Raised some money for Movember? You're a racist apparently

Foxhound38 · 03-12-2013 05:03AM #1

Someone linked me to this article today from the New Statesman, and sadly it is no parody...

Apparently anyone who takes part in movember (which raised millions this year for cancer research) is a racist, a sexist, and an imperialist... and this isn't coming from some crank media outlet, the New Statesman is relatively mainstream...

So yeah, apparently it's racist because white people growing a mustasche is culturally appropriating and then ridiculing cultures where mustasche growth is a religious or cultural symbol.

It's also sexist because women and trans-men can't really grow them. Also some lads get drunk and did stupid things in the name of the craic at the galas associated with it, so obviously that means all participants are worse than Hitler...

I wish I was overstating the thrust of this article. On the plus side, I've never seen a comments section more united in derision in my life!

P_1 · 03-12-2013 05:26AM

Cirkey that just reads like a whinge from somebody with far too much time on their hands. So we can ad growing moustaches to the can not do list for straight white males according to it

kneemos · 03-12-2013 05:29AM

Sounds like he's swallowed the big book of political correctness and had a thesaurus for afters.

Dublinpato · 03-12-2013 05:33AM

I can't grow a mustache so i'am in the clear ye bunch of racist's

OwaynOTT · 03-12-2013 05:47AM

Ah here.

COYVB · 03-12-2013 05:58AM

Knew it'd be a woman who wrote it before I even looked... and there's nothing sexist about that comment

Nodin · 03-12-2013 05:59AM

Foxhound38 wrote: »

Someone linked me to this article today from the New Statesman, and sadly it is no parody...

Apparently anyone who takes part in movember (which raised millions this year for cancer research) is a racist, a sexist, and an imperialist... and this isn't coming from some crank media outlet, the New Statesman is relatively mainstream...

So yeah, apparently it's racist because white people growing a mustasche is culturally appropriating and then ridiculing cultures where mustasche growth is a religious or cultural symbol.

It's also sexist because women and trans-men can't really grow them. Also some lads get drunk and did stupid things in the name of the craic at the galas associated with it, so obviously that means all participants are worse than Hitler...

I wish I was overstating the thrust of this article. On the plus side, I've never seen a comments section more united in derision in my life!

Needs a kick in the ring. Perhaps two.

Duggy747 · 03-12-2013 06:34AM

Click bait.

Arianne Shahvis must be a psuedo-name because there's no trace of them beyond that one article.

Anyways, you'd really have to be a special kind of stupid to believe there's something inherently wrong with Movember in regards to sexism or racism.

osarusan · 03-12-2013 07:17AM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Arianne Shahvis must be a psuedo-name because there's no trace of them beyond that one article.

http://www.aub.edu.lb/nfo/new_faculty_profile/Pages/fall2013bio.aspx

3rd name on that list.

tritium · 03-12-2013 07:49AM

Called someone who raised cancer funds a racist?

You're a cnut apparently

Yes I'm looking at you Miss Shahvis, you mad wierdo!

Dravokivich · 03-12-2013 09:59AM

Article won't seem to load for me, but from the summary in the OP, it sounds to me like someone was looking for a reason to be shocked. Should we be upset when women look to promote breast cancer awareness amongst women, when men can get it too? That's how petty it sounds to me.

Sinfonia · 03-12-2013 10:16AM

Some people can't grow moustaches, therefore nobody should grow a moustache until all people can grow moustaches.

Some people already have moustaches, therefore nobody else should grow a moustache and have people laugh at them. Otherwise, the people who already had moustaches may indirectly have their feelings hurt.

These are the two points made in the article, and I feel I am in no way oversimplifying or distorting any sentiment.

NTMK · 03-12-2013 10:24AM

that article is one of the most idiotic things ive ever read.

tin79 · 03-12-2013 10:25AM

Oh FFS the moustache doesn't have any cultural significance. Its just some f*cking hair that grows on my face!

What next should I wax my arse crack so I don't offend the pigmy tribe of the bald anus islands.

Movember is open to women too. Old grannies and Lesbos and trannies and low oestrogen types.

Some people them statesmen.

