Dear Cop Stache,

First of all, I think it’s weird that you describe shaving your stache as “manning-up”. Does “man-up” mean cave in to someone’s demands rather than do what you want?

I remember when I was in highschool I had a friend who wanted to grow his hair out into a big fro like Omar Rodriguez of At The Drive-In. He was totally excited about this. Unfortunately his girlfriend shut that down, she told him to cut his hair way before it even started to get long, and “forbid” him from growing a fro because she liked him with really short hair. He was super bummed about this, and of course I made so much fun of him, but he retorted “Pssh, like you wouldn’t have done the same thing.” and I was like “Fuck no I wouldn’t!” and he asked what I would’ve done instead, and I told him I would’ve told her I’m going to grow my hair out whether she like it or not because my head. And he asked what if she threatened to break up with me, and I said “Oh well.” *shrug*

He said “Yeah right.” and rolled his eyes. Guess what though? I’ve been in that situation a couple times since, and I’ve stayed true to what I said that day (so in your face David!). I think a person should be open to compromise in a relationship, but I think there’s a difference between compromise and just another person subverting another person’s will and personal choice. Personally I’m just not willing to set a precedent with someone that they trump me when it comes to deciding what I want to do (especially with my own body). I’m not going to tell you whether or not you should comply with your girlfriend’s mustache wishes, I’m just going to say make the choice you can live with. Personally I’d keep my stache, in my experience in these situations they’ve usually eventually just gotten over it. Some didn’t though, haha. I have had some relationships end because they couldn’t get me to do what they wanted me to do, and I guess I’m a bad boyfriend in that sense, but the way I look at it is what’s the point of being with someone you can’t be yourself with?

I wouldn’t demand a woman do anything to herself, I feel like that’s crossing a line. They have the right to be who they are and look however they want to look. If I can’t live with their choice I’m going to move on, not coerce them to change for my benefit.

If I was with a girl who decided to grow a mustache, that’s definitely a deal breaker, but hey, that’s her perogative, I’m going to take my business elsewhere.

But seriously though, mustaches are cool, your girlfriend be trippin.

-Stray