Dare to bare for Cancer Research

One of the biggest news stories this week is how a trend on the social networking site Facebook went viral and has raised over £2 million for the Cancer Research UK charity with the No Make-Up Selfie campaign. And, like a lot of people across the country it has captured our imagination here at the Oakeley Arms.

Our Facebook feed has been full all week of pictures of our friends and family posing for “selfie” pictures without any make-up on, in a bid to raise awareness and money for cancer charities. This simplest of ideas has taken Facebook by storm, as each “selfie” nominates friends to do the same. But just how on earth did this capture the country’s imagination, and so quickly?

No-one is really sure exactly how it began, although it’s thought to be in sympathy for Hollywood actress Kim Novak, who received intense criticism for her appearance at the Oscars. People began posting pictures of themselves in unflattering light or without make-up on, as an anti-dote to the usually heavily made-up shots of celebrities, and as a backlash against cruel celebrity culture, particularly against women. Kim Novak has just received treatment for breast cancer, so the link to cancer awareness was sparked.

One of the fascinating things about the No Make-Up Selfie campaign was that it wasn’t dreamt up by the cancer charity themselves. This kind of publicity is usually months in the making and costs thousands of pounds to orchestrate, but this trend grew organically, and it shows the power of social media.

The campaign has come under fire and been criticised for many reasons – for encouraging vanity and for being far removed from the idea of cancer, to name a few – however, it’s got people talking, it’s got people donating who wouldn’t otherwise and it’s brought breast cancer awareness to the forefront of many people’s Facebook page.

One thing’s for sure, the No Make-Up Selfie campaign has raised over £2 million pounds for Cancer Research UK, which is no mean feat for a campaign that wasn’t even a campaign! The money raised will fund important research work to help beat cancer once and for all, something that can only be a good thing.

For more information, visit the Cancer Research UK website or the No Make Up Selfie Facebook Page and if you haven’t already then why not get involved and post your own No Make-Up Selfie for cancer awareness and donate by texting BEAT to 70099.