Bea Arthur's breasts launch impromptu cancer research fundraiser

Mike Monteiro has background wallpaper on his Twitter account that's based on artist John Currin's famous topless painting of Bea Arthur. When a Twitter follower asked Monteiro* to preserve the eyes of children by taking down Bea's boobs, Monteiro turned his refusal into a fundraiser for breast cancer research.

It started out, as you can see in the screen cap, with Monteiro offering to donate 10 cents for every person who favorited his defense of naked Bea. Then, more people signed on to match his donation. At the time I'm publishing this blog post, every time you favorite Monteiro's tweet, the American Cancer Society earns $2.10.

Between that per-click rate and the people who've donated lump sums, Bea Arthur's boobs have pulled in more than $10,000 in pledges since this morning. (Of course, half of that came from one donor, Mike Lee.) Clicks still count through midnight Eastern. Or, drop Mike a tweet if you want to add another 10 cents to the pledge.

I'm just happy somebody is doing something more productive with social media than those stupid "where I like to leave my purse" games on Facebook.

Fundraising > Tangential awareness.

*If you follow this link, you will see boobies. Fair warning.
(Thanks to Noah Gray for the tip-off!)

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie goes places and talks to people. Find out where she'll be speaking next.

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Anonymous

“I’m just happy somebody is doing something more productive with social media than those stupid “where I like to leave my purse” games on Facebook.” was actually to show personal support of breast cancer research, not just a “stupid game.”
Brainspore

We should all throw in a few bucks toward testicular cancer research while we’re at it just so nobody feels pressured to show us a painting of John Ritter’s balls.
Anonymous

His account has now been suspended.
- SamSam
  
  Seems all there to me. Last post was under two minutes ago, as I write this.
Scamp

“Breasts.” Not boobs, not boobies. Grow up and say “breasts”!
- akbar56
  
  My wife prefers boobs and boobies to breasts. Whats wrong with that?
kmoser

*If you follow this link, you will see boobies. Fair warning.

Actually, your post already shows boobies. If you follow the link, you will just see teats.
Art Carnage

“that’s based on artist John Currin’s famous topless painting of Bea Arthur.”

Author apparently doesn’t know what “famous” means.
noahWG

http://twitter.com/Mike_FTW/status/27901780152
Robert

Two questions:

1. I don’t know who Mike Monteiro is. Can he afford his pledge promise?

2. Do the women in the audience prefer the term “breasts” or “boobs” when spoken in a non-clinical setting?
blueelm

Breasts, boobs, tits… whatever. This particular female doesn’t care. Content matters more than diction.
cory

In her will, she gave $300k to homeless LGBT kids. I’d say she would have approved of this. I can’t find any evidence that she ever saw the painting while she was alive, but she probably would have laughed.
Anonymous

“Lump” sum, eh?
ill lich

Go Phillies!
penguinchris

I always wonder what percentage of people who make pledges to donate actually end up paying is when I hear about things like this. Seems you get a fair amount of social benefit by pledging to make a donation, and no one has to know you didn’t actually pay.

Not saying I would do that myself – I wouldn’t make a pledge to do something if I didn’t fully intend to do it. But it seems like something some people might do. Easier to say you support something than to actually whip out the pocketbook.
Anonymous

This is the straw on the camel’s back that finally got me to join twitter. I’d held out for so long, but this is totally worth it.
Anonymous

Why can’t we all just say “breasts”? I’m so sick and tired of hearing them called all other sorts of things. I have none because I had breast cancer and had both breasts removed…..
Anonymous

new to twitter, so maybe this is dumb, but how do I “fave” it? Don’t see that as an option, just “retweet” and “reply”
Anonymous

haha, in the “breasts vs boobies” argument, I always think of “boobies” as equivalent to “weiner”…I prefer “breasts” because I think it sounds less childish, but I don’t get offended or anything when people say “boobies”. It’s just a silly-sounding word.