsführer-SS'' Heinrich Himm ...

(), wore a similar style—displaying an explicit toothbrush later in life. The style was utilized in cartoon works beginning as early as the 1960s.

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him suc ...

's ''

Astro Boy ''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 ''tankōbon'' v ...

'' manga and the anime series of the same name feature characters with the style, the latter including caricatures resembling

nasal hair Nasal hair or nose hair, is the hair in the human nose. Adult humans have hair in the nostrils. Nasal hair functions include filtering foreign particles from entering the nasal cavity, and collecting moisture. In support of the first function, the ...

. The early 1960s American animated sitcom ''

The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced f ...

'' features a character with the moustache style—

George Jetson George J. Jetson is a fictional character from the animated television series ''The Jetsons''. He is the patriarch of the Jetson family. He is the husband of Jane Jetson and the father of teenage daughter Judy and son Elroy. Fictional charac ...

's boss,

Cosmo Spacely The following is a list of major characters in '' The Jetsons'', an American animated comic science fiction sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC as part of the 1962–63 United States network te ...

. Additionally, American comic-book artist

Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...

's original design for Spider-Man supporting character J. Jonah Jameson sports a toothbrush moustache, apparently meant to make him seem Hitleresque and thus antagonistic; most subsequent comic and cartoon appearances of the character maintain the style or a variant thereof. The British sitcom ''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...

'' (1969–1973) features a comedic villain who wears the style. Inspired by Chaplin (and disregarding associations with Hitler), keyboardist

Ron Mael Ronald David Mael (born August 12, 1945) is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is the keyboard player and principal songwriter in the band Sparks (band), Sparks which he founded with vocalist, occasional songwrite ...

of the American rock band Sparks maintained a toothbrush moustache throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s. The band received mainstream attention in 1974 with "

This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" is a song by American pop band Sparks. Written by Ron Mael, it is the opening track on their third studio album '' Kimono My House'' (1974), and was the lead single from the album. Although it did not c ...

", popularized via British music television series ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

''. While watching this,

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

allegedly phoned his former Beatles bandmate

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

and referenced the similarity of Mael's appearance to Hitler. The 1982 Sparks song "Moustache" includes the lyrics: "And when I trimmed it very small / My

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

friends would never call," referencing the association with Hitler and his role in enacting

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

. The band once had a booking to perform on a French television show cancelled due to Mael's moustache. In later years, Mael wore a pencil-variant of the toothbrush. Mugabe 1979 a

Former

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

an president

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of th ...

wore the philtrum-only style from as early as

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...

to as late as 2016. Between 1985 and 1989, the British children's television drama series ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running program ...

'' featured an authoritarian teacher played by Maurice Bronson (who also portrayed Hitler in several productions) wearing the toothbrush style. In a 1992 home movie,

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...

lead singer Kurt Cobain invoked a Hitler moustache (via fake eyelashes) while wearing a dress to mock a pejorative

letter to the editor A letter to the editor (LTE) is a letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mail ...

about his wife,

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love ( née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence a ...

. This was featured in the 2015 documentary '' Cobain: Montage of Heck'' and shared online to promote the film. In

Mike Judge Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director and musician. He is the creator of the animated television series '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present), and the co-cr ...

's 2006 comedy film ''

Idiocracy ''Idiocracy'' is a 2006 American science fiction comedy film directed by Mike Judge and co-written by Judge and Etan Cohen. Starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews, the film tells the story of Corporal Joe Bauers (Wils ...

'', the society of a greatly dumbed-down future believes that Charlie Chaplin, not Hitler, led the Nazis. In 2009, English comedian

Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer, whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the lead ...

created a stand-up show titled ''Hitler Moustache'' in which he wears the facial-hair style in an attempt to "reclaim the toothbrush moustache for comedyit was Chaplin's first, then Hitler ruined it." Herring wore the moustache for about a week, during which time he was anxious about the judgements he thought were being made of him. In May 2010, American basketball star

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

appeared in a

Hanes Hanes (founded in 1900) and Hanes Her Way (founded in 1985) is a brand of clothing. History Hanes was founded in 1900 by John Wesley Hanes (one of Winston-Salem's wealthiest and most influential business men) at Winston, North Carolina under the ...

commercial sporting a hybrid of the toothbrush and pencil moustache, along with a soul patch. This prompted Jordan's friend

Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Nati ...

to say, "I don't know what the hell he was thinking and I don't know what Hanes was thinking. I mean it is just stupid. It is just bad, plain and simple." In 2014, a photograph of Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

and German Chancellor

Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Op ...

