Fetishizing Cancer

   I know what you're thinking: you see a picture of Joan Lunden in a post and think this is another celeb-with-cancer bashing piece. Not exactly. I am certainly no fan of Lunden (never have been) or any of these celebs sharing their "inspirational stories"- and in MY opinion, Lunden is one of the WORST of them. But, this picture is only partly her fault. Let me explain.

   You see, this is an ad for People magazine. That issue of