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blonde_loves_bolts
Mar 15, 2006, 6:00 AM
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Registered: Apr 7, 2005
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This may be out there and off topic, but do any of you watch "The L Word"? I realize it's a lesbian themed show, but I just watched this week's episode, and I don't feel that the subject matter is solely relegated to lesbian issues. Or maybe all the recent talk about breasts has kept me thinking about this. In any case, the last episode featured the death of Dana, the professional tennis player, due to breast cancer. There wasn't a lot of emphasis on the disease or the ability to recover from it - it was basically a storyline created for dramatic purposes that was drawn out over the course of several episodes.
I've been fortunate enough not to have lost anyone close to me (yet - fingers crossed) to this disease, so I may not have great insight in terms of what constitutes progressive portrayal of this disease in the media to help garner attention directed towards a cure, but this approach did not seem to have any positive outcomes, other than to direct attention at the show's attempt to combat average ratings. At the end of the episode, they included what looked like it was going to be a public service announcement for supporting breast cancer research, but it turned out to be an explanation of why the show's creator decided to kill off its most liked and most athletic character via breast cancer.
I'm not saying that portraying breast cancer in the media has to involve mostly happy stories, because this is a serious disease that has devastating consequences for many women and their families, friends, and entire support system, but couldn't this show have done things a little more tastefully??
Thoughts??
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clausti
Mar 15, 2006, 12:58 PM
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pardon my ignorance, but this is a sitcom? or a talk show? I'm confused.
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blonde_loves_bolts
Mar 15, 2006, 3:50 PM
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It's a drama series on Showtime.
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slockwoo_knits
Mar 18, 2006, 7:16 PM
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Registered: Oct 30, 2005
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I watch the L Word. A year ago I had Ovarian Cancer and I'm clear now.
I have to tell you that episode pissed me off as well as upset me very much. First of all, Breast Cancer is VERY curable if caught early. They didn't catch Dana's early. So, I'm not sure how realistic it was to have her die but I don't think it was realistic that she died in just a few weeks. And did she die from the cancer or from the chemo?
The whole thing just sucked. As someone who just went through cancer and facing mortality as a young woman, I have to tell you I could relate to none of the story line. Maybe some women can, but for me the whole plot was just stupid.
On Breast Cancer in the media - Well, yes - Breast Cancer is way too common. It is good that it has gotten so much attention. Lots of women have been saved because of the media campaign. But it is not the only deadly cancer that women get. Furthermore, the awareness is there now... get mammogram. Check breasts. look for lumps etc etc. Some cancers don't have any full safe diagnostics (OvCa). Some cancers are not very curable (OvCa). It seems like anytime anyone wants to show that they care about women and women's health they talk about breast cancer. It is a pink world. Maybe we should start to recognize other colors.
I liked the L word better the first season... when they didn't have that fucking horrible theme song. But it is still one of the only shows I watch on tv, and I'm not even a lesbian.
Anyway, I'm not just complaining about the lack of OvCa awareness campaigns. I am doing something about it... look at the following link.
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=167856&lis=1&kntae167856=C67653319F0C4C02AC6AE4B488E560F4&supId=119954466
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