(compliments of Comicalshirt)
...Oh.
Yep, as it turns out, we as humans can't even see a disease that kills tens of thousands of American women every year without making boob jokes about it. Apparently, since everyone likes breasts so much, sticking them on breast cancer awareness ads and merchandise will draw their attention and thus get out the message. This is the logic behind the Save the Boobies campaign, and, really, you can't blame them for thinking that this was a good idea. Bringing awareness to the issue of breast cancer is certainly a laudable effort, but the method of accomplishing it, while better than nothing, leaves something to be desired.
You may be thinking, "What's the big deal? If they can get out such an important message in a way that will get people's attention, what's wrong with that?" There are quite a few things wrong with that. As you may or may not already know, forty thousand people dying every year is generally not considered cute, funny, or sexy, and while a less serious mentality about cancer may be helpful to patients who want to stay positive in their suffering, it also makes the problem seem less severe and thus in less urgent need of assistance to the general public that donates to support the efforts against breast cancer. You know, those people who are actually supposed to do something. (And yes, I realize there's some irony in me saying that issues aren't being treated seriously enough.)
Even if people do recognize that they need to help, there are problems inherent in trying to appeal to sexuality here. The basic message of the Save the Boobies campaign comes down to this: if we do not fund breast cancer research, you (and by "you" I mean "mostly just straight men") will not get to touch or look at boobies any more. If I were in charge of the campaign, I might revise this mission statement as follows: if we do not fund breast cancer research, PEOPLE WILL DIE. It seems that those who run these campaigns forget that breasts are not small wild creatures that scamper freely around the countryside on tiny legs; they are organs, and those organs are attached to people, and those people have lives, and those lives are at risk from breast cancer.
(compliments of FreeThoughtBlog)
But of course, we must remember that breasts only exist for the sexual gratification of other people. There's another, slightly more hidden implication of the campaign: your worth is defined by your boobs. It should be obvious that this kind of mentality is incredibly degrading for humanity in general, women in particular, and breast cancer patients most especially. For many sufferers, the only recourse is surgery that removes much or all of the breast tissue. Surgery can leave breasts lopsided, misshapen, or even gone entirely. Where is the cute, sexy campaign for them?
And for that matter, where is the campaign for those with small breasts? Where is the campaign for transgender and nonbinary people? And where is the campaign for men? I want to examine this last point specifically, because when I went to research statistics about breast cancer in men, I found that very few actually exist. Breastcancer.org, which boasts of "providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer and breast health"[2], gave me a lovely set of numbers regarding development of cancer, deaths, and risk factors in U.S. women, but relegates men to a single bullet point emphasizing their relatively low rate of 1 in 1,000, in addition to ignoring every other country on Earth entirely[1]. 1 in 1,000 men is A LOT OF MEN, and while it may seem insignificant in the face of 1 in 8 women[1], it's certainly not insignificant to the 2,600 men who will be newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year in the U.S. alone[3]. And while the incidence rate overall in the U.S. has declined in recent years, the incidence rate in men has remained steady. (By the way, the official symbol of breast cancer research, used by virtually every organization including Save the Boobies? A pink ribbon.)
Again, I really do appreciate the fact that people are making an effort to spread awareness about breast cancer and raise donations for research. However, I think that can be done without objectifying, demeaning, and outright denying the existence of breast cancer patients. It's a really awful thing for a purportedly charitable organization to do, right up there with engaging in political activities, suing other charities, and supporting corporations whose products are known to contain carcinogens themselves. Fortunately, no breast cancer awareness charity would stoop to things like those, right?
...Oh.
[1] http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
[2] http://www.breastcancer.org/
[3] http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancerinmen/detailedguide/breast-cancer-in-men-key-statistics
The whole male breast cancer thing has always bothered me. Somehow this disease, when found in men, is found to be humorous. "Haha, steve has breast cancer and he's a dude." Why is this acceptable?
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, I still don't quite know how I feel about this campaign. I don't think it necessarily objectifies women or reduces them to a pair of boobies, but I do agree that the message generally fails to address the seriousness and scope of the issue.
ReplyDeleteI remember the "Save the Boobies" bracelets being a huge thing back in middle school, but I never sat down to think what type of implications the campaign had. Also, it's great that you pointed out the fact that all facts/campaigns focus on women with breast cancer, completely excluding men who suffer from the same terrible disease.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't ever realized that this campaign was so widespread. The only previous exposure I have had was in high school, where a friend would sometimes wear a "I Heart Boobies" bracelet, which he would guarantee was for breast cancer awareness, though I had some doubts. It always struck me as a little demeaning, though. It's also sort of sad that we are at the point where charities think that this is the only way they can get men to support them.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on this post. I recall people buying boobies bracelets all through middle school and I have seen numerous post from breast cancer survivors about how demeaning these ads are
ReplyDeleteThis was a really insightful post that made me aware of a few points that I had not even considered before. It is slightly depressing that this campaign is the most effective way to raise awareness for such an awful disease ("if we do not fund breast cancer research, people will die" would sadly be a less effective awareness campaign, even though it communicates a better message).
ReplyDeleteYet again, your blog was entertaining and easy to read while being incredibly thoughtful. I was fully aware of the sexualization of certain breast cancer campaigns, but I never fully considered the drawbacks therein. I like your comparing the mission statement of "You might not be able to touch boobs again" to "People might die". I'm glad you included the issues with male breast cancer, and the point at the very end regarding the Komen foundation was an important mention that even organizations that don't sexualize breast cancer might not be doing the best job.
ReplyDeleteWow, this post was the truth! I feel like you effectively captured the essence of everything people feel about this campaign. What a testament to breast cancer victims, and what a great call for change. Your thoughts weren't overly judgmental or condescending, but they successfully drove an important point. I appreciated this post. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent post! I used to own an "Save the Boobies" wristband, which may still be in my room back home. It is sad how the only way we can grab society's attention on such a serious and deadly issue is through sexualizing and objectifying those who suffer. And you're right, it does exclude a large amount of people who have this disease, such as men and nonbinary people. I like the link you added at the end, it really tied this post together.
ReplyDeleteI was actually unaware of this campaign, but I find it horribly demeaning. I understand the need to attract people's attention, but is there another way we can do it? Why not celebrate the women who are survivors instead? People need to see the individual stories in order to become invested. Objectifying people does not help us understand and support them.
ReplyDeleteThought I understand that bringing awareness at times is through very unorthodox ways like making fun of the issue, nonetheless, I am with Lisa on this one and believe that it is immoral to portray this subject in such a comic light. However, at times a laugh is all it takes to spark interest in a subject which leads to further research and then avid activists.
ReplyDeleteoh wow what a post! thank you for bringing light to this topic- I know I had an "i heart boobies" wristband when I was younger, and thinking back on it, pretty sure I only bought it because I wanted to wear something that said boobies on it.
ReplyDeleteoh wow what a post! thank you for bringing light to this topic- I know I had an "i heart boobies" wristband when I was younger, and thinking back on it, pretty sure I only bought it because I wanted to wear something that said boobies on it.
ReplyDelete