no make-up selfie
Most people are aware of the facebook craze at the moment of women posting selfies without make-up to raise awareness of cancer. They've raised £2 million so far.
Of course there has been a backlash. These women are posers, vain, lazy, they are all being self congratulating and getting cooing comments from each other. They've made it about them rather than cancer.
This just pisses me off. I'm no fan of selfies personally, I tend to think they are the height of dumb vanity esp. by celebs, HOWEVER I think it's the height of nastiness to criticize women doing this. It doesn't matter why it started, who cares if it's vain, it's getting money for a deadly disease that needs all the money possible.
My mum has battled lymphomia TWICE in the last 20 months, It was painful, horrible, soul destroying. Both my grans died of cancer, my granddad died of cancer, one of my aunts did. Most of us know someone who has had cancer, why on earth would we berate women who are trying to help? If it was something different, would it cause such a backlash? are all the people who run marathons for cancer self-congratulatory and wanting attention? What about people doing Sports Relief? Why do we have to be so cynical and dismissive?
it also taps into something else, women's identities. Make-up is a fundamental part of being a women, whether you wear it or not. I rarely wear make-up myself and not because I hasten to add I am oh so comfortable in my own skin, for a lot of women not wearing make-up is scary. Women have so much pressure to look good - but still look 'natural' too much make-up and you'er a slut, too little and you're dull/an annoying man-hating feminist. To see pictures of women not wearing make-up I think is good. It reminds other women it's OK to have pores, not have perfectly smooth eyebrows, to have a couple of blemishes. Women should be encouraged be to OK with how they look without make-up.
Young girls are constantly drawing attention over being worried about body image, isn't this an encouraging message, that you look OK without make-up, that it's not about the outside shell you present? They are doing it for a good cause and for some women it's a huge thing not to wear make-up in a forum where everyone can see. Don't dismiss or belittle women doing this. Yes some will be jumping on the band-wagon, some do it for compliments, some do it because they don't want to be left out, but a lot of women believe in finding a cure for cancer, most of these women will be affected by cancer in some form, so they have a vested interest.
On a more personal note, my sister who was highly skeptical of this for a while eventually posted a make-up free selfie of herself when she found out how much money it was raising. She isn't confident about her looks even after she's spent over half an hour on make-up. She has self esteem issues and would most definitely not do this for attention, for her it's a massive, massive thing and how DARE someone suggest she's being self congratulatory.
I can't imagine men were mocked for their creative mustaches for Movember - why are women any different? Why can't we just be happy they are raising money. That £2 million and counting will stop more families and people going through or surviving the devastating effects of cancer.
The people who are criticizing them, why don't they just shut up and make a donation for cancer research instead and to be blunt if they or someone they loved had cancer, and women's selfies raised enough money for a pioneering treatment, I'm sure they'd morally object and refuse it....
grow up and shut up and stop damn well picking on women who are doing nothing wrong!
Of course there has been a backlash. These women are posers, vain, lazy, they are all being self congratulating and getting cooing comments from each other. They've made it about them rather than cancer.
This just pisses me off. I'm no fan of selfies personally, I tend to think they are the height of dumb vanity esp. by celebs, HOWEVER I think it's the height of nastiness to criticize women doing this. It doesn't matter why it started, who cares if it's vain, it's getting money for a deadly disease that needs all the money possible.
My mum has battled lymphomia TWICE in the last 20 months, It was painful, horrible, soul destroying. Both my grans died of cancer, my granddad died of cancer, one of my aunts did. Most of us know someone who has had cancer, why on earth would we berate women who are trying to help? If it was something different, would it cause such a backlash? are all the people who run marathons for cancer self-congratulatory and wanting attention? What about people doing Sports Relief? Why do we have to be so cynical and dismissive?
it also taps into something else, women's identities. Make-up is a fundamental part of being a women, whether you wear it or not. I rarely wear make-up myself and not because I hasten to add I am oh so comfortable in my own skin, for a lot of women not wearing make-up is scary. Women have so much pressure to look good - but still look 'natural' too much make-up and you'er a slut, too little and you're dull/an annoying man-hating feminist. To see pictures of women not wearing make-up I think is good. It reminds other women it's OK to have pores, not have perfectly smooth eyebrows, to have a couple of blemishes. Women should be encouraged be to OK with how they look without make-up.
Young girls are constantly drawing attention over being worried about body image, isn't this an encouraging message, that you look OK without make-up, that it's not about the outside shell you present? They are doing it for a good cause and for some women it's a huge thing not to wear make-up in a forum where everyone can see. Don't dismiss or belittle women doing this. Yes some will be jumping on the band-wagon, some do it for compliments, some do it because they don't want to be left out, but a lot of women believe in finding a cure for cancer, most of these women will be affected by cancer in some form, so they have a vested interest.
On a more personal note, my sister who was highly skeptical of this for a while eventually posted a make-up free selfie of herself when she found out how much money it was raising. She isn't confident about her looks even after she's spent over half an hour on make-up. She has self esteem issues and would most definitely not do this for attention, for her it's a massive, massive thing and how DARE someone suggest she's being self congratulatory.
I can't imagine men were mocked for their creative mustaches for Movember - why are women any different? Why can't we just be happy they are raising money. That £2 million and counting will stop more families and people going through or surviving the devastating effects of cancer.
The people who are criticizing them, why don't they just shut up and make a donation for cancer research instead and to be blunt if they or someone they loved had cancer, and women's selfies raised enough money for a pioneering treatment, I'm sure they'd morally object and refuse it....
grow up and shut up and stop damn well picking on women who are doing nothing wrong!