View source for Carpet of Virility

{{trope}}
[[File:billington001.jpg|frame]]

{{quote|''"...and every last inch of me's covered with hair!"''|'''Gaston''', ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]''}}

In essence it describes a man with a hairy upper body. Generally shown during a [[Shirtless Scene]] or when a guy walks around in a tank-top or an opened shirt. Often indicates evil or an [[Anti-Hero]].

Fuzzy chests or torsos can have different meanings depending on what body type they are used:

'''Type 1)''' When combined with a buff, muscular physique, it's usually to emphasize [[MANLINESS]] or [[Badass]]ery. Alternatively, it may mark a mature man (ie 35 and older) in contrast to a cast of younger men.

'''Type 2)''' When combined with an [[Fat Bastard|overweight]] body, it is generally to mean a boorish and/or unhygienic character. If used on [[Stout Strength]], it usually indicates a [[Boisterous Bruiser]].

No matter the type, in fiction, a Carpet of Virility almost always goes hand in hand with a very sexual, if not utterly lecherous, personality, be the bearer [[Handsome Lech|attractive]] or [[Casanova Wannabe|not]].

Hairy chests can be seen as [[Fetish Fuel]], especially in [[The Seventies]], when it was quite common for men to show off their chest hair with open shirts and plunging necklines. The gay "[[The Bear|bear]]" community also finds hairy, hyper-masculine men to be extremely desirable. It is also common in the [[Bara Genre]]. On a woman, this is almost universally considered to be prime-grade [[Squick]] material.

See also [[Shirtless Scene]], [[Walking Shirtless Scene]], [[Rated "M" for Manly]].

{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[Bleach]]'': Kyoraku Shunsui. Isshin Kurosaki as well.
* Lord Genome from ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' has a ''spiral-shaped'' carpet.
* Freddie from ''[[Cromartie High School]]'', partly because he might or might not be Freddie Mercury.
* Blackbeard in ''[[One Piece]]'' is pretty much the epitome of Type 2.
* France in ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia|Hetalia]]'' is the only character with body hair when naked, to emphasize his lecherous tendencies.
** As such, his doppleganger from an [[Alternate Universe]] (Parallel!France 23) has no body hair.
** Turkey certainly counts, being one of the older characters physically, and of course most Turkish men are rather hairy.
* In an episode of the ''[[Dirty Pair]]'' TV Series, Yuri and Kei spend an episode debating whether their male co-agent has chest hair or not, and how 'disgusting' chest hair is. At the end of the episode, he reveals {{spoiler|he has no chest hair}}.
* Mr. Satan of ''[[Dragon Ball]]''.
* The Village Elder in ''[[Haré+Guu]]'' has a literal ''afro'' sticking from his chest!

== Comic Books ==
* [[Wolverine]] is a hairy son of a... gun, so his chest hair is more like just one part of his general fuzzy covering. That is, when artists don't decide to give him a full body wax. This has become alarmingly more common since the films, despite Hugh Jackman being fairly hairy himself.
* Even before he was covered in blue fur, Beast of the ''[[X-Men]]'' was usually depicted as being covered from chest to ankles in body hair in his human form.
* ''[[Judge Dredd]]'': Dredd has been shown to have plenty of hair on his chest. Possibly it's a remnant of the time he was a werewolf, given that he's completely hairless in early stories.
* [[The Hulk]] was occasionally shown to have chest/body hair, [[Depending on the Artist]]. Damn brave, whoever waxed him.
* [[Superman]], during the John Byrne/Dan Jurgens era.
* The titular character of ''[[The Savage Dragon]]''... and Barbaric, Mace, the Devil, Hellrazor and various other male characters drawn by Erik Larsen.
* The Neal Adams [[Batman]] of the 1970s gained the sobriquet of "Hairy-Chested Love God" for strictly adhering to Type 1 of this trope in his depiction.
* Blackjak of the ''Atari Force'' second series was Type 1.
* Beast Boy AKA Changeling in ''[[The New Teen Titans]]'' when George Perez drew him.
* [[Flex Mentallo]], anyone?

