American Airlines/Komen Foundation (1992)

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I assume the woman is Nancy Brinker. It's a shame how things have deteriorated with the Komen Foundation and that such an important healthcare issue became so embroiled in politics and egos, but, then again, why should it be any different than anything else? :( This link is to an interesting article about Komen's history and some of the issues it has dealt with in the past few years. 

Comments

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I noticed there doesn't seem to be a 1992 tag yet. I may be the first one to request this. This ad is 20 years old this month so I think it's vintage enough.

[misstia]

hmmmm...there should have been a 1992 tag....sorry, will rectify! we have the 20 year rule, so yes 1992 is fine!

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for adding it. Early 1990s posts are still pretty rare so this might be the first time anyone needed one. I think a lot of us are struggling with the notion that something from 1992 could be considered "vintage"! Nooooo! 20 years? It can't be!

[misstia]

i know! 1992 can't be vintage!!! i was just 23 then!!

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

IKR? It has taken such a weird turn in the past few years. Now we have NFL players wearing pink shoes and towels! I'm not sure which is worse--that or "Save the TaTas." Unless they mean preserving a brand of car made in India, I just find that one sexist and demeaning. Sorry, if I offend anyone. My mother died of breast cancer and my step-mother and several of my friends are survivors so I am all for awareness and research, but I think some of these efforts trivialize the issue.

If you haven't read Brightsided by Barbara Ehrenreich, I highly recommend it.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

A lot of the charity walks are that way. I have a son with autism and I don't do those walks either, especially after one of my son's therapists told me just how little of that money goes to research and helping people with the condition.

The other one I wanted to mention was "Save Second Base." Get it? Two baseballs. Second base? Right, because soooo many 12-year-olds take this issue seriously and have money to contribute! That one really enforces the idea that a woman's body is purely for the sexual pleasure of her (presumably male) partner so if, God forbid, she should lose her breasts, then there would be no purpose in engaging in foreplay anymore.

I'm glad to see that breast cancer is no longer a hush-hush issue and we can talk about it openly now, but sheesh! Why did it have to get all crazy? Oh, yeah--money.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I am not kidding. I wish I were. Maybe it's just more popular where I live. I really don't know much about the organization, but you can check it out here:

http://save2ndbase.com/

I know there's something similar for guys called "save your balls" or something like that for testicular cancer. For some reason, that doesn't bother me as much.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

The other one I wanted to mention was "Save Second Base." Get it? Two baseballs. Second base? Right, because soooo many 12-year-olds take this issue seriously and have money to contribute! That one really enforces the idea that a woman's body is purely for the sexual pleasure of her (presumably male) partner so if, God forbid, she should lose her breasts, then there would be no purpose in engaging in foreplay anymore.


THIS! I work at a family restaurant and I've seen toddlers wearing the "Save the ta-tas" armbands. Seriously? Would it kill people to at least wait until the boys are old enough to know what sex is before teaching them to act like pigs and sexualize women's body parts? >_<

And I also LOATHE that campaign's message of "We men must save the titties because they're sexy and we like to look at and fondle them!! The lives of the women attached to those ta-tas aren't as important as OUR need to get off!!!".
Aside from being sexist and gross; it's a HUGE insult to the women who end up having mastectomies.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Aside from being sexist and gross; it's a HUGE insult to the women who end up having mastectomies.

Yes, it is! They can't all be saved, sadly.

As the for babies, their only interest in breasts should be in filling their little tummies.

[nekusagi.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you sat the autism walk out. Chances are it was Autism Speaks, and your therapist was right- not only doesn't the money go to research, it usually ends up going to non-studies, TV ads that only stigmatize autism further, and the huge paychecks for their execs. Also there's the whole little thing with them actively shutting down autistics who disagree with their bullshit.

Your therapist sounds like an excellent person.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you sat the autism walk out. Chances are it was Autism Speaks, and your therapist was right- not only doesn't the money go to research, it usually ends up going to non-studies, TV ads that only stigmatize autism further, and the huge paychecks for their execs.


There's also the issue of their stated goal to "cure" autism (most autistics don't think they're defective and have no desire to be "fixed"). And their ad campaigns only succeed in convincing scared parents that autism is scary and terrible and a horrible tragedy for their child.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

They used to be called "Cure Autism Now" and they changed it because of pressure from people with autism.

My son's condition is severe so he does need a lot of therapy and accommodation, but not all people with autism are severely disabled and do just fine. I agree that too much emphasis on the issue can actually cause more stigma.

This isn't to say I don't support charitable work, but I tend to support smaller, local organizations where I can actually meet the people who head up the organization and see how it's run up close and how the money is spent. There's no guarantees, of course, that there won't be mismanaged funds or whatever, but that happens in the big organizations all the time, too (cough United Way cough).

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

She is, but we have had to suspend home therapy for now because my son's state-funded waiver ran out. I'm trying to get something else going now and be able to get it going again.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Yep. We're all 'aware' of cancer at this point, ffs.

[kyoko-godaikun.livejournal.com]

I hate how men are always left out of breast cancer. One local station when told of a man who had it said there was no way he could have it because he's male.

Ask Peter Criss who used to be a member of KISS or the original Shaft. Men can get the illness.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

I completely agree! This is a health issue for men as well and I would like to see more awareness and research for men. How many men are told to give themselves monthly breast exams?

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm certain someone might challenge you on that one, but I won't. But it is a problem that some groups are certainly underrepresented when it comes to funding and research. How often do you hear of a study about sexual health where it says that all participants were heterosexual? Pretty much always, right? People of color are definitely underrepresented in everything related to health care from research and education to just getting treatment.

It's a broken system, for sure.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Oops--sorry! Oh, well, it enabled me to continue my rant.

[msmoonshade.livejournal.com]

Ha ha! I was wondering. Men? Underrepresented? Whaaaaaa? Typed sarcasm FTW!