Beard (female companion)
Encyclopedia
Beard is a slang
term describing a person who is used, knowingly or unknowingly, as a date, romantic partner (Boyfriend or Girlfriend), or spouse
either to conceal infidelity or to conceal one's sexual orientation
. The term can be used in heterosexual and homosexual contexts, but with increasing acceptance of gay culture
, references to beards are seen in mainstream television and movies as well as other entertainment.
in a monogamous relationship
.
In a typical scenario, X and Y are in a supposedly exclusive relationship, but X is actually cheating with Z. However, to keep Y from learning about X's infidelity, W, the "beard", pretends to be paired with Z.
Such a scenario is a central premise of Woody Allen
's 1984 film Broadway Danny Rose
. The titular talent agent is the beard, pretending to date Tina, a single woman who is actually having an affair with married singer Lou Canova. By posing as Tina's date, Danny can bring her to Lou's performances without drawing attention from Lou's suspicious wife. The term "beard" is a running gag
, used four times (e.g., "I'm only the beard") when Tina's relatives assume Danny is Tina's previously mysterious lover.
. An example is a gay man pretending to date a woman, in an effort to conceal his sexuality. Though beard entered wider use in the 1960s, many of the reported lavender marriage
s of 1920s in Hollywood, and the similar reported romantic marriage of Rock Hudson
(mid-1950s) employed the same usage. In Hudson's case, Phyllis Gates
acted as his beard, to avert the perceived damage that the disclosure of Hudson's homosexuality might have on his career.
In the 2010 comedy film
Easy A
, the main character, Olive (Emma Stone), agrees to be a beard for her friend Brandon (Dan Byrd
), so he will no longer be bullied.
In early episodes of the first season of The L Word
, the character Dana Fairbanks pretended to be dating her gay doubles partner, Harrison, to conceal her orientation before eventually coming out. Also, in the episode Lay Down the Law, lesbian actress Niki Stevens (Kate French
) is forced to beard with her co-star Greg (Dominic Zamprogna
) at her film premiere to kill speculation about her sexuality.
In the "Born This Way
" episode of Glee
, closeted lesbian character Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
) discovers a classmate, Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler), is also in the closet; she corners him and suggests they be each other's beards.
, the titular character refers to his girlfriend, Rita, as his beard. He uses his relationship with her as camouflage to hide from those around him that he is a self-professed monster and serial killer.
's July 5, 2004, cartoon used the term to mock then-National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice
, depicting her character being sent to a "racial re-education camp" where she refers to herself as George W. Bush's "beard"
. Beard in this context ostensibly referred to Rice camouflaging racial discrimination in the White House; it had been reported in the press in 2003 that she had been involved in crafting Bush's position on race-based preferences.
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term describing a person who is used, knowingly or unknowingly, as a date, romantic partner (Boyfriend or Girlfriend), or spouse
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
either to conceal infidelity or to conceal one's sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. The term can be used in heterosexual and homosexual contexts, but with increasing acceptance of gay culture
LGBT culture
LGBT culture, is the common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It is sometimes also referred to as Queer culture. The term gay culture, though not synonymous, is sometimes also used though this may also apply specifically to the culture of homosexual men.LGBT...
, references to beards are seen in mainstream television and movies as well as other entertainment.
Concealing infidelity
In early usage of the term, a beard scenario involved concealing infidelityInfidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
in a monogamous relationship
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
.
In a typical scenario, X and Y are in a supposedly exclusive relationship, but X is actually cheating with Z. However, to keep Y from learning about X's infidelity, W, the "beard", pretends to be paired with Z.
Such a scenario is a central premise of Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's 1984 film Broadway Danny Rose
Broadway Danny Rose
Broadway Danny Rose is a 1984 American black-and-white comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen. It was screened out of competition at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.- Plot :...
. The titular talent agent is the beard, pretending to date Tina, a single woman who is actually having an affair with married singer Lou Canova. By posing as Tina's date, Danny can bring her to Lou's performances without drawing attention from Lou's suspicious wife. The term "beard" is a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
, used four times (e.g., "I'm only the beard") when Tina's relatives assume Danny is Tina's previously mysterious lover.
Concealing sexual orientation
Recognized usage of "beard" applies to a person who serves to camouflage another's sexual orientationSexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. An example is a gay man pretending to date a woman, in an effort to conceal his sexuality. Though beard entered wider use in the 1960s, many of the reported lavender marriage
Lavender marriage
Lavender marriage is a type of male-female marriage of convenience in which the couple are not both heterosexual and conceal the homosexual or bisexual orientation of one or both spouses...
s of 1920s in Hollywood, and the similar reported romantic marriage of Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
(mid-1950s) employed the same usage. In Hudson's case, Phyllis Gates
Phyllis Gates
Phyllis Lucille Gates was an American secretary and interior decorator notable for her three year marriage to the actor Rock Hudson....
acted as his beard, to avert the perceived damage that the disclosure of Hudson's homosexuality might have on his career.
In the 2010 comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Easy A
Easy A
Easy A is a 2010 teen comedy film written by Bert V. Royal, directed by Will Gluck, and starring Emma Stone. The screenplay was partially inspired by the novel The Scarlet Letter. The film was shot at Screen Gems studios and in Ojai, California. Screen Gems distributed with a release on...
, the main character, Olive (Emma Stone), agrees to be a beard for her friend Brandon (Dan Byrd
Dan Byrd
Daniel "Dan" Byrd is an American actor. His most prominent roles include the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes, the CW original comedy series Aliens in America, A Cinderella Story alongside Hillary Duff, ABC's Cougar Town, and the 2010 movie Easy A.-Life and career:Byrd was born in Marietta,...
), so he will no longer be bullied.
In early episodes of the first season of The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, the character Dana Fairbanks pretended to be dating her gay doubles partner, Harrison, to conceal her orientation before eventually coming out. Also, in the episode Lay Down the Law, lesbian actress Niki Stevens (Kate French
Kate French
Kate Lauren French is an American television and film actress and model. She is perhaps best known for her role as Niki Stevens on The L Word.-Early life:...
) is forced to beard with her co-star Greg (Dominic Zamprogna
Dominic Zamprogna
Dominic Zamprogna is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on television series Edgemont and General Hospital.-Early life:...
) at her film premiere to kill speculation about her sexuality.
In the "Born This Way
Born This Way (Glee)
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to...
" episode of Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, closeted lesbian character Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) discovers a classmate, Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
(Max Adler), is also in the closet; she corners him and suggests they be each other's beards.
Other Uses
In the novel Darkly Dreaming DexterDarkly Dreaming Dexter
Darkly Dreaming Dexter is a 2004 novel by Jeff Lindsay, the first in his series about serial killer Dexter Morgan. It has formed the basis of the Showtime television series Dexter and won the 2005 Dilys Award and the 2007 'Book to TV' award....
, the titular character refers to his girlfriend, Rita, as his beard. He uses his relationship with her as camouflage to hide from those around him that he is a self-professed monster and serial killer.
Satirical use
American cartoonist Ted RallTed Rall
Ted Rall is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States...
's July 5, 2004, cartoon used the term to mock then-National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, depicting her character being sent to a "racial re-education camp" where she refers to herself as George W. Bush's "beard"
Beard (female companion)
Beard is a slang term describing a person who is used, knowingly or unknowingly, as a date, romantic partner , or spouse either to conceal infidelity or to conceal one's sexual orientation...
. Beard in this context ostensibly referred to Rice camouflaging racial discrimination in the White House; it had been reported in the press in 2003 that she had been involved in crafting Bush's position on race-based preferences.