I judged it simply a failed attempt at humor. I wouldn't recommend he quit his day job to do standup, but then again, I can't really think of anyone around TS&S who I'd recommend do that

As for the general point of facial hair, my brother - who has on and off had a big bushy Karl Marx beard - noticed definite improvements in how he got treated when flying during his relatively brief breaks when clean-shaven or with a close-trimmed beard. OTOH, he LOOKS a lot of the time like he was at some anti-WTO protest (generally not far from the truth.)

The only times I've been mistreated by a TSAgent, it's been pretty clear that it was one who was treating everyone badly.

Overall, I think my record is a bit better than average, but then again other than a short mustache I am pretty much a "profile" of an inoffensive or unthreatening character - short, tubby, bespectacled, white and anglo-enough-looking, middle aged in appearance(*), well enough dressed not to be a hippy or a bum but casually enough so not to evoke any resentment.

(* I've been able to pass for ~5 years older than I actually am back to my mid-teens. Back then it was cool; these days, OTHER than looking inoffensive I can't think of many benefits of looking late-30s-to-40 in my mid 30s.)

If only that worked on Customs...