According to Urbandictionary.com, No Shave November is “the month in which you don’t shave any hair off your body but instead you grow more bestial, brutish, and manly.” This movement, which encourages participants to neglect their razors for an entire month, has been gaining wide recognition since its beginnings in Melbourne, Australia. The official title is “Movember,” and it has inspired more than 1.1 million participants all over the world to come together to raise support for prostate cancer and other cancers affecting men.
On many college campuses, including Northeastern, the actual meaning behind “no-shave November” holds little significance other than an excuse not to shave. What started as an opportunity to promote awareness has now been transitioned into a month-long festivity denouncing male grooming. When asked about “no-shave November,” one NU male said, “I don’t know anything about it but I can’t not shave for co-op! I think I’d need to know the purpose behind it before I agreed to do it.” Another male student responded to the question by saying “I know guys are supposed to grow out their facial hair throughout the whole month of November. I don’t mind it; it gives me an excuse not to shave and it can be funny to see who keeps it going the longest.”
One NU senior has been growing out his facial hair every November for the last three years. This year he’s unable to continue this tradition due to job interviews. “It’s a huge bummer. I was just starting to make it a yearly thing,” he said. When asked what No Shave November meant to him and about his personal reasons for participating, he responded: “Although I have participated for several years now, I actually don’t know too much about it. I’ve heard several stories but I think someone mentioned that it had to do with breast cancer awareness. Anyways, I must say that I do not know much about it except for the fact that it’s a big fad at colleges and universities across the country.” For a student to continue a tradition for three years without knowing why he is doing it clearly shows that it is more the excitement of growing a beard than it is the desire to make a difference.
While the movement is certainly gaining wide recognition, there seems to be a significant disconnect between the act of participating and what that active participation actually means. One NU male acknowledged the fact that “no-shave November” is for prostate cancer awareness, but says he does not see the movement as a positive impact. “I know it’s for prostate cancer but I don’t really see the connection. I have some friends who are planning on doing it but I personally won’t be participating since I can’t grow a full beard. I don’t see how not shaving can help benefit prostate cancer research.”
So the question is: what sparks this disconnect between promotion and awareness? Are college men bypassing the actual promotion of testicular cancer for the more masculine act of growing facial hair? There is little being done by the University to promote this kind of awareness for male cancers. October is designated as breast cancer awareness month and the entire campus collaborates promotional efforts. It seems to me that more needs to be done for college men who could benefit from educational and promotional efforts on health risks that affect their particular sex.
Interested in joining the movement? Check out the Facebook event page.
Photos: Hello Magazine, No Shave November FB Event