On the silliness of organised abstinence for a month.
I guess there is a point to be made that this is the new religion. But I’ve never done it and never will. I don’t do religion – orthodox or secular and I really hate any form of organised “fun”. I don’t smoke, so giving up for October would be a bit silly as I’d have to start first. Likewise, I don’t drink, so won’t be giving that up either. I am more than capable of growing a moustache or beard, but won’t be doing Movember (indeed, I’m thinking about getting rid of it completely as soon as I possibly can). Partly because I’m not a mindless sheep. Partly because if I want to give to charity (I don’t while the state steals money and dishes it out on my behalf) I’ll do so without doing something silly and posting it on farcebook or twatter and asking other people to give. In other words, I’ll do as I please when I please and won’t bow to peer pressure to do something or abstain just because it is a particular month and my fellow man decides en masse to engage in sheeplike stupidity.
The words “it’s for charity” are an absolute guarantee that I won’t take part.
You are not alone. My pet hate is people’s reaction to Comic Relief, and expecially when the charity sheep shake a bucket at me going into work and get all affronted when I refuse.
“I refuse to give money to a bad charity simply because Lenny Henry (who hasn’t been funny for at least 25 years) tells me to” is what I retort with.
Bah… humbug…
I can be holier than thou about this as I was an 80 a day man who gave up a long time ago. But I won’t be…
…because I believe it’s your body and your choice. You know the risks and you’re an adult so tell the charities and the state to bugger off!
The reason I gave up is because a pack of fags went up to £1 and it saved me a fortune. You will have worked out it was a very, very long time ago.
Hasn’t Public Health yet worked out that all these “give up [whatever] and – look! – you could be Just Like Us” is probably the biggest disincentive to giving up that there is around? I’ve yet to see a single one of these health campaigners that doesn’t look like a bulldog chewing a wasp. Do I want to emulate that? No thanks! In fact, I don’t know a single person who’s tried Stoptober – people I know have either given up of their own volition (not necessarily in October) or they haven’t because they don’t want to. End of. And I have to confess that I’d never heard of “Go Sober for October” until now. Well done, anti-booze campaigners. Clearly publicity isn’t your strong suit.
But I have to say that as a catchphrase “Go Sober for October” is a hell of a lot easier on the ear than “Stoptober,” which sounds like it was made up by a committee of ten-year-olds with not much time. At least “Go Sober for October” has the good grace to rhyme!
Get High for July? Get Merry for February!
I find the “Go sober for October radio ad. extremely annoying. On the other hand, I,m giving up my very moderate booze intake for the time being because my doctor has told me to. I have to have a blood test in four weeks time so he’ll probably be able to tell if I was lying about it.