life & style // no. 16 theotherpress.ca

The strange history of Movember

> How growing a moustache for fun became growing a moustache for charity

Greg Waldock
Staff Writer

 

ovember is kind of a weird thing.
Born in an Adelaide pub by a group

of presumably drunk Australians, the
idea gradually became international
and associated with many different
causes—most notably prostate cancer
awareness and ending stigmas around
men’s mental health. The journey from
South Australian in-joke to global
phenomenon is strange and difficult to
track, taking many bizarre twists and
turns since that original pub night in
1999, but one thing is clear: Everyone’s
on board when it comes to not shaving.

A group of Australian friends
gave birth to the idea of growing a
moustache for laughs after a long pub
night. The entire joke was to grow out
the facial hair for a month, an idea
which eventually attracted 80 members
to found the Movember Committee.
The group eventually sold shirts to
raise money for the RSPCA, jokingly
calling it “whiskers for whiskers.”

Years later, in 2004, a group of

apparently unrelated but inspired men
in Melbourne started the Movember
Foundation to raise awareness and
funding for various men’s prostate cancer
and depression organizations. This is
the group that reached international
fame for the idea of Movember and its
association with charity, raising around
$175 million over its history thus far. The
Foundation has since partnered with
celebrities, politicians, and corporations
worldwide to continue promoting
men’s mental and physical health.
People can donate at www.movember.
com, and the resulting funds go to the
country where the money was raised.
The idea of Movember has spread
far beyond the official charity work,
however. Since the mid-2000s, it’s become
incorporated into the mainstream culture,
coinciding nicely with growing playoff
beards in Canada and becoming popular
in moustache havens on the West Coast
of the US, such as Portland. Hopefully,
awareness of its connections with men’s
health is also growing, encouraging
people to end the stigma around getting
tested for prostate cancer or seeking

Fun things to do
in November

> Yes, they actually exist

Mercedes Deutscher
Social Media Coordinator

 

e’re in the midst of No-Fun

November. It will probably be
raining 75 per cent of the time, everyone
is trying to save money before the holiday
season gets into full swing, and seasonal
depression disorder is kicking in. However,
No-Fun November is a misnomer. There
are fun things to do this month—you just
have to know where to look for them!

Pajama Movie Day with loved ones
Stores are full of cozy pajamas. Grab a
friend, significant other, family member,
etc. and find a pair of matching pajamas
on sale. Spend the rest of the day
indoors and watch a movie or a good
TV show. This is great for rainy days,

or for right after you hand in your big
term paper. Snacks are mandatory.

Check out an open mic or

support of local show

Vancouver (and its surrounding areas) are
full of free or cheap open mics to attend
or perform in. There is something for
everyone—comedy, music, spoken-word
poetry, you name it! Plus, many of these
open mics are hosted in local businesses,
so you can feel good about supporting

all kinds of up-and-comers in the city.

Feed your brain with a museum trip
Metro Vancouver is full of exciting
museums! Science World, the Vancouver
Art Gallery, and Vancouver Aquarium are
classics that are always rotating exhibits.
Still, if you find yourself either bored of
the big museums or deterred by admission

fees ($25 admission isn’t cheap!), there are
plenty more museums to check out. There
is something for everyone’s interests—the
Vancouver Police Museum, the Museum
of Anthropology, BC Sports Hall of Fame,
and the Burnaby Village Museum are just
a few. Plus, many of these museums offer
low or free admissions at least once a week!

Play games

E-Spot in Richmond and CHQ in
Metrotown both offer a vast choice

of arcade games to play, so save your
quarters and loonies! Looking for
something strategic? Try out one

of Vancouver's many escape rooms.
Want to game in virtual reality? There
are a few VR establishments open in
Vancouver and Richmond. Do you prefer
tabletop over digital? Both Stormcrow
locations—Stormcrow Alehouse on
West Broadway, and Stormcrow Tavern
on Commercial—and Pizzaria Ludica
in Keefer Place are just a few restaurants
that let you take games to the table.

Test your knowledge

Why study for exams when you could
show off your knowledge of pop
culture? Trivia nights are becoming
more popular around town. Consider
yourself nerdy? Head to the Heritage
Grill in New West for Fandom Feud on
the last Tuesday of the month. Knowa
lot about the Simpsons, How I Met Your
Mother, Rick and Morty, etc? There are
recurring trivia shows for those as well.

No matter what you decide to do,
the key to surviving No-Fun November
is to put yourself out there and enjoy!

professional help with depression. So,
if you're struggling with your health in
any way and feel weak for getting help,

just remember that there are millions of
men around the world and several drunk
Australians telling you it’s perfectly okay.

 

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This week’s post is by @hejnatasha

 

Illustration by Cara Seccafien