== Film - Animated ==
* Gaston's [[Villain Song]] in ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' has the line "[[Getting Crap Past the Radar|And every last]] inch of me's covered with hair!" sung as he rips open his shirt. In the theatrical release, it was subverted in that there wasn't much there. (Chest hair is remarkably difficult to animate unless you stylize it into a solid mat like Zangief's, which wouldn't've worked here.)

== Film - Live-Action ==
* [[Sean Connery]] and Pierce Brosnan in [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]] films, and in ''[[Zardoz]]''.
** Not to mention [[Peter Sellers]] as James Bond in the 1967 ''Casino Royale.'' ([http://www.agonyboothmedia.com/images/articles/Casino_Royale_1967/casino_royale083.jpg Here's the visual]{{Dead link}}, if you're curious.)
** Lampshaded in ''[[You Only Live Twice]]'' when the Japanese massage girls are giggling over Bond's hairy chest.
{{quote|'''Bond:''' Japanese proverb say, 'Bird never make nest in bare tree'.}}
* Parodied in ''[[Austin Powers]]'', as it was the Connery-era movies they were pastiching.
** [[Violent Glaswegian|Fat Bastard]] as well, definitely a Type II.
* [[Star Trek|Leonard Nimoy]].
* [[Eli Roth]], particularly as the [http://13.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kp60u7eFMH1qa0z8lo1_400.jpg Bear] [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xIIZH3vQ75I/SvBYgILdnLI/AAAAAAAAA7k/LpojhOoQ498/s400/bear+jew.jpg Jew].
* [http://www.wired963.com/blog/afternoons/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/burt_reynolds_cosmo31.jpg Burt Reynolds]{{Dead link}}. Slightly NSFW.
** Note that the ad slogan points out how much less fashionable male body hair has become since [[The Seventies]].
* [[Chuck Norris]] proudly displays one during the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLO1YIWQuXE climactic fight] with [[Bruce Lee]] in ''[[Way of the Dragon]]''. It becomes a liability for him, though, as Bruce is able to grab onto it as a combat move.
* [[Robin Williams]], although he doesn't really fit into either type. Instead he's pretty much a category all his own.
{{quote|''I need science to ''help'' me! '''Look at this.''' I've had people say to me, "Don't wear fur," and I have to tell them "Fuck off, lady, it's '''me!!'''" I'm a fucking Chia Pet!''}}
** Robin also says that this is the reason Koko the gorilla used sign language to hit on him.
* Sam Elliot.
* In ''[[Barbarella]]'', Ugo Tognazzi [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iBuNz7Kv1jk/TJfxpzLaj1I/AAAAAAAAA50/Ev4dMH_dUWQ/s1600/Mark+Hand2.jpg is only slightly less hairy than his fur coat.] And considering that ''[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iBuNz7Kv1jk/TJfxuAPRhJI/AAAAAAAAA58/ZM1zHizh11E/s1600/Mark+Hand+3.gif this]'' is the fur coat...
* [[Steve Carell]]'s character Andy in ''[[The 40-Year-Old Virgin]]'' although this was derided by his friends and led to the infamous chest waxing scene.
* [[Michael Sheen]].
* Almost every character in ''[[The Nail Gun Massacre]]'' is covered by a thick layer of fur.
* Alec Baldwin. ''[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m--ce20UyPI/Tg0S_Gn1m5I/AAAAAAAAAKc/Vul2llgQ0Ek/s1600/whitepantsalec.jpg A lot].''
* Quite a few ''[[Bollywood]]'' actors.

== Literature ==
* [[Bailey School Kids]]: [[Wolf Man|Mr. Jenkins]]
* In ''[[Everworld]]'', Hercules apparently has two ''[[Austin Powers]]'' movies' worth of chest hair.
* Esau in [[The Bible]].

