Science writer Julian Vallance tells us how being lazy, and stopping shaving for a month, can help save lives.

movember

 The hurricane was nothing compared to what’s coming. From the thrusting winds and relentless tapping of rain

on our window panes, to the battered pavements of our southern coastline, you would think that there could be no other sounds to be heard during the storm. In between the tooting car horns and rain drenched workers cursing their still wind prone brollies, there is another sound building on the horizon.

A sound of many parts that echoes over the rolling hills of Bristol and all across our fair lands. That sound is the culmination of sharp steal against grind stone, like soldiers of Middle Earth preparing for battle, bearded and

unshaven. A sound of buffing and cleaning of bathroom mirrors, shimmering with a sparkle and clarity that would make the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror blush with righteous insecurity. Sounds of dashing gentleman across the land,  gathering pace to meet the challenge of a ‘MOst’ important quest of November, yes friends, it is time for Movember.
But what is Movember I hear you cry in excitement? I need to know more…

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Movember was started by a group of our Australian cousins earlier this century, who had the idea of growing a moustache (commonly known to adoring fans as simply the ‘Mo’) for a month to raise money for men’s health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer awareness and research. You will become the envy of clean shaven men everywhere and endure the adoration of those who would consider the Mo: ‘the sheer definition of sex appeal’.

The rules of Movember are as simple as the enduring sex appeal of the Mo itself.

You start on November 1st fresh faced, eager and ‘MOtivated’, then for whole of November grow a Mo, no goatees, no joining side burns; we mean full 70’s lovin’, Starsky and Hutch drivin’, hairy biker handle bar speedin’ masters of the Mo!

 

Mo stats

From tireless hypothetical research, done by our crack highly-trained under-paid shoddily-undercover WesternEye research team, we found that over 74.41% of the 16.5 men and women who could take part in a survey would agree that the Mo is ‘MOTASTIC’, and 35.69% of 3.5 people we could interview would think the MO is ‘SEXIFIED’. ‘But MOst’ importantly 100% of the entire 36.8 men and women hypothetically interviewed said that ‘growin’ the Moin’ was for a ‘GREAT CAUSE’. So I say to you friends, grow your Mo; you don’t need no better hypothesis than that!

Banish those razors and let your top lip know who’s boss. Purr like the engine of a Harley, and roar like the mighty Mo beast you are. (Pause for a ‘grrr’ break here.) The sillier the better, ditch Mr Vanity for a month, he ain’t welcome here, this is all about raising awareness and looking silly, ahem sorry, I mean sorry ‘SEXIFIED‘ for a month.

 

The serious side of Movember

Money raised from Global Movember campaigns goes towards raising awareness and funds research for men’s health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer. Some facts about why we fight the Movember cause:

  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.
  • 10,000 men die of Prostate cancer every years, that’s one every hour.
  • One in eight men will get Prostate cancer.
  • Two out of three adults don’t know what the prostate gland does.

Only together can we beat cancer and by you taking part in Movember, or donating a few coins to a Mo friend, we can continue the mission to defeat cancer.

 

Get started

If any of you fancy joining the hordes of Mo wearers on another ‘MOmentous’ trip, it couldn’t be easier and donating is done safely and securely online. You can set up your own page here: http://uk.movember.com/get-involved/ and reach out to your friends on Facebook and Twitter. You can also join with friends to form a group effort.

 

Spread the word, spread the love and together let’s beat the big C.

 

Some useful links

To join the Movember elite head over to http://uk.movember.com/

For more information on Prostate Cancer http://prostatecanceruk.org/

movember