Movember. When Moustaches Go Bad

Something dramatic happened at the beginning of the month. Never mind intercepted bomb threats – my face had its first brush with fresh air for over 3 years. Beard gone. Face exposed. Okay; it was relatively dramatic.

Why? Movember. What? Movember – the annual joining of the Mo (slang for moustache) and the month of November for a charitable cause.

As they describe it: “Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st  clean shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.  Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.”

“The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia.  The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health.  Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.”

And it’s working – I’m 10,000 miles away from Melbourne, yet here I am growing and nurturing what could well develop into a comedic face piece. And overseas, my tweets about Movember were picked up by Lizzy – a US blogger, who kindly featured myself and other Movember folk.

Luckily, I’m not alone in the public humiliation. Good friend and frequent collaborator Nathaniel Cassidy is also growing the mo. Should make for some altogether creepy near-future Social Subversion social media workshops and presentations.

Every penny raised will be going to the Prostate Cancer Charity and Everyman (Institute of Cancer Research).

Cue the shameless plug/request. Please, please, please help make a difference, raise awareness and justify my soon-to-be-hideous facial hair.

You can donate to me safely online here

You can check My Mo Space and progress here or you can keep tabs on the Mo on the Tom Stables Creative Facebook Page, where I’ll be posting daily updates for your amusement.

Are you growing a Mo for Movember? Has it got you talking about the cause? Let me know, and let’s get the word out. Go the mo!