Thursday 1 November 2012

November, Movember

This year I thought it would be "fun" to support prostate and testicular cancer initiatives so I'm joining Movember's cause to raise awareness for men's health. So I've decided to grow a moustache this month and surprisingly my wife doesn't object. Then we discuss what would be appropriate t-shirt slogan for cancer awareness for men.


I, of course, say "fun" — with fluffy bunny ears as Eddie Izzard might say it — because cancer is no laughing matter, not that I would actually know since I've never had cancer. But from what I've seen in movies and TV shows it doesn't seem like a lot of fun "living" five years at a time. Besides I'm pretty sure several people from my biological fathers side has died in cancer, so for once I am not going to be offensive or joke about it. Well not much anyway. I'm going to be offensive and make jokes, but in a respectful way. If that makes any sense?

Apparently there's t-shirts with slogans like "Squeeze a Boob, Save a Life" to raise awareness for breast cancer. But apparently some people find that offensive because they feel it sexualizes cancer. Which I suppose I can understand… well… as much as someone who doesn't have boobs can, I suppose. But here's my proposal to level the playing field a little bit. Can I buy a t-shirt with the slogan "Cup a Ball, Save a Life"?



Which apparently is not same, or equal in any way according to my wife. Curse me and my big mouth — I just told her about my t-shirt idea — and her first response was "Mmm… okay, but that's not comparable. Sexualizing men empowers them, whereas women have always been degraded by it".

And, sadly, she's actually quite right. I wish society as a whole would had evolved further by now but we really haven't. But maybe this should be the topic for some other day? And for now I suspect I'm going to have to put my t-shirt idea on hold. Or?



"A Finger Up The Bum, And To Cancer I Won't Succumb" has the wife-seal of approval but it's not quite a catchy as the other one. And definitely not as easy say. How many people even understand the word "succumb"? So yeah, definitely putting these ideas on hold for now.

Right. Where was I? Right, Movember. Truth be told, I'm not actually joining them, which is why I sneakily said that I would join their cause. I really can't be bothered to join the site and track my progress or something like that but I do want to support their cause. So, I'm simply following their guidelines/rules which states the following;

"Once registered at movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. For the entire month each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache. There is to be no joining of the mo to the sideburns (that’s considered a beard), there’s to be no joining of the handlebars to the chin (that’s considered a goatee) and each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman."

Skip the registered part and I'm all set to go, having shaved before I started writing this. Yes I technically didn't start this day being clean shaven but it's close enough for me to count it as such. This month onwards I shall be known as a true gentleman… with a moustache. Well by the end of Movember at least, hopefully. If I feel extra adventurous I might even snap a quick picture of the 'stache and post it here at the end of Movember. But don't get your hopes up too much I'm pretty sure I'm going to look ridiculous in a moustache.