== Live-Action TV ==
* Tom Selleck in ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' This was lampshaded in a 2007 issue of [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] Magazine, in a column where Candice Michelle and Kelly Kelly were discussing whether they found hairy chests on men attractive. Both women agreed that they weren't, but then Candice remarked that they were considered quite attractive when ''Magnum P.I.'' was on the air. (This point was lost on Kelly, since she had never even heard of the show.)
* Jim Halpert of all people in ''[[The Office]]'' was shown to have an incredibly hairy chest. and there was much rejoicing. As did [[Steve Carell]] in an earlier episode.
* Lee Majors as Heath Barkley in ''The Big Valley''.
* ''[[Trailer Park Boys]]'': Randy, the [[Walking Shirtless Scene|always shirtless]] assistant is a Type 2.
* ''[[MythBusters]]'': Jamie Hyneman is a Type 1.
* ''[[Dirty Jobs]]'': Mike Rowe is also a Type 1.
* Don Draper of ''[[Mad Men]]''.
* ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'': Commander Riker shows off a particularly thick man rug in the season one episode "Angel One," much to the amusement of Troi and Yar.
** In [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series]], Spock's one and only [[Shirtless Scene]] in "Patterns of Force" reveals a good deal of chest hair. It's made more obvious by the contrast with Kirk's smooth and hairless chest.
* In the Chilean [[Soap Opera]] ''Marron Glace: El Regreso'', [[Supreme Chef]] [[Ensemble Darkhorse|Pierre]] gains a rival in Ciro, who has a ''huge'' carpet of chest hair and is insanely proud of it.  {{spoiler|It's a fake, though.}}
* Came up in an episode of ''[[Seinfeld]]'' where one of Jerry's girlfriends prefers guys with smooth chests. Despite being a neat freak, Jerry can only shave his chest hair for a short while before it becomes too much.
** George Costanza is definitely a type II. And Kramer, ''the'' [[Kavorka Man]] himself, is somewhere in between type I and II.
** Elaine's boyfriend David Puddy (and by extension, [[Patrick Warburton]] himself) is more of a type I.
* Luke Danes from ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'' is [[Mr. Fanservice|definitely]] a type I.
* Doggie Kruger from ''[[Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger]]'' sports one, which is visible whenever he puts on his suit. Yeah, this dog has white chest fur. Obviously, he is a Type 1.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Ironically, Warren Mears, considering his characterisation; when Willow opens his shirt to torture him with that bullet, you can almost hear wildlife sounds coming from inside.
** Another member of the nerd Trio, Jonathan, complains of Buffy grabbing his chest hair.
{{quote|'''Buffy:''' Jonathan? [beat] You have chest hair?}}
* Brazilian actor [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ChkcZ4KYPbg/TUGZfZb0iQI/AAAAAAAADvk/nLXyOpMDeLE/s1600/tony.jpg Tony Ramos]{{Dead link}}, whose hairy body is frequently parodied by local comedians.
* Jayne Cobb in ''[[Firefly]]''.

== Music ==
* [[Kiss]]: Hairy chests very much on display in their stage costumes, notably Paul Stanley with the jumpsuit split to the waist and a truly luxurious carpet.
** [http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22300000/Paul-Stanley-kiss-22397645-755-1023.jpg Oh] [http://quizilla.teennick.com/user_images/I/IL/ILO/ILOVEPAULSTANLEY/1259782927_9508_full.jpeg yes]
* Freddie Mercury of [[Queen]] liked showing off his hairy chest during performances: think sequined jumpsuits transcending normal limits on scooped necks.
* [[X Japan]] and <nowiki>Ra:IN</nowiki> guitarist [[Tomoaki Ishizuka|Pata]]
* [[Van Halen|David Lee Roth]]. Chest Hair and neon Singlets.
* The one and only [http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Tom_Jones_in_speedo.jpg Tom Jones], of course.
* [[Iron Maiden]]'s [[Bruce Dickinson]].
* [[Blur (band)|Damon Albarn]], which is a [http://i55.tinypic.com/muxzih.jpg great] [http://i54.tinypic.com/x6bplt.jpg contrast] to his fairly girly face.
* [[Michael Bolton]] in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv5vMJKBAbo "Said I Loved You But I Lied."] His shirt is open down to three buttons, showing off his chest hair [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|while he sings from the top of a goddamned mountain and white horses run through fire on the beach below him]].

== Professional Wrestling ==
* Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall rocked a hairy chest back in the day, as he was, of course "oozing machismo, mang" Also, [[Shawn Michaels]] had one in the mid-late 1990s, and Albert, who might as well be a real life Wolverine in the hairy chest department. Albert would often get chants of "Shave your back!" from the crowd.

