Calendar's wit outflanks any criticism

Last week took a totally unexpected turn, when MP Scott Brison bared his wit and his flank for a good cause, Mike and Shelley Brooker's refrigerator became the most famous in Canada and this seasoned scribe witnessed a media frenzy over the What Men Are Made Of calendar.

Scott might be the most famous man who posed in order to aid two cancer causes, but over 30 other generous guys joined him in the buff.

Our cover hunk is Halifax firefighter Kevin Dean soaking in bubble bath. The men's cookery club prepared a lobster appetizer the evening we made the January image. We popped champagne and after all 10 buns were lined up, there was good food and many jokes. Actually, good humour characterized all the picture-taking.

Josh, our February model, can knit and did so while I snapped his picture.

The March musicians played a jig while they were photographed at Paddy's. Mike Butler did his April dusting at the Atlantic Lighting Store.

Town councillor David Mangle likes doing laundry, but he had to be patient with me while I waited for the wind to lift his towels. The wedding cake in the June image was created by Danny Chandler for a real marriage celebration.

The O'Neill boys - Mike, Ben and Joseph - moved their July diaper-changing outdoors for me on a fine summer's day. Dick Groot, Mr. August, is an excellent photographer with a large portrait camera he took into his Wolfville garden. Dick is a prostate survivor, who regularly publicizes the local support group.

The September gardeners are all pulling weeds on the South Shore. Carl Oldham, the manager of the local Save-Easy, took up juggling one Sunday before Sunday shopping was approved in order to make the October photo.

Mr. November has a father who first developed cancer in 1968. Clifford Brison is "a bit of an inspiration. He's tough, but he has been fighting it off and on for 38 years," says his son. "I hope we can raise the profile of ovarian and prostate cancer with this calendar. I'm pleased to help."

December's Christmas image was created in August on the set of Noises Off at the Atlantic Theatre Festival. Two willing actors and two backstage guys dressed the set in red and green while undressing themselves.

There was heaps of good-natured laughter every time Sherry Brown and I took photos. Now that they're published, Scott Brison says he has been getting teased by his colleagues for undressing. I suspect he's not alone in the ribbing.

Most of the men who look at the What Men Are Made Of images voice the wish that they had been asked to pose. Women begin giggling as they turn the pages and then ask what the price is.

We knew from watching the BBC documentary Naked Britain what kind of calendar sold the most copies in the flurry of calendars made after the famed Calendar Girls calendar of

2000. Now we get to test the male model preference in the Canadian context.

Our printers rushed 600 calendars to Wolfville Friday evening. Now I'm wondering how fast the boxes will empty out of our vestibule and whether some people will be cranking up any wounded indignation, but I feel in my heart it was all worthwhile.