Do “Furballs” And Other Jokey Campaigns Help Or Hurt The Cause?

These little furballs are “hairy, fragile, and require excellent care”. You gotta whip ’em out every now and then and give ’em a once over to make sure they’re in tip top shape. You know, like your balls.

Do you get it?

No, seriously. Do you get it? Obviously, you get the not-so-subtle wordplay—we’d be worried if you didn’t. But do you really get it? Using guinea pigs as stand-ins for testicles, or setting up a blog with daily updates, isn’t just for laughs. There is, in fact, a greater purpose behind it.

The real words for anything defined as “private” parts – male and female – are not often used in polite conversation.

That has real implications for organizations attempting to draw attention to illnesses affecting parts of the body that are reproductive, sexualized or otherwise stigmatized[…]

Movember founder Adam Garone believes that joking around can be a “Trojan horse” for men who are reluctant to talk about their health. “You can’t just put out a brochure,” he said. In the case of the new “Testies” soap, “there’s the novelty and hilarity of washing your face with a pair of balls…but sitting behind that are some very serious issues.”

Of course, we do want you to laugh; some things are too funny not to. But we’re also here for a reason: to promote your health. Our hope is, that by entertaining you and not being afraid to be a little silly on occasion, that the message of testicular cancer awareness will resonate with you a lot more than a typical Big Pharma ad or the warning label on the back of a new piece of electronics.

Plus, balls are funny.

For less funny (but more important!) information on testicular cancer and how to tell if you should make an appointment with your doctor, visit the Sean Kimerling Foundation.