By TEDDYE SNELL
Northeastern State University’s Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. John Yeutter may enjoy his local celebrity, primarily achieved through his signature green mustache.
But Friday night, Yeutter experienced a bit of national celebrity in St. Louis, Mo., when he attended the American Mustache Institute’s “’Stache Bash.”
Yeutter flew to St. Louis last Friday, and was questioned by fellow passengers on the jet.
“As I was getting on the plane, looking for a place to stow my carry-on, one of the passengers already seated asked, ‘Sir, are you going to the ‘Stache Bash’ tonight?’” said Yeutter.
“There were nearly a thousand mustached Americans or persons of mustached descent – it was not a male-only event – at the Roberts Orpheum Theatre in downtown St. Louis, in the shadow of the world’s largest mustache, known by some as an arch.”
The event, in its second year, is held annually to bestow the “Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached Man of the Year” award. Yeutter placed second, being beaten only by Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Clay Zavada.
Zavada won the award after more than 100,000 votes were cast online; however, the day the voting closed, Yeutter was in first place.
Yeutter has a theory as to why he was bumped from first place.
“While there was local media attention here to my candidacy through the Daily Press, the Tulsa World and local radio and TV stations, the primary method of publicity used to promote me was social networking,” said Yeutter.
“A Facebook group was created, and many of the NSU students and community members communicated the cause to their friends and connections through this and other social media.”
On Monday, Oct. 19, before the voting closed, Yeutter was in the top four, which sent his supporters into overdrive mode to see the mild-mannered professor win.
“An effort went out across campus and to friends to continue generating votes,” said Yeutter. “This pushed me, by Wednesday morning, to the No. 1 spot. This is when traditional media fought back.”
Yeutter said on the last day of voting, he heard that ESPN SportsNation, a website dedicated to sports polls, chat and commentary, called on Arizona Diamondback fans to support their player, asserting that a major leaguer should win – not some teacher who paints his mustache green.
Ironically, the award is sponsored by not only the AMI, but the event – ‘Stache Bash – is a fundraiser for Challenger Baseball, a league for youth and adults with developmental disabilities.
“This apparently generated enough interest that, in the very last hours of the contest, I was pushed back to second place behind Diamondback rookie relief pitcher Clay Zavada, who sports a handlebar mustache reminiscent of Rollie Fingers,” Yeutter said.
During the ‘Stache Bash, Yeutter enjoyed the musical stylings of the Flavor Savors – a mustached band from Chicago, and mustached musician John Oates, who performed a 50-minute set. He also shared the stage with Zavada, AMI Director Aaron Perlut, and finalist Bill Geist of “CBS Sunday Morning.” Geist has maintained his mustache for the better part of 40 years, according to the CBS website.
Following the award ceremony and concert, a costume judging contest was held.
“This had a mustached theme,” said Yeutter. “There was a Yosemite Sam, Mario, Luigi and the Princess, a Mariachi band, one dressed as D.B. Cooper, complete with parachute and plane ticket, with a real, not fake, mustache.”
The winner of the costume contest was a female, who dressed as a milkshake mustache, said Yeutter.
Despite the loss, Yeutter didn’t stop for a minute to lick his wounds. He flew out immediately after classes on Friday, regrettably “missing an NSU soccer game,” then caught an early morning flight back home.
The Daily Press received an e-mail Saturday afternoon from NSU’s Doc Wadley Stadium, where the icon could be seen tailgating, proudly sporting his second-place tiara and a green wig.
“I’m back in town,” wrote Yeutter. “Down at the stadium, where else?”
As for the future, Yeutter already has a plan.
“As Nancy Kerrigan said, ‘I’m going to Disney World,’” he said.
“That’s right; I’ll be following the NSU women’s’ basketball team this weekend to the Disney Tip Off Classic in Orlando.”
