Typically, when a celebrity wants to help an important cause, they do something like ‘hold a fundraiser,’ ‘make a charitable donation to an approved non-profit,’ ‘pour ice on themselves,’ etc. Benedict Cumberbatch, however, recently decided to do something a little classier and teamed up with the “Give Up Clothes for Good” campaign to expose his abs – for good.
The campaign, led by Cancer Research UK and clothing TK Maxx, encourages celebrities to take off their clothes so that average people will donate them. The clothes will then be sold in charity shops, and the subsequent profits will be donated to fund cancer research. It’s honestly a little PG for me (I pay $50 a half-nipple, which is under market value) and I’ve never really understood the sex appeal of 19th century Victorians. For Cumberbatch’s shot, he imagined himself as a wet Mr. Darcy in a white Lord & Taylor’s women’s blouse. Is this attractive? I don’t know. But given the amount of attention it’s attracted, someone out there seems to think so.
Photographer Jason Bell photographed other celebrities for the cause, among them Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Cynthia Nixon, Bruno Tolioni. It’s smart idea that’s also a stupid idea that’s also an idea I like. But I ain’t donatin’ a dime until Ellen Page rolls up those black poly-cotton sweatpants.