Cancer charity backs Sminky Shorts’ hands-on animation

A leading cancer charity has defended internet sensation Sminky Animation’s humorous ‘hands-on’ approach to promote its latest breast awareness campaign.

Breakthrough Cancer Research said the 49-second cartoon, which shows two stick men with thick Cork accents feeling a woman’s breasts to prove they are ‘breast aware’, is designed to promote their fundraising efforts, and not to insult.

“The Sminky Shorts are an internet sensation renowned for their tongue-in-cheek humour,” said the charity’s campaigns manager Eoghan O’Sullivan.

“So the majority of people understand that the breast cancer short is simply an effort to help us promote our latest campaign and raise awareness of the serious topic of breast cancer in a humorous way.”

The charity approached Jason Sullivan, the creator of the irreverent Sminky Shorts cartoons, with a brief for their campaign last month.

Sullivan, whose clips featuring animals with regional accents have notched up almost 5m hits on YouTube, agreed to produce his first charity short for them.

It shows two men feeling a woman’s breasts and being locked up, before arguing that they were just being ‘breast aware’.

It is designed to encourage men to join the charity’s ‘Fight for the Girls’ campaign which is running as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The cartoon has drawn criticism online for portraying men as “abusers and buffoons,” with others arguing that it doesn’t reflect the fact that men can get breast cancer as well.

But Mr O’Sullivan said the vast majority of comments are positive. “With almost 30,000 views after 24 hours, it is certainly engaging with people,” he said.

“Many have also commented that they would not have been aware of the month had it not been for the viral video.

“Only a very small minority have taken it out of context and hopefully the debate will encourage others to view the short and sign up to Fight for the Girls campaign and help raise much needed funds for cancer research.”

Sullivan, who works under the pseudonym, Andrew James, said he was delighted to help. “Breast cancer is a serious disease that affects so many people in Ireland, and I am delighted to help raise awareness and money for new treatments through humour,” he said.

* For details on the awareness campaign go to www.fightforthegirls.ie or call 1890 998 998.