provoked online amusement due to the former's pointing finger casting a Hitleresque shadow onto the latter's face. Late that same year,

Southern All Stars , also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974. The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (d ...

frontman

Keisuke Kuwata is a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All Stars, as well of his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done a significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin University ...

briefly donned a toothbrush moustache during a televised performance, prompting online speculation as to the reason. The moustache has come to be a symbol of satire and protest, maligning people in power perceived to be acting like Hitler. In 2021,

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

changed its app logo following complaints that part of the design, meant to look like a piece of tape sealing a box, resembled a Hitler moustache. Contrarily, some facial-hair media outlets have endorsed the moustache as being appropriate to wear again—especially variations diverging from the strictly rectangular version made famous by Hitler and emphasizing that many other notable individuals brandished it.

Other notable wearers

Nazi Germany

Karl Maria Demelhuber Karl Maria Demelhuber (26 May 1896 – 18 March 1988) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. Reaching the rank of ''Obergruppenführer'' (General) in the Waffen-SS during World War II, he commanded the SS-Standarte Germania, 6th ...

(

image An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensio ...

) * Sepp Dietrich (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-C05557, Berlin, Sepp Dietrich, Hitler, Heinrich Himmler.jpg, image) * Irmfried Eberl (:File:Irmfried Eberl.jpg, image) * August Eigruber (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 192-111, KZ Mauthausen, Besuch Heinrich Himmler.jpg, image) * Hermann Esser (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2006-1128-501, Berlin, "Fest der deutschen Reise".jpg, image) * Gottfried Feder (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R16259, Gottfried Feder.jpg, image) * Edmund Glaise-Horstenau (:File:Edmund Glaise-Horstenau (1882–1946) © Max Fenichel (1885–1942) OeNB 8154602.png, image) * Ernst-Robert Grawitz * Jakob Grimminger * Erich Koch (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H13717, Erich Koch.jpg, image) * Hans Krebs (SS general), Hans Krebs (:File:Hans Krebs.jpg, image) * Hinrich Lohse (:File:Hinrich Lohse.png, image) * Emil Maurice (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1980-073-19A, Emil Maurice.jpg, image) * Artur Phleps (:File:Artur Phleps.jpg, image) * Lothar Rendulic (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1995-027-32A, Lothar Rendulic.jpg, image) * Gerd von Rundstedt (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S37772, Gerd v. Rundstedt.jpg, image) * Fritz Sauckel (:File:Fritz Sauckel2.jpg, image) * Otto Skorzeny (:File:Otto Skorzeny at train.jpg, image) * Julius Streicher (:File:Julius Streicher 72-920 crop.jpg, image) * Franz Ritter von Epp (:File:Franz Ritter von Epp2.jpg, image) * Christian Wirth (:File:Wirth, Christian.jpg, image) * Kurt Zeitzler (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-185-0118-14, Oberst Kurt Zeitzler (cropped).jpg, image)

Soviet Union

* Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov (:File:A B Alexandrov.jpg, image) * Ivan Bagramyan (:File:Hovhannes Bagramyan wife Tamara Hamayakovna.jpg, image) * Aleksandr Bezymensky (:File:Коваленков.jpg, image) * Naftaly Frenkel (:File:Frenkel.jpg, image) * Leonid Govorov (:File:Leonid Govorov1923.JPG, image) * Vladimir Karpov * Semyon Krivoshein (:File:Armia Czerwona,Wehrmacht 23.09.1939 wspólna parada.jpg, image) * Bogdan Kobulov * Leonid Kubbel (:File:Leonid kubbel-2.jpg, image) * Grigory Kulik (:File:Grigory Kulik.jpg, image) * Genrikh Lyushkov (:File:G Lyushkov.jpg, image) * Vasil Mzhavanadze (:File:Vasil Mzhavanadze 1957.jpg, image) * Ivan Panfilov (:File:The Soviet Union 1963 CPA 2828 stamp (World War II Hero Major General of the Guard Ivan Panfilov and Feat of the Panfilov's Twenty-Eight Guardsmen).jpg, image) * Roman Ivanovich Panin (:File:Roman Panin.jpg, image) * Pavel Rotmistrov (:File:Герой Советского Союза Павел Алексеевич Ротмистров.jpg, image) * Minay Shmyryov (:File:1967 CPA 3487.jpg, image) * Genrikh Yagoda (:File:1936 genrich grigorijewitsch jagoda.jpg, image) * Georgy Zhukov (:File:Zhukov1923.jpg, image)

Israel

* Yitzhak Ben-Aharon (:File:Yitzhak ben Aharon.jpg, image) * Eliyahu Dobkin (:File:Eliyahu Dobkin David Ben Gurion1947.jpg, image) * Levi Eshkol (:File:Levi Eshkol.jpg, image) * Yitzhak Shamir (:File:Premier Lubbers ontvangt premier Shamir van Israel op Catshuis, Bestanddeelnr 932-8773 (cropped).jpg, image) * Moshe Sharett (:File:Sharet22.jpg, image) * Zalman Shazar (:File:Portrait of Zalman Shazar.jpg, image) * Yisrael Yeshayahu (:File:Yisrael Yeshayahu Sharabi 1951.jpg, image)

Others

* Siad Barre (:File:Siabar 003.jpg, image) * Hulusi Behçet (:File:HulusiBehcet 20111218.jpg, image) * Dobri Bozhilov (:File:Dobri Bozhilov1.png, image) * Abdalá Bucaram (:File:Bucaram foto.png, image) * Carlos Castillo Armas (:File:Carlos Castillo Armas (LOC 98512008, low-res).jpg, image) * Arthur Compton (:File:Arthur Compton 1927.jpg, image) * Charles Culley (:File:Portrait of Charles Ernest Culley (cropped).jpg, image) * Dragiša Cvetković (:File:Dragiša Cvetković (1).jpg, image) * Charles de Gaulle (:File:De Gaulle-OWI (cropped)-(d).jpg, image) * Immanuvel Devendrar (:File:Immanuel Sekaranar 2010 stamp of India.jpg, image) * Douglas Valder Duff (:File:DouglasDuff 001.jpg, image) * Alois Eliáš (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1987-0210-504, Alois Elias.jpg, image) * Edward M. Fram (:File:Edward M Fram.jpg, image) * Sadegh Hedayat (:File:Hedayat113.jpeg, image) * Paolo Iashvili (:File:Paolo Iashvili.jpg, image) * Avetik Isahakyan (:File:Avetik Isahakyan (photo).jpg, image) * Ahmad Javad (:File:Ahmad Javad.jpg, image) * Gustavo Jiménez (:File:Gustavo A Jimenez.jpg, image) * Amanullah Khan (:File:King Amanullah of Afghanistan.jpg, image) * Fumimaro Konoe (:File:Fumimaro konoe.jpg, image) * Yevhen Konovalets (:File:Yevgen Konovalec.jpg, image) * Jean-Marie Loret * Ludwig von Mises * Frank McGee (ice hockey), Frank McGee (:File:Frank Mcgee photo.jpg, image) * Davud Monshizadeh (:File:Davud Monshizadeh 1.jpg, image) * Ihsan Nuri (:File:Ihsan Nuri in Tehran.jpg, image) * Julius Nyerere (:File:1000 tz shillings front.jpg, image) * Hermann Obrecht (:File:Hermann Obrecht.gif, image) * Waldemar Pabst (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2005-0413-500, Waldemar Pabst.jpg, image) * Wilhelm Pieck * Marcel Pilet-Golaz (:File:Marcel Pilet-Golaz.gif, image) * Abdul Karim Qassem (:File:Abd al-Karim Qasim & Abd al-Salam A'ref.jpg, image) * Sayyid Qutb (:File:Qutb.jpg, image) * Ramakrishna Ranga Rao (:File:Raja of Bobbilli.jpg, image) * Mahmud Salman (:File:Mahmud Salman.png, image) * Ferdinand Sauerbruch (:File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S75122, Ferdinand Sauerbruch.jpg, image) * Walter H. Schottky (:File:Walter Hermann Schottky (1886-1976).jpg, image) * Kurt Schuschnigg (:File:Kurt Schuschnigg 1934 (cropped).jpg, image) * Jean Sibelius * Bakr Sidqi (:File:bakrsidqi.jpg, image) * Mehmed Spaho (:File:BosniakPoliticianSpahoMehmed.jpg, image) * Rafael Trujillo (:File:Rafael Trujillo 1952.jpg, image) * Georgios Tsolakoglou * Adolf Windaus (:File:Adolf Windaus.jpg, image) * Yordan Yovkov (:File:BASA-546K-1-108-22-Yordan Yovkov.JPG, image)

References

Notes Citations {{Human hair Adolf Hitler Charlie Chaplin Moustache styles Nazi symbolism