It's been brought to BaB's attention by the fabulous Dr. Zachary (PhD in scruff & duck fat) that Kevin Gillespie's beard won Atlanta's "Best Local Celebrity" by Creative Loafing Magazine. Forget that Kevin is a James Beard finalist, and not to mention a favorite on Top Chef, it's his red, flaming facial hair (and his eerily similarity to Yukon Cornelius) that has the country in total awe of him.
Oh and impart to his nearly 8,000 Facebook fans, which is exactly why I called the good Doctor (co-founder of Fans of Kevin Gillespie's Beard on Facebook) to ask him his thoughts on this tremendous accomplishment.
Here's our exclusive interview:
Bab: What does this award mean to you?
Scruffmaster: It means a lot to me, but it means a lot more for all of us. It means a lot for freedom. If anyone had beaten Kevin's Beard, it would have been explicit proof that the terrorists had won, that God doesn't exist, and that Good never triumphs over Evil.
How do you feel that your FB fan page helped to propel Kevin into the national spotlight?
The Facebook page "Fans of Kevin Gillespie's Beard" certainly helped propel Kevin into the spotlight, but you're looking at it all wrong. We simply provided the conduit for the message of the Beard. Truth be told, the Beard is what propelled Kevin Gillespie into the zeitgeist.
Do you think Kevin should compete in a beard tournament?
Kevin owes it to his Beard to physically bring it before the eyes of a wider audience, so yes!
Has Kevin contacted you directly to say thanks for the beard support? Have you even touched his beard?
I spoke with Kevin briefly at the Party for the Fans of Kevin Gillespie's Beard at the W Hotel. As for touching his beard: are you completely insane? Didn't you see what happened to the Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark when they opened the Ark of the Covenant? Everyone at the party was (gratefully and reverently) averting their eyes.
Anything you'd like to add, Dr. Z?
A parting message: Kevin's Beard loves you and wants you to be happy. Even more so, it wants you to be bearded. Grow, grow, grow!
