Some feedback?

So, for one of my WGST film classes, I had to write a social media article about an issue of my choosing. I selected the sexualized slogans for breast cancer. Below is the article- any feedback is welcome. Positive and negative!

 

The pink ribbons you’ve probably seen well, everywhere, are associated with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization and those related and has become universally recognized as awareness for breast cancer. While awareness for any cancer is important, the stigma revolving some of the marketing strategies are often controversial. To raise awareness and shine light on this cancer common in women, the organization and those similar have released merchandise with slogans such as, “Save Second Base”, “Save the Boobies” or the Keep a Breast Foundation’s campaign, “I Love Boobies!”, commonly seen worn on rubber bracelets.

The problem I have with these strategies is that it completely sexualizes the female body. It takes a disease that is projected to claim 40,290 lives in 2015 in the United States alone and makes it about saving the breasts of the patient, with breasts already seen solely as sexual objects in the media. While I’m not saying that the slogans are ignoring the lives at risk, there is more to this life-threatening cancer than just “boobies”. I wouldn’t have a problem with this, because it’s 1) a great marketing strategy because, let’s face it- no one wants to walk around wearing dreadful shirts that say “231,840 Women will be Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2015” or “Breast Cancer is the Second Leading Cause of Cancer Death in Women” because those aren’t cute and 2) it’s made breast cancer awareness into a fashion statement that raises incredible awareness. The problem I do have with this, with breasts as sexualized as they already are, is that it’s harmful to women. When Angelina Jolie revealed she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that made her chances of developing breast cancer 90% likely, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy and had both of her breasts removed. Jolie was immediately attacked by the media, and on social media, stating that she had made a mistake with people saying goodbye to her breasts, and yep, even sympathized for her partner, Brad Pitt. Relationship geniuses weighed in on the issue through social media and even emasculated Brad Pitt for “allowing” his wife to get the preventative surgery, because Jolie absolutely needed permission from her husband to save her own life.

“Five”, a movie that premiered on Lifetime, is an anthology of five short films that explore the impact of breast cancer in five individual women. Cheyenne, one of the women whose story we follow, works as a dancer and almost refuses to have her double mastectomy. She quotes, “If you take away everything I am, who survives exactly?” She even confronts her husband about his initial intentions when he married her thinking his feelings will change once she has both breasts removed. She tells him, “You can leave if you want. You love my boob so much, you named them”. Luckily, he supports her and even shaves his head for her but the last thing on her mind, and on any woman’s mind when they’re diagnosed with cancer is what their partner will think of them.

Another problem I see with this sexualized pink movement is that breast cancer, though more likely in females, fails to recognize the males effected. According to American Cancer Society's 2015 publication of Cancer Facts & Figures, 2,350 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Though a small number compared to the 292,130 women who will be diagnosed, it is a number none-the-less. Another great issue brought to light in the lifetime movie, “Five”, is the cancer in male patients. Though each of the stories were of five women, there was one instance where one of the women was waiting in her oncology waiting room when she sits across from an older man and asks him if he’s waiting for someone. He replies with no and she stumbles over her words because it never even occurred to her that he was there as a patient.

Of course, I’m not going to shit on the entire movement. The color pink seen everywhere is a reminder for people to get themselves checked. Dr. Pearl of the film states, “That woman just picked up a prescription at Walgreens. The bottles pink cap will remind her to get a mammogram which will end up saving her life”. We’ve been trained to see the color pink in terms of awareness and automatically think of breast cancer and that’s a fantastic thing. It’s saved lives. I just think we can do away with the sexualized merchandise and slogans.