Some time ago I blogged about the “Save the Boobs” ad that was said to increase breast cancer awareness (Link above). The Save the Boobs Ad was a video of women in skimpi bikinis at a pool party. The camera was on one woman in particular, zoomed in on her boobs, as they bounced around in her bikini top while she walked, and showing the men oogle her breasts and women look at her breasts with envy.
The latest popular method of “breast cancer awareness” originated from a Facebook message saying “just write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send this on to ONLY girls no men …” was circulated. Why? Because “It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men will wonder why all the girls have a color in their status… Haha.”
Many women participated. My husband and I learned what color of bra women were wearing that we hadn’t seen since high school, women we worked with, relatives, and others. The only effect it had on either of us, was to give us unwanted and inappropriate visual images of these women in their bras. Learning the color of women’s bras does nothing beneficial for women. It reminded me a lot of the Save the Boobs Ad, discussed below.
Post On Save the Boobs Ad
I just read an article about the very sexual save the boobs breast cancer ad in my local newpaper. I was disappointed by the number of people who commented that were in support of it. I’m sure this will bring in some bucks and gain attention, like the sexualizaton of women does, but that doesn’t mean it’s positive for women. In today’s world, where women are so frequently portrayed as though they exist for other’s viewing pleasure, an ad like this only prepetuates the problem. I truly believe that women will not be viewed as individuals to be respected and equals to men when women are sexualized to such a greater extent. You don’t see male prostate and penile cancer ads with the man strutting around in revealing clothing while the women oogle at him and men look with envy. I’m very sympathetic to the devestation women feel when losing their breasts, but surgeons can do some amazing breast reconstruction surgeries now. The women’s life should be the primary focus of those concerned with breast cancer. Have you all seen this ad? If not, it should be easy to located in a google search for save the boobs.
Please share any similiar methods of “breast cancer awareness.”
I agree with you 100%! A woman’s life and health should be the reason we care about breast cancer. That is the reason that I cringe when I hear “save the tatas” not because I don’t think we should care about breasts, but it makes it sound like we are saving them for men’s viewing pleasure, as usual!
Lori
I didn’t think much of this and when I got the message I didn’t participate thinking it was juvenile. Later, when I saw the major media coverage I realized that the amount of money it would have taken to purchase publicity like that would have been tremendous… and it was accomplished for free. It took me back many years to a PR class in college where I first heard “there is no such thing as bad publicity”. I still have mixed feelings about it but it does serve as an excellent lesson on what one Facebook message can achieve.