Comments on: Sexy Cancer?

By: Shinta

Shinta — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 18:13:47 +0000

This morning I saw a cancer patient talking on TV, he lost all hair from the chemotherapy. Yet, he looked composed and was at peace with his disease. When I had the TV on, he was saying something like, “It’s not that I advise others to get cancer. The disease and the treatment are painful. Letting the surgeon cut your body in no party game. However, I also see the disease as a gift. A gift, to make me realize our fragility as humans.”

By: figswithbri

figswithbri — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:39:16 +0000

I don’t get TLC, so I can’t speak to the ad itself, but after my mom died of breast cancer when I was 14, and I was diagnosed with it at 28, I can tell you there is nothing sexy about cancer. Sure, I got through surgery and chemo and can be philosophical about it. But flippant is another thing altogether. Everyone needs to be able to laugh at themselves and find the humor in a situation, no matter how dire, but the name sexy cancer is not something I would have signed off on, if I was in a position of power. Thanks for bringing it up and asking the question.

By: mysterybea

mysterybea — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:55:41 +0000

Thanks Arvind, that was a great link. She brings up the good point that all that pink crap that people buy/display supposedly to combat breast cancer is all a gimmick, and an ineffectual one at that.

People need to realize that what actually will help to cure cancer is better funding for cancer research (hmm, am I repeating myself?) – and the only way to ensure this is to elect political officials who will choose to allocate our government’s spending towards research and education and away from more violent pursuits.

By: arvind

arvind — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:30:28 +0000

i remember aunt twisty wrote some really good posts on the sexualization of women’s cancer…or at least the narrative that emphasizes the sexualized imagery of women in the face of cancer…

here’s one

you should definitely add twisty to your feminist must-read list.

By: mysterybea

mysterybea — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:05:21 +0000

Well, I’m glad to know I’m not totally off-base with my inexplicable annoyance with Sexy Cancer.

By: vintagefan

vintagefan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:06:57 +0000

I thought it wasn’t my business to say anything because these women have obviously approved of it. But I thought the marketing of the program and the ad was weird too. The first two points and the last that you made are similar to what I thought.