On How a Trend Can Save Lives: #nomakeupselfie

For the last few weeks, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have been flooded with pictures of women without makeup under the hagstag ‘#nomakeupselfie’ in order to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Not many people seem to know the origin of this trend... It's been reported that the idea began when American author Laura Lippman tweeted a “nomakeupselfie” in support of Kim Novak who had been criticised for her appearance at the Oscars.

University of Birmingham student, Freya Bell.

Right after that, the trend of taking a “selfie” without makeup spread like wildfire. It seems to have been at this stage when Cancer Research UK took the opportunity to revive an old social media campaign they had launched back in 2013: ‘Dare To Bare’.

This previous campaign encouraged women to get sponsored to go to work, do social activities and go on nights out without their makeup on.

Now in 2014, the #nomakeupselfie trend raised £8 million from text and online donations as of the 25^th of March in just six days. This money will be used to fund clinical trials and to undertake research for more effective treatments and tests for cancer.

Cancer research is not only seeking for a cure or for the extension of life, but also to improve the quality of life for those who currently suffer from cancer.

Nevertheless, the campaign has come under some scrutiny. For instance, some have noticed how people have missed the point of the campaign and haven't donated any money.

I asked some students at the University of Birmingham if the message to donate money for breast cancer research seemed to have been forgotten as the campaign went viral, and the answer was mostly yes. This seemed to be because the idea of empowering women was so strong that it eclipsed the fundamental message.

Even so, should this also be seen as a criticism? To me, it's a win-win situation. Whether a woman's picture wants to show “donate money for cancer research”, or “I’m a woman and I’m being empowered”, or both, the important thing is that these pictures are contributing to something good.

However, for me, the shocking thing is that it takes such a campaign in order to prompt people to donate money for good causes.

I have been told by a student that to be seen without makeup is such a big deal nowadays, and so maybe this is another aspect of the campaign - to show that it's okay for women to go out fresh-faced.

Scarlett Johansson for Vanity Fair

In the early ‘Dare To Bare’ campaign, women had to do daily activities without makeup, and even though most of them wanted to look their best, as pointed out to me by some students, no proof of it would last for other people to know that they did it.

By contrast, the #nomakeupselfie campaign obliges women to post pictures on different social networking sites for all their friends to see and where it will last for a very long time.

Recently, celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts and even men (Brad Pitt, Martin Scorsese...) have taken part in a photoshoot for America's Vanity Fair where it seems they aren't wearing any makeup and most certainly have had no added nips and tucks courtesy of Photoshop.

Also, actress Gwyneth Paltrow posted a makeup-free picture of herself on Instagram to raise awareness of the water-providing charity Drop4Drop. I have not seen any criticism for these, and in general, it seems a shame to criticize a campaign that started out as a trend and that later became a fundraising hit.

From Gwyneth Paltrow Instagram

The only criticism I could make after doing the proper research for this topic is about a counterpart campaign I have found, #cockinasock, where men wear a sock over their genitals in order to raise awareness for testicular cancer.

I am not saying that this is a stupid campaign, raising awareness for testicular cancer is of course extremely important. But by creating a campaign like this, aren't we categorizing cancer by gender?

For me, I feel a joint approach would be more effective. The creation of this second campaign makes transgender people invisible in cancer research terms.

And like Albus Dumbledore once said “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided" ;)

Text BEAT to 70099 to donate £3 and post a #nomakeselfie, a #cockinasock picture or do whatever you want, but please, donate.

(As publised at RedBrick Newspaper http://www.redbrick.me/2014/04/nomakeupselfie/)