Links234 · 03-12-2013 10:28AM

Christ, this is pure tumblrite drivel!

The author may have had some decent points, such as:

Shouldn't it be built around teaching men to self-examine for lumps, challenging taboos surrounding psychiatric illness, and encouraging men to minimise drinking, smoking and red meat consumption, all of which have been associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer?

But for crying out loud, when you're making accusations that growing a mustache is racist, whatever point you may have had is going to get lost in a din of people having gotten their backs up. And yes, while men's health issues still need a boost, at least the whole movember thing is actually doing something!

Conmaicne Mara · 03-12-2013 10:32AM

Paper never refused ink.

pablomakaveli · 03-12-2013 10:36AM

Wow that article is a good example of someone scraping the bottom of the barrel for something to be offended about.

03-12-2013 10:37AM

Anything about breast cancer awareness is sexist because I don't have breasts.

Well, not really, but I find it completely idiotic.

Movember was one of the first proper things that brought forward any sort of health awareness for men and has hopefully opened the doorway for more to come.

The Pheasant2 · 03-12-2013 10:43AM

"Some of them shave the beard but others let it grow a little; and the nobles shave their cheeks but they let the moustache grow until it covers the mouth"

That's a description of the Celtic peoples by Greek historian Diodorus Siculus from between 60 - 30BC! We've been growing moustaches around these parts for thousands of years, so the author can shove that up her PC hole!

Hande hoche! · 03-12-2013 10:43AM

Not the only clown complaining about it http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2013/11/movember-as-micro-aggression/

03-12-2013 10:47AM

I've tried typing a response a couple of times. But all I can say is Jesus bloody Christ.

Speechless.

.jacksparrow. · 03-12-2013 10:54AM

What about shave or dye?

Is it seen as a sacrifice or an embarrassing thing to go bald or dye your hair red to raise money.

Wibbs · 03-12-2013 10:56AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I've tried typing a response a couple of times. But all I can say is Jesus bloody Christ.

Speechless.

Ditto Whoops, though I kept typing "the author is a moron", so that will suffice. As is the "author" of the guff Hande hoche! linked above.

conorhal · 03-12-2013 10:58AM

Ugh... You know what else is sexist? Testicular cancer, how dare it refuse to effect women.

She's also dead wrong, I've never met a militant feminist that had difficulty growing a mustache.....

03-12-2013 11:25AM

While we're at it, I find it sexist that I can't enter the Flora Mini Marathon.

Well, not really.

I understand that some women dislike Movember for the simple fact that they dislike moustaches and would rather their men not grow one, but to then call it sexist because women can't? The mind... it really boggles.

.jacksparrow. · 03-12-2013 11:27AM

Its nearly January, women can have their fanuary and men won't complain.

Schism · 03-12-2013 11:36AM

I'm actually frowning here reading that. The writer comes across with such personal hatred for Movember, it's pitiful.

Fairly transparently the immediate impression she gives is that she feels left out, not being able to grow a moustache and is sick of reading about it on Facebook. Then tries to justify her own personal agenda by saying it's racist because mainly non-white men wear moustaches? What? Men of all races have moustaches, I suppose it's offensive to old English gentlemen too?

Not only that but it's sexist? The whole idea of Movember is to highlight prostate cancer, a male affliction. Does it not make sense to go with something inherently male? And another thing, if any woman had the guts to wear a fake moustache for the whole month of November I guarantee she'd raise far more money and awareness than any man could.

Sorry for spitting vitriol at you guys reading but that's gotten me very worked up.

rubadub · 03-12-2013 11:37AM

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

What about shave or dye?

Shaving hair would offend monks. Dying hair would offend old ladies who think you are making fun of them.

Banjo String · 03-12-2013 11:39AM

Setun · 03-12-2013 11:45AM

Glad I read that article. My Dad is a white man who has had a moustache since the 1970s, I know now him to be a massive racist and will inform him of that immediately.

Daqster · 03-12-2013 11:49AM

Arianne Shahvisi

Research Interests: Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Cosmology, Philosophy Of Science, Unity of science, Metaphysics, The Direction of Time, Emergence, and Feminism

Say no more.

Raised some money for Movember? You're a racist apparently

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