To Have Said This

[NurseyWursey]

A woman on my facebook has just posted a 'selfie' of herself with no makeup with the caption 'I am doin this selfie with no make up on to raise awareness for cancer .. if your tagged in this then u have been nominated to do it'

I posted asking how exactly this is raising awareness for cancer.

Have had loads of inboxes of abuse from random people saying I'm evil and obviously don't give a shit about cancer

This reminds me of the trend a few years ago for dopey socialites and D list actresses posing naked to 'raise awareness of fur farming/skin cancer/whatever'.

Raise awareness of their own careers, more like. I agree with the consensus - showing off becomes even more annoying when the perpetrator tries to link it to a good cause!

nursey me too. I can't be Arsed to deal with the all the crap that people come out with. Far to ranty for my own good!
strawberry your DB is awesome

Holly Willoughby has done one too
I do not understand how it raises awareness either
All the 'aww Hun ur gawjus' is doing my fucking head in

NurseyWursey I'm glad I'm not the only one. I may have just posted a bit of a Facebook rant about this. Having watched my Dad suffer from cancer for years and endure months of chemo and radiotherapy, not to mention major spinal surgery; I fail to see how some jumped up bimbo posting a selfie helps cancer patients. Indeed, I find the whole thing makes me quite angry. I agree it's just because people want to be told they look pretty without make-up on.

YADNBU
another reason why I've deleted Facebook for good, it seems to turn some of the nicest most normal people you know in real life into prize prats. Like this, share that, show you care by commenting on this...how does fuck off sound?

It makes u realise how apart of them feel naked n ppl always lookin at u staring feeln vunerable naked I know my grandma felt like that so if these pics make ppl think even just for a second!!!! Yes donate to if poss even a £1 it helps!! x

That's the reply I got! Lovely girl who never wears make up anyway.

Still think it's a load of shit.

There's now people ranting about people ranting about the selfies. If that makes sense

'Ea I dickheads stop moanin bowt pplz postin selfies ur just bein desrespectful least where doin somethin!!! Go suk a lemon!!!'

I think I might close my account until this stupid thing has blown over

Just popped up on my fb. I have added a link to Cruk donations page. Waiting for the rants from morons. I think I'm now too old to "get" Facebook.

One hasn't popped up yet but can absolutely produce which of my FB "friends" will be posting soon (unfortunately extended family so can't unfriend)

I have as my current status a question asking how make up less selfies help fight cancer. No one has commented or liked it so no doubt they think I am a cancer loving butch. I lost my best friend to breast cancer when she was 34. I would do anything to stop others from that pain, but a picture of myself with no make up? Why? How does it really help. Glad I am not alone. The people on this thread have made me feel human again and less alone. I thank you all. These pointless Facebook chains to bring cancer awareness just make me weep with grief.

Are they really writing that way?!

Nearly every thing on my Facebook tonight has been a no makeup selfie for cancer awareness. It's given me the rage! I just don't understand how it helps? People are MORE than aware how devastating cancer is, but are they actually donating? I highly doubt it.

Lots of my daughter's friends are posting pictures, but also donating £2 to a just giving page that's been set up, one girl doesn't wear make up so filmed herself putting a tenner in a cancer charity box, so it's not all vanity and pointless !! I'm donating money instead of posting as well !

I've seen two fb rants about it now with people underneath saying things about it's showing 'solidarity'.

How exactly does it do anything? How does posting a selfie make up free do anything for cancer? Does it raise money? No.

Someone actually compared it to doing a marathon. Yes because one raises money and one doesn't so it's exactly the same....

Idiots.

Unfortunately, a lot of my friends are now saying no make up is to do with the vulnerability and embarrassment of cancer. Because the two are ao similar. Jesus.

Luckily my friends seem to be a pretty sweet bunch of people and are also posting screenshots of their 'thanks for your donation' texts and saying text x to x number, I have.

Just logged on and my newsfeed is full of this crap.

I so want to post a status saying, How's about you all donate a £1 instead and tell your friends you've done that'

Also irritated by all the 'ahhh babe, ur gawjus' comments!

My SIL is insisting it's to make women check their breasts and that she has checked hers as a result.

But I haven't seen a single mention of self-examination anywhere on my news feed along with these photos, just vague mentions of 'awareness of and support for cancer'! It didn't make me think to check my breasts.

