Has breast cancer become a "celebrity" disease?

[Augustus Medici]

Breast cancer is surely a serious problem that kills many people ever year (including men). I personally am friends with two girls that lost their mothers due to breast cancer. I don't want to undermine or demean the disease at all, having witnessed the effects personally.

That being said, have you guys noticed that breast cancer is like the disease du jour? It feels like any time there's a charity or benefit, from the chicks in my office doing a wine tasting fundraiser to Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, and Alicia Keys injecting glamour to the fight against breast cancer, it just feels like breast cancer is the illness of choice. I remember a long time ago, during one of those awful "My Super Sweet 16" episodes, one of the rich girls throwing a party for herself had a donation box for Susan G. Komen's fight against breast cancer. The NFL even requires their players to wear pink gloves during breast cancer awareness month for Christ's sake! And it feels like this has been going on for a while.

I'm not very good at articulating this, but I just feel like if these people truly cared about saving the maximum number of women, they would focus more on heart disease. But you rarely ever hear anything about that. It's just breast cancer-this and breast cancer-that.

And why doesn't prostate cancer get any love? The NFL should require players to wear brown gloves during prostate cancer awareness month.

 

[lasbar]

Prostae cancer is not glamourous...

The same for testicular or even worse bowel cancers...

Men tend to be more reserved about their illnesses and less likely to actively promote or even participate to an awareness meeting /program.

 

[GQgeek]

women caring about a disease that only affects women? Who woulda thought? Rarely do people that donate time/money do so with efficiency in mind. It's not just women.

 

[Augustus Medici]

^^ Don't dispute any of that, but doesn't it feel like they've hit the saturation point by now? In Sex and the City, Samantha's the one character that comes down with a serious disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. I think that show even managed to mix in haute couture and breast cancer in an episode. On The L Word, the one lesbo that dies of a disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. (I had a gf that was really into these girly premium cable shows)

I guess what I'm asking is, is all this attention on breast cancer because the disease is a tremendous scourge, or has the disease itself attained a certain "prestige," especially in fighting it? As prestigious as a disease can get, in any case.

 

[lasbar]



^^ Don't dispute any of that, but doesn't it feel like they've hit the saturation point by now? In Sex and the City, Samantha's the one character that comes down with a serious disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. I think that show even managed to mix in haute couture and breast cancer in an episode. On The L Word, the one lesbo that dies of a disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. (I had a gf that was really into these girly premium cable shows)

I guess what I'm asking is, is all this attention on breast cancer because the disease is a tremendous scourge, or has the disease itself attained a certain "prestige," especially in fighting it? As prestigious as a disease can get, in any case.

It is a more acceptable disease than HIV or Hepatitis which are attached to social stereotypes.

It is also unfortunately quite a common disease and every family has been potentially hurt by that terrible disease...

It is also a cancer with better pronostic than brain tumours for example...

I think women all around the world feel very strongly about this terrible illness and that is a good thing if especially younger artists are spreading the message...

We also need more involvement in some more obscure cancers such as pancreas , colon or even the very unsavoury lung cancer...

 

[Gibonius]



and that is a good thing if especially younger artists are spreading the message...

We also need more involvement in some more obscure cancers such as pancreas , colon or even the very unsavoury lung cancer...

At this point, what "message" really needs to be spread about breast cancer? Everyone knows about it, any messaging is about raising money at this point. Does seeing "Save the *******!", some idiot college girl tweeting her bra color, or NFL players wearing pink gloves really help anything? There are a lot of other diseases, like the ones you mentioned, that could make better use of the money and attention rather than continuing to expand breast cancer funding even more disproportionately.

 

[lasbar]



At this point, what "message" really needs to be spread about breast cancer? Everyone knows about it, any messaging is about raising money at this point. Does seeing "Save the *******!", some idiot college girl tweeting her bra color, or NFL players wearing pink gloves really help anything? There are a lot of other diseases, like the ones you mentioned, that could make better use of the money and attention rather than continuing to expand breast cancer funding even more disproportionately.

They start spreading the message about testicular cancer and even if everybody knows about it , most young people do not go to the doctor if they find a lump...

The same for breast cancers...

It is important to make people aware of the symptoms and the need to check any problem with a doctor asap ..

 

[Piobaire]

Had a radical feminist English prof once. She said in class one day that if men could get breast cancer it would already be cured. I pointed out that men can get breast cancer, and that under her logic, there should be no such thing as prostate or testicular cancer. God she was stupid.

 

[Gibonius]



Had a radical feminist English prof once. She said in class one day that if men could get breast cancer it would already be cured. I pointed out that men can get breast cancer, and that under her logic, there should be no such thing as prostate or testicular cancer. God she was stupid.

Should also have pointed out that breast cancer receives the highest rate of funding relative to incidence or mortality, so far as I know.

 

[Piobaire]



Should also have pointed out that breast cancer receives the highest rate of funding relative to incidence or mortality, so far as I know.

I was unaware of that fact 18 or so years ago. She was also impenetrable to insight and shame.

 

[Jr Mouse]



Had a radical feminist English prof once. She said in class one day that if men could get breast cancer it would already be cured. I pointed out that men can get breast cancer, and that under her logic, there should be no such thing as prostate or testicular cancer. God she was stupid.

What I would have given to see her face.

 

[Augustus Medici]

I can cynically imagine a really hot chick, very glamorous, blonde, blue eyes, nice car, big sunglasses, Louboutins, saying, "Breast cancer is so hot right now."

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]



^^ Don't dispute any of that, but doesn't it feel like they've hit the saturation point by now? In Sex and the City, Samantha's the one character that comes down with a serious disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. I think that show even managed to mix in haute couture and breast cancer in an episode. On The L Word, the one lesbo that dies of a disease, and what is it? Breast cancer. (I had a gf that was really into these girly premium cable shows)

I guess what I'm asking is, is all this attention on breast cancer because the disease is a tremendous scourge, or has the disease itself attained a certain "prestige," especially in fighting it? As prestigious as a disease can get, in any case.

Seriously though, I agree. Back in the dark days when Leeds were in the third division we played Oldham Athletic who played that game in pink for breast cancer - I have nothing against breast cancer research or raising money for it but I would rather give money to something else, almost entirely because it gets more attention and money than other worthy causes.

 

[lasbar]



Seriously though, I agree. Back in the dark days when Leeds were in the third division we played Oldham Athletic who played that game in pink for breast cancer - I have nothing against breast cancer research or raising money for it but I would rather give money to something else, almost entirely because it gets more attention and money than other worthy causes.

Wearing pink shirts for Breast cancer in a football match up north?

That is suicide...

With the rate of morbid obesity up north , it would been better wearing a shirt with a pie on it for heart disease...

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]



Wearing pink shirts for Breast cancer in a football match up north?

That is suicide...

With the rate of morbid obesity up north , it would been better wearing a shirt with a pie on it for heart disease...

I didn't go but they got quite a bit of stick for it, don't know how much money it raised. More morbid obesity in Wankashire than Yorkshire anyway, would have been more effective if they did it for a game against Tranmere.