This week, some of the biggest names in tech came together to answer questions from senators about censorship, misinformation and election interference on their platforms. The world had a more pressing question for Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey, though – what is going on with that beard?
Just as Twitter’s influence and user base has grown at a staggering rate over the years, so have Dorsey’s whiskers, which seem to have jumped a few levels on the Gandalf scale during quarantine.
When he appeared via video link at Wednesday’s conference, many were left perplexed by Dorsey’s frankly impressive facial hair, which continued beyond the bottom of the TV screen, leaving many social media users to wonder where exactly it ended, and what secrets it was keeping.
“'It’s time to hold hearings on Jack Dorsey’s beard,” one Twitter user wrote.
“The Twitter CEO has gone from businessman to Burning Man,” another said.
Dorsey’s beard may be the most impressive celebrity beard to come out of 2020, but it is not the first to make headlines.
Here are some other celebrities whose beards have shocked the world…
Justin Bieber
Teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber marked his official transition into manhood with a moustache that was a close frontrunner for the title of most polarising thing to happen in America in recent years.
Moustache Bieber has made on-off appearances over the past couple of years, with the star himself appearing confused about whether or not a handlebar moustache was working for him. But it seems his wife Hailey put an end to the debate once and for all. “Hailey was going to freaking kill me," Bieber said during an Instagram Live earlier this year. "I wasn't going to be able to sleep in the bed. So, I had to shave it."
Joaquin Phoenix
When Joaquin Phoenix said he was quitting acting in 2010, many believed him, helped by the fact that 2010 Phoenix's beard gave the appearance of a man who had given up on the A-list life. Thankfully for Phoenix fans, it was all part of a documentary produced alongside his brother-in-law Casey Affleck, which attempted to make a statement about art and celebrity through the false narrative that Phoenix was swapping acting for a rap career. It confused fans almost as much as the beard.
Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dabbled in facial hair at the start of this year, before lockdown made it cool. In January, he had a freshly pruned chin strap, peppered with just enough greys to add an air of maturity to his 2020 look, as he embarked on his second term.
There were questions, however, about why he chose to only keep hair around his mouth, in favour of a full beard, criticism he has clearly taken on board, as he now sports a far less manicured look.
Chris Pine
He may be known for his role as clean-shaven sci-fi heartthrob James T. Kirk in the Star Trek films, but back on Earth, Pine likes to keep things a little more furry. Many fans of the franchise have been shocked by his off-screen look, which often sees him sporting a multi-toned beard that has provided some serious salt-and-pepper inspiration to men the world the over.