== Video Games ==
* Zangief and Blanka in ''[[Street Fighter II]]''. Zangief's chest hair is so iconic, that ''his Mecha costume'' has the equivalent in the form of a metal plate. And just in case you were concerned it isn't thick enough, they've also got a good growth of shin hair.
* Al-Cid from ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]''.
* ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' has Saxton Hale, CEO of Mann Co, the company producing gear used in the game. He is always depicted bare chested and his chest hair grows in the shape of Australia. He's also the hero of ''Saxton Hale's Thrilling Tales'' as a pastiche of Steve Irwin: "You Will Believe a Shark can Cry". According to a comic about the Engineer Update, chest hair is a quality shared by all Australian men, implied to be brought about by Australium, a mineral that not only is responsible for their hyper-advanced technology but brings about literal [[Testosterone Poisoning]] (even Australian women have bushy mustaches). Hidden images in the update indicate that the Engineer's grandfather, Radigan Conagher, also developed a patch of chest hair (in the shape of Texas) and a bushy mustache in response to Australium exposure.
* ''[[Star Fox (series)|Star FOX]]'': Who'd think someone like Wolf O'Donnell would get one in his ''[[Super Smash Bros.|Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' appearance? He's the Type 1 variety, too, when judged by his whole costume!
* [[Depraved Bisexual|Vamp]] in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' has [[Mr. Fanservice|type one]] of these, distinguishing from and adding to the subtext between him and his [[Bishonen]] opponent, Raiden.
* ''[[Tekken]]'': Marduk is the only male character by default to have chest hair in the games, a departure from all of the other guys, who look like they have waxed chests.
* Both [https://web.archive.org/web/20091228180823/http://ui12.gamespot.com/2379/shadow_2.png Shadow the Hedgehog] and [http://www.firstcomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/chara_silver.gif Silver the Hedgehog]{{Dead link}} from the [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] games have a notable "chest fur".
** In Silver's case, this is an odd example of the trope, since he's the youngest male hedgehog in the cast - how many 14 year-olds do you know with that much chest hair?
*** [[Furry Reminder|He is a hedgehog.]] [[MST3K Mantra|Don't think about it too hard.]]
*** Some people speculate that he gets it from his father...
* Nathaniel "Rock" Adams from the ''[[Soul Calibur]]'' series is a Type 1, and part of his customizable outfit in ''Soul Calibur IV'' allows any other man to have chest hair, as well.
* Yangus is a type 2 in ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]''.
* Varric from ''[[Dragon Age II]]''. Type 1 variety. This is frequently commented upon by the other characters; Fenris mentions that the [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|traditional dwarven beard]] seems to have fallen onto his chest.

== Web Comics ==
* Commander Badass from ''[[Manly Guys Doing Manly Things]]'' has the Type 1 variety. He once challenged Varric from ''[[Dragon Age 2]]'' to a contest to determine who had the manliest chest hair.
** His nemesis, Canadian Guy, also has a Carpet of Virility.
* ''[[Erfworld]]'': Stanley, in his ''[[Kiss]]''-inspired war outfit.
* One webcomic (whose name is lost to the depths of time) featured a [[Kavorka Man]] who chalked up his luck with women to having chest hair that grew in the shape of the ''Superman shield.''
* ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'' has General Tarquin showing off his after a night of conquest with his future wife [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0749.html here].
* ''[[Scandinavia and The World]]'''s Canada: [http://satwcomic.com/canada-the-bishie The hairiest Bishonen EVER].

== Web Original ==
* Ghira Belladonna, father to Blake Belladonna in ''[[RWBY]]'', has a very large and solid patch of chest hair which is constantly visible thanks to the open-front top he wears.

== Western Animation ==
* Avoided in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'', Brock Sampson has every other over-the-top manly stereotype going on, but they couldn't give him the Carpet of Virility because it over-complicated his animation. Jackson and Doc lament this during at least one commentary track. Occasionally in early episodes you can still see evidence of it around his clothes.
* The surprisingly manly-looking tennis pony [[Fan Nickname|Ace]] in the ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' episode "Call of the Cutie", who comes with this, sideburns, ''and'' a [[Badass Mustache]]. Some fans have noted [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|a resemblance between him and Andre Agassi.]]

{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Always Male]]
[[Category:Hair Tropes]]
[[Category:Masculinity Tropes]]
[[Category:The Seventies]]