Thanks for this :)

I just started an argument on a friend's page by asking HOW the pictures increased awareness - are people any more aware of the prevalence rates/risk factors/symptoms/strategies for self-checking than they were before you posted your selfie? No? Didn't think so.

Agree that people are doing it mainly to get 'likes' and feel better about themselves...

Postman pat, ask your SIL if she's checked her bones, ovaries, uterus, bladder, lungs, colon, pancreas, kidneys etc etc too!!!

This is my fb status update - have also pasted it onto another thread too, so sorry if I'm 'flaming'

Hello to all my Facebook friends who are doing this make up free selfie to raise awareness for cancer. I'm sure that you are all doing it with the best of intentions and feel that you've helped raise awareness of cancer. But let's think about raising awareness - is cancer not something that every single one of us is massively aware of? Is there not one of us here who haven't been touched in some way by this disease?
I work with people who actually have cancer. Every day I see exactly what this shit disease does to their body. Every day, I witness what the treatment I give them does to their body. They have to live their lives with not only the physical scars that can't be covered up with a bit of slap, but also the emotional scars. They have to battle through some pretty horrendous, life changing shit, believe me. Imagine not being able to eat and drink because you physically can't. Imagine having to walk around with a gaping hole where your nose/eye once was. Imagine having to rely on a big tube fitted in your neck so you can breathe. Imagine having a stump where a leg once was. Imagine how it is to feel that you've let your family down by allowing yourself to get cancer because you've made a few bad lifestyle choices.

Helping people with cancer takes money, lots of it, fucking shed loads of it in fact. Taking a photo of yourself with no make up on will do nothing. Nominating friends to do the same will do nothing......it just becomes one of those Facebook games that do the rounds from time to time. Unless you post a make up free selfie and state that you have also given money towards cancer research - that's the only thing that will make this latest Facebook craze a worthwhile initiative. How about putting your hand in your pockets and actually donating some money. Big kudos to those of you who have done so - you've actually made a difference.
And yes, I do have a regular direct debit to cancer research.

Anyway folks - just really wanna take the opportunity to spread the word.....text BEAT to 70099. That will give £3 to cancer research. I'm encouraging all my friends on fb to spread the word about this. Small act, big on impact if we all did it :)

Love your post Susie

I've had a generally positive response to my rant, minus one woman this morning, to whom told me it raised awareness of cancer. I replied the following:

I guess I just don't get how it raises 'awareness' of cancer. It doesn't make people more aware of the symptoms of cancer. It doesn't help develop new treatments. It doesn't help provide more specialist cancer staff to the places and people that need it. It doesn't really do anything. Besides, I think most people are pretty aware of cancer. There can't be many of us that haven't had a loved one develop cancer in our lifetimes. The real gripe I have with it is that some people are actually saying that the 'bravery' of posting a photo of themselves without make-up to shows solidarity with people who are bravely battling cancer. Trust me, I've spent more time than I'd dare to consider over the 5 past years in cancer units with a close family member. If anyone even begins to think that the 'bravery' of posting a picture of themselves without make-up is in the same league of someone facing months of chemo, radiotherapy and major surgeries; and even for some people their own mortality, then they clearly have no understanding of cancer at all. Trust me, I'd post a thousand pictures of myself without make-up if it would help people with cancer, but it won't. I will instead however donate some of my money today to a preferred cancer charity of mine. It may not do much, but it's got to be more useful than posting a 'selfie'.

There's some amazing posts on here that need to be copied and pasted on fb.

As a person currently hooked up to a chemo drip, thanks to all of you who are challenging this! People with cancer need support but not through selfies. Am tempted to do one myself but not everyone on my fb knows. I didn't do a big fb announcement for that one!

Its fucking attention whores at their best.
People on my fb who have had to deal with the pain of cancer should know fucking better too.
FUCK OFF!

I started the day thinking these selfies were self indulgent and pointless, I've now changed my mind but ONLY if people remember to post the reason for doing it. Remind women to check their breasts TODAY and to donate if they can.

We older ladies may know about breast cancer, but many younger women don't know how to check themselves.

Many older women don't know how to check themselves.

Of all the women who do know how to check themselves, many may have forgotten to recently. Your selfie should prompt them to do so.

Many would think to donate, despite being in a position to.

So yes it does raise awareness and funds, but does so most effectively when accompanied by the clear message as to why!

I've changed my mind about the selfies since realising this, who else will?