Bearded lady

src: i.ytimg.com

A bearded lady or bearded woman is a woman who has a visible beard. These women have long been a phenomenon of legend, curiosity, or ridicule.

Video Bearded lady

Background

A relatively small number of women are able to grow enough facial hair to have a distinct beard. In some cases, female beard growth is the result of a hormonal imbalance (usually androgen excess), or a rare genetic disorder known as hypertrichosis. Sometimes it is caused by use of anabolic steroids. Cultural pressure leads most to remove it, as it may be viewed as a social stigma.

The "bearded lady" is a cliché--a staple of a carnival sideshow.

Maps Bearded lady

Entertainment

Notable exceptions were the famous bearded women of the circus sideshows of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Barnum's Josephine Clofullia and Ringling Bros.' Jane Barnell, whose anomalies were celebrated. Sometimes circus and carnival freak shows presented bearded ladies who were actually women with facial wigs or bearded men dressed as women, both practices being lampooned by comedian and former circus performer W.C. Fields in the 1939 film, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man. TV Series American Horror Story added a bearded lady played by Kathy Bates.

src: i.ytimg.com

Notable women with beards

14th century

• Wilgefortis

16th century

• Helena Antonia

17th century

• Magdalena Ventura, portrait by Jusepe de Ribera (1631)

19th century

• Julia Pastrana
• Josephine Clofullia
• Annie Jones
• Alice Elizabeth Doherty ("The Minnesota Woolly Girl", 1887-1933)

20th century

• Clémentine Delait (late 19th century and early 20th century)
• Jane Barnell (late 19th century and early 20th century)
• Jennifer Miller
• Vivian Wheeler

21st century

• Jennifer Miller
• Vivian Wheeler
• Lisa de Wit
• Harnaam Kaur
• Balpreet Kaur
• Little Bear "The Bearded Lady" Schwarz
• Kore Bobisuthi
• Jessa Olmstead
• Mariam the Bearded Lady
• Agustina Dorman
• Amiee Ross
• Dakota Cooke
• Annalisa Hackleman
• Katie Queenan
• Rose Geil
• Joana S
• Elien Moris
• Barbora Hude?ková

src: ksr-ugc.imgix.net

See also

• Drag king
• Hirsutism
• Conchita Wurst

src: thenypost.files.wordpress.com

References

src: i.ytimg.com

External links

• How Facial Hair Influences Women's Everyday Experiences
• Solving the Mystery of the Bearded Lady
• Bearded Lady Reunites With Long-Lost Son
• 'Bearded lady': I'm not a mistake
• Harnaam Kaur on life as a bearded lady

Source of the article : Wikipedia