So Brad Frishberg (above left), my Facebook chum, has decided to grow a mustache for charity (check back in two months, he will look like above, right). I find the move odd, in that: A. Mustaches suck (mine is a goatee, dammit), and B. A Mustache for charity?
Hence, I’ve invited Brad to explain with a guest post. To join his Movember team, click on this link …
We dudes don’t have a color. We don’t have a color, and we don’t have a month.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We show our support by walking, running, biking, what have you. We collect money to donate for Breast Cancer research. There is camaraderie, and a collective feeling of doing something good for the people that we love.
We have also reached a point where there is nothing you can’t find in the color pink, “with a portion of the proceeds going to …” There are pink scarves, Wellington boots and nail polishes (naturally). There are also pink counter top mixers, can openers, post-it notes, spatulas, and yogurts.
Men don’t have any similar public collective battle, or battle cry. Probably because we’re just not as on top of things as the ladies are.
Well, this year I am participating in Movember. Movember begins November 1st, with a clean shave. And it ends November 30th, with whatever type of mustache suits one’s fancy. It’s an effort to rally men to focus on men’s health issues. I am doing it because it’s a good idea—but also because I think it will be fun.
Movember’s primary campaign objective is to raise awareness of men’s health issues, specifically cancers affecting men. It’s time men face some startling health facts:
• 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, 1 in 3 women will be.
• Men commit suicide four times as often as women.
• An estimated 8.7 million adult men over the age of 20 in the US have diabetes- and a third do not know it.
I guess, basically, since we guys can’t really get it together to all wear a color, or a pin, for a month … someone came up with the genius idea: instead of having all the guys WEAR or DO something, we’ll ask them to FORGET to do something for the month. Should work, no?
There’s a fundraising element to this as well. And I will definitely raise something. I am sure that by November 20th or so, my wife will pay whatever I want for me to shave clean again.
More interesting, though, is the idea of raising awareness of the health issues affecting men.
Join me. ‘Stache out for a month. Embrace your inner Magnum P.I., Freddie Mercury, Billy D. Williams, Hulk Hogan, Yosemite Sam. It’s for a good cause.
And you’ll look like John Oates.
PS: Coincidental note: Tomorrow night Jeff Pearlman and his wife are actually going to see John Oates in concert. Seriously, we are. In Port Washington, N.Y. Acoustic. Really. No, seriously. OK, stop laughing.
