08 November 2010

The Multiple Moods of Movember

It's that time again: the wild Sydney weather is kicking (large hailstones in the west today), the school terms are ending for the summer, people are thinking about what they'll be barbecuing this Christmas, and gentlemen all over town are sporting disgusting new growth on their upper lips. That's right, it's Movember!

"Movember" plays on the Australian slang for "mustache" (or, I suppose, "moustache"), which is "mo". The incongruity of this term with the American "stache" or the British "tache" seems to present a challenge from the get-go, but otherwise Movember is doing well, spreading around the globe. This pleasant portmanteau refers to a month-long celebration of all things mo-related, with the do-goodery purpose of raising funds and awareness of men's health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer and male depression. Most people who participate do it like a fun run: sponsor a stache, if you will. It's been a huge hit largely because it gives guys an excuse to live vicariously and grow a sleazy little mustache from scratch, and then cavort about town.

The past two years I've already had a beard and didn't feel like getting rid of it. This year, though, clean-faced, I'm giving it a go with guys from the office. We put up a "before" poster in the kitchen asking people for donations, there will be bake sales, and we've jacked up the price of Friday afternoon beer $1 to raise funds too. I think we'll do alright by the end of the month.

Anyway, here's the first of the weekly reports. The mo is in a truly revolting phase at the moment, but you be the judge. You'll see here that, like the great Actor I am, I have used my proto-mustache to inhabit three characters.

First, the friendly young shopkeep who turns out to be the murderer in the 30's mystery:



















Second, the snooty French maitre d', probably in the same 30's mystery:















Third, the...well...the Boo Radley?















In that last one I was actually aiming to make the front cover of derp.com. Win!

Keep it locked to TEAET for all yer Movember updates!

2 comments:

  1. I almost hoped that all three pictures would be the same.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You mean like those "The Many Moods of Cats" posters? Yeah, that woulda been good.

    Oh, and you can donate to my team here, if you're feeling flush!

    ReplyDelete