Sub Pop’s co-founder, Jonathan Poneman, in an interview with Pitchfork explaining his request for Band of Horses lead singer, Ben Bridwell, to shave his beard.
“I was hoping that this could stay between me and Ben. He chose to make this public on the band’s blog, which has now forced me to address our differences. Basically, I needed Bridwell to shave, or at least trim, his out of control beard. I love the music the guys produce, but I am also a businessman. I like money. It’s clear that sales are directly proportional to the length of his beard. People like clean shaven now. Just read GQ, 70% of females like men with a smooth face. That means that if Bridwell shaved, we could increase sales by 70%. Besides, he doesn’t even wash the thing. There is literally a plant growing out of his beard (figure 2). I think my request was reasonable. He looks like a monkey.”
Obviously it’s the looks that sell their records. Not the amazing music and talent behind it. And if the stats in GQ, that’s the bottome line. Poneman’s a douche bag (a clean shaven one).
Ben’s response –
“I’m a fuckin’ musician, you know? I’m not the only musician with a beard. Get a grip JP. People dig my beard.”
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