What are they teaching in school?

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Concordia’s student newspaper on Movember (November 2011):

The whole ‘Movember’ thing is cute and all, but can we stop and be real about it for a second? Movember is a movement to celebrate North American guys not practicing basic facial hygiene for a month in order to raise money towards saving a group of extremely privileged people—themselves.

Yes, if Movember was to raise money for people in third-world countries, for illiterate people, or homeless people, or for anything but what it is—which is privileged guys pretending they have it as hard as people with real problems—then it might come close to approaching something vaguely resembling worthwhile.

Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that, as far as cancers go, prostate cancer is not much of a cancer.

Flashback to Carleton 2008:

The Carleton University Students’ Association has voted to drop a cystic fibrosis charity as the beneficiary of its annual Shinearama fundraiser, supporting a motion that argued the disease is not “inclusive” enough.

Cystic fibrosis “has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men” said the motion read Monday night to student councillors, who voted almost unanimously in favour of it.

Queen’s University, 2006 (Toronto Star):

Queen’s University, one of Canada’s most academically elite schools, admits it has allowed a “culture of whiteness” to take root that fails to welcome visible minority students and professors.

And the university vows to be more aggressive in shedding its reputation as a tony enclave of white privilege, says vice-principal Patrick Deane.

  • Ron

    Hard to tell if it’s getting better or worse. Two years ago at Carleton, I took a class with the chair of the history department that was supposed to focus on the Enlightenment but at times devolved into rants about how the Holocaust never happened or how George W. Bush is a fascist.

  • Reppin’ the Mo

    This may make me sound selfish, but doesn’t it make sense for me to raise money for issues that affect me?  I understand the warm fuzzy feeling that philanthropy brings, but by raising money for prostate cancer I get that warm fuzzy feeling AND it helps fight a cancer that I am genetically predisposed to.  Double win!
    Alex Manley needs to get over his white guilt and realize that discrimination is discrimination no matter which group he is targeting.  I await a similar article dismissing breast cancer awareness next October.Also, prostate cancer is responsible for 10% of male cancer deaths and 27% of new cancer cases in men.  ”Not much of a cancer” indeed.
    http://www.cancer.ca/canada-wide/about%20cancer/cancer%20statistics/stats%20at%20a%20glance/prostate%20cancer.aspx

  • Aden

    1…2…Trend!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Carl-Raymond/100002680093976 Carl Raymond

    Of course, cancers that are specific to 50 % of the worlds population are not considered much of a cancer….in truth, the first time I actually grew a stache for november, I almost felt selfish. Truth be know, I have also donated tons for breast cancer, which is NEARLY a womans cancer (breast cancer in men is extremely rare) and that sort of put my mind at ease. I would have to assume the person who wrote that comment is a man hating feminist, which would mean that this charity would be meaningless for her….As far as throwing money into a 3rd world bottomless pit, where most of the money or benefit goes to warlords and armed militias, well I might think that some of those charities as unworthy…..as far as male privelage goes, those same privelaged ones are also the singe biggest contributor to many charities, most of which are not nearly as selfish as the prostate cancer charity. I support ANY CANCER FUNDRAISING…..

  • stewart

    In defense of Concordia, every one of the comments to that article condemned it as asinine.

  • http://www.stephentaylor.ca Stephen Taylor

    For the backlash it would generate, of course…

  • http://www.stephentaylor.ca Stephen Taylor

    For the backlash it would generate, of course…

  • Anonymous

    You should also note that Carleton reversed that decision.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, not because I want Breast Cancer awareness/charitable giving reduced.  Or that of any other cancer.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, not because I want Breast Cancer awareness/charitable giving reduced.  Or that of any other cancer.

  • Liz J

    “What are they teaching in school ?” Where to start on that one?
    Social engineering comes to mind.

  • Liz J

    “What are they teaching in school ?” Where to start on that one?
    Social engineering comes to mind.

  • Gabby in QC

    Blame the “privileged” Aussies … they started the Movember thing, not “privileged” North Americans.
    “The event was conceived in 1999 by a group of Australian men from Melbourne. It is also known as “Novembeard”.” [Wiki]

  • http://twitter.com/fartleby_ T. McGotes

    Do you really expect to be a White Male and post shit painting us priviledged motherfuckers as targets somehow. is revoling when white guys like me make all the problems worse by acting like we are being ignored or left behind somehow. We are still the ones running pretty near everything these days. Lets all grow up a little and have fun not shaving for a month.

  • Anonymous

    What are they teaching in school?

    That free speech is alive and well, at least there. And the flurry of comments below that article, rightly poking holes in it, show that there’s no shortage of critical, level-headed judgement either.

    (It wouldn’t hurt Liz J. to maybe take a night course or two, to see what she’s missing.)

    My ‘stache is coming along fine, thanks for asking.

  • just a joe blow

    “Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that, as far as cancers go, prostate cancer is not much of a cancer.”

    Ever had it, sport? I can attest that prostate cancer isn’t something to laugh away. It’s a man killer and not pretty if it really gets a hold on you. Try any cancer. I’ve had two in ten years, first kidney, then prostate. kidney has come back to bite this time – it ate a hole in my upper right arm big enough that the arm finally broke, ten years after being “cured” by removing the offending organ.  it’s spread to my lungs and liver. Having the dubious distinction of a degree granted by that sh@thole Concordia, i p#iss on the denizens of that university and have since flushed that piece of paper where it should go. If I could pass on what  I have to the ones who think prostate cancer isn’t mush of a cancer, I’d donate generously!

  • Anonymous
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