All The Cool Kids Are Doing It
Apparently cancer is cool. I understand that when I watch TV shows set in hospitals, like House or Grey's Anatomy that I'm likely to see cancer story lines. But in the course of my Sunday evening television flipping, I randomly came across three non-medical dramas with breast cancer plots. I'm pretty sure one of these shows even fancies itself a comedy. I guess between the chemo and radiation, I missed it when cancer became the new "it" thing.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that there is an awareness of all types of cancer like there never has been before. Heck, there is even a presidential cancer forum this week so we can find out how the candidates plan to fight this disease. But when I turn on television at night, it's because I want to not think about cancer for a little while. I want to pretend like I'm any other lazy American, lying on the couch gathering dust. I don't want to be reminded of the one thing I struggle every day to forget.
What bugs me more than using cancer as the go-to plot is that it's often portrayed as an automatic death sentence. I've seen some movies that I thought painted cancer in a pretty realistic light, but many of these television shows have no idea what they're talking about. One series I was watching before I was diagnosed killed a main character off in three episodes. It just doesn't happen like that. Yes, cancer sucks, and it can and will kill you if given half a chance, but more and more people are living with cancer. Television does the survivor community a huge disservice be perpetuating these misconceptions and fostering unnecessary fear.
I'm anxiously awaiting this week's debut of Crazy Sexy Cancer, not because I think cancer is sexy, but because I hope it will provide an honest portrayal of what it's like to be young and face cancer.
I suspect we'll see more breast cancer story lines as October gets closer, to "raise awareness." Just remember when the character goes from healthy to bald then dead in T-minus three seconds that for the most part, it doesn't really happen like that.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that there is an awareness of all types of cancer like there never has been before. Heck, there is even a presidential cancer forum this week so we can find out how the candidates plan to fight this disease. But when I turn on television at night, it's because I want to not think about cancer for a little while. I want to pretend like I'm any other lazy American, lying on the couch gathering dust. I don't want to be reminded of the one thing I struggle every day to forget.
What bugs me more than using cancer as the go-to plot is that it's often portrayed as an automatic death sentence. I've seen some movies that I thought painted cancer in a pretty realistic light, but many of these television shows have no idea what they're talking about. One series I was watching before I was diagnosed killed a main character off in three episodes. It just doesn't happen like that. Yes, cancer sucks, and it can and will kill you if given half a chance, but more and more people are living with cancer. Television does the survivor community a huge disservice be perpetuating these misconceptions and fostering unnecessary fear.
I'm anxiously awaiting this week's debut of Crazy Sexy Cancer, not because I think cancer is sexy, but because I hope it will provide an honest portrayal of what it's like to be young and face cancer.
I suspect we'll see more breast cancer story lines as October gets closer, to "raise awareness." Just remember when the character goes from healthy to bald then dead in T-minus three seconds that for the most part, it doesn't really happen like that.
Comments
Your comments about your grandmother were so touching, also. What a special person she very obviously was to you and to your whole family. And so loved - and so loving. (I will always remember your dad sharing with me that she made each of her sons Easter baskets even when they were grown men...what Mother's love!!)
Thank you for that.
I think of you and pray for you daily. Thanks for getting back on the blog and sharing a piece of yourself every day.
Love, Suzan