What started out as a casual conversation on a message board has turned into a bit of public theater to highlight Governor LePage's recent comments about the health impacts of bisphenol-A (BPA):
At high noon on Friday, March 4, 2011 Mainers of all stripes (but especially women) are invited to don "little beards," take pictures of each other, congregate during your lunch hour in public places. Those too timid to venture out portant une barbe (or those who just happen to be busy on Friday) are encouraged to get a photo of themselves in their own "little beard" posted on the effort's facebook page:
This event is a direct response to (and attempt to match the absurdity of) the much-reported recent statements by our governor about the safety issues surrounding BPA. (Simply use "the google" to do a news search on lepage+"little beards" to see the breathtaking range of notoriety...uh...attention our governor is getting on this topic.)
Susannah Sanfillipo of Portland said, "I like this because no one would have to use fossil fuel to drive to Augusta to make our statement...We just gussy up in our best beards and simply gather where we are and snap some photos." Mary Anderson of Alna reports, " I've got my outfit planned already - I shall be Lady Liberty with an Uncle Sam beard. "
Lisa Fernandes who opened up the facebook event (but claims that the event is leaderless) acknowledges that "while we have other fish to fry in terms of public policy and our civic life in Maine, a few minutes of creative irony can raise awareness about a serious issue. Plus it's fun. If we can't laugh, we've lost the plot completely."