It just *seems* that way sometimes. So, I was generally procrastinating from my real work by browsing some news (though on a side note, if anyone took U.S. history in college and didn’t hate their textbook, please let me know what it was…), and I came across a pic of Vanness Wu’s new facial hair (just to explain, I don’t listen to his music, but I’m not opposed to pictures of Vanness and never have been. This is not even my first commentary on his hair). Ignoring that picture, this is a better view:
I would like to go on record saying that I think it works. It would be a bit better, I think, with his hair dyed back to black, but it works. Moreover, it looks like what Leehom was going for last fall but didn’t quite achieve:
Sorry, but I’m still not sold. If he had waited quietly at home for it to fill out before showing off the fuzz to the world, maybe. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s looking snazzy in his tux, but… as five-o’clock shadows go, this has to be one of the least convincing. Of course, nobody in the world of mainstream Mandopop does whiskers like A-yue:
Aww, look at him smile (with the glasses off, too! A rare moment…). 
Update: Oh! I broke one of the cardinal rules of Mandopop blogging when I posted this, and I’ve only just realized it. The rule is: Never, but never, mention Vanness Wu and Leehom Wang in the same post without linking to the boxing video. Because it is *always* a good time to revisit the sweaty, shirtless boxing. Whew, at least I remembered…
Wait, are you writing a U.S. history textbook that inadvertently will somehow connect Mandopop star facial hair to U.S. foreign relations? THAT…..I would like to see!
I dunno, maybe it’s just that I don’t find Vanness that good-looking to start with, but Leehom’s still works better for me. And yeah, it’d be better if the hair color matched, but I gotta be honest with you, I’m kinda seeing Colonel Sanders there. What can I say? But I agree A-yue looks good. He always seems so natural and at home with himself.
Haha, no, I’m just picking a textbook for a boring old survey course that I’m trying to make somewhat less boring by sheer force of personality and, ideally, a decent book. But just wait until I get tenure somewhere… imagine the possibilities…
I do think I might have needed to pick a less *ahem* appealing picture of Leehom’s fuzz, though, because even I’m starting to like it in that one! I blame the tux. I’m really not sure why I like the beard & ’stash on Vanness – you could go for either Col. Sanders or Captain Jack on that – but my gut reaction was “yup.”
I still don’t get that MV, LOL! It would work better if the song were actually about shirtless, sweaty boxing, but as it is, I don’t get it.
If Vanness made the beard pointy, he would look kind of like Shakespeare.
I’m not a fan. I think A-Yue is the only one pulling off the fuzz. Venness has too much chin fur length there for my tastes, it looks like he belongs in a spoof three musketeers movie or something.