Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Sexification of Breast Cancer

While I was on my trip, the amazing Jessica Luther brought this to my attention. As she said:

THIS is ultimate result of breast cancer awareness campaigns that focus on breasts instead of people. This is exactly how campaigns that are motivated by goodness (supposedly) can be co-opted for misogynistic garbage like this. Why create the umbrella under which this bus can exist comfortably? It’s why I say repeatedly and LOUDLY: FUCK “SAVE THE TATAS” and all campaigns like them. That link (post and comments) will explain in detail why I hate this shit so much.
I'm not sure that I can add anything more to this discussion, because it has already been said, really well. I guess I can just add to the chorus of hatred for this campaign and all the "save the tatas" "I <3 boobies" BS that's out there. Time after time, the sexiness of breasts is pushed forward as what's really important instead of the saving of lives. As I tweeted to Luther when she first brought all of this up, "I'm OVER the sexification of breast cancer. When my mom had a chunk of her tit cut out her focus was LIVING not staying sexy."

I remember when my mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer and her course of treatment was not yet discovered. She, from the start, said over and over again "Just take them both if it means I'll live."  Now I know that mastectomies and other breast cancer treatments change a person's body and can certainly affect their personal sense of sexuality. I do not mean to diminish the pain this causes this in any way--but I think we can all agree that the really important thing to save is the person's life.

Furthermore, breast cancer so often receives way too much attention. It is pushed forward as the biggest health issue facing women, when in reality other diseases kill more women. But those diseases are not sexy! They don't include boobies! SO WHO CARES, AMIRIGHT?

I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm just so sick and tired of shallow, objectifying, dehumanizing, and meaningless "awareness" raising campaigns. It's old guys. Really, really old.

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