Some say the mustache makes the
man. For a time, that was the theory of the Jewish, New York Times bestselling
author, Rich Cohen. He wrote to enlighten the reader, anyone familiar with
Hitler and his legacy, with the knowledge that some symbols are too notorious
to be forgotten. Cohen was prompted to conduct an experiment when author
Richard Dawkins used an analogy that questioned whether the evil of Hitler and
Stalin was caused by their mustaches. Cohen conducted his own experiment by
growing a toothbrush mustache in an attempt to defuse the mustache’s connection
with Adolf Hitler. Cohen delves into the history of various facial hairstyles and
the political figures with which those styles are associated. The variety of facts and historical
information appealed to Aristotle’s Triangle of Rhetoric, specifically to the
aspect of logos or logic. Cohen continued this appeal to logic by citing
credible and informative sources such as Alexander Moritz Frey, The New York Times, and The Secret Parts of Fortune. Cohen
acknowledged the pathos corner of the triangle through pop culture references,
such as the use of pop culture references like an analogy using Michael Jordan
(16), and through well-known connotations, such as “Hitler being Hitler” (17).
The logos and pathos elements of rhetoric helped Cohen guide the reader to find
the essay’s purpose. The beginning and middle of the essay gave background
information to the audience that did not make a significant impact on realizing
the purpose. Cohen eventually revealed the purpose when he described the
results of his own experiment toward the end of his piece. People, even close
friends, could not look at him without referencing Hitler in some way, whether
it was through dirty looks or actual comments. Cohen concluded that he could
not cleanse the mustache’s reputation. So it is not the mustache that makes the
man, it is the man that makes the mustache.
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Cohen and his Hitler mustache
Photograph by Gasper Tringale.
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