A fake image of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has gone viral online, with many social media users admitting to finding the tech mogul attractive with a beard.
Facebook and Instagram’s Mark Zuckerberg has only ever rocked a clean-shaven face since entering the spotlight in 2004. Ever since, the 39-year-old industry leader has been subjected to comments about his appearance, sparking conspiracy theories about him secretly being a lizard. But that time has come to a close thanks to the new “Zaddy Zuckerberg” making his way across the web.
Mark Zuckerberg got a beard upgrade
On Thursday, Zuckerberg unveiled the latest update to Meta AI using the “state-of-the-art” Llama 3 AI model. His post has since received nearly 200k likes, with most commenters overlooking the update to focus on Zuckerberg’s appearance.
The first focal point for fans was Zuckerberg’s decision to wear a blue t-shirt and a chain necklace which undoubtedly cost more than your house. Some comments went as far as to say that he looked to be channeling his inner rapper.
The true standout moment came after Zuckerberg’s initial statement. Following the clip on Instagram, edited images of the Facebook creator began to pop up on sites like Twitter, TikTok, and even YouTube.
The picture showed him sporting a blonde beard and mustache, earning him several titles including “lead singer in a Coldplay tribute act?”
On X, formally known as Twitter, one person wrote: “You vs the guy she doesn’t want you to know about.”
“Beards really are contour for men,” another person said, as a third added, “The things I JUST said in my group chat…”
Why are beards so sexy?
Beards and their power to completely transform a man’s face is not completely unheard of, hence why 33% of American men have one and nearly 46% of women want to date a man with one.
Part of the allure of beards could be a cultural element, which Numan covered in a medically reviewed article By Kirsty Mason. They argued that studies show a direct link between beards and how men are perceived as it relates to parenting, social status, masculinity, and healthiness.
“These socio-sexual attributes, particularly aggressiveness and masculinity, could be perceived as tools to fend off competition from male counterparts,” they wrote. “They found that men rated beards and heavy stubble as more attractive than light stubble and clean-shaven faces, suggesting beards are a desirable trait among the male population and may serve a competitive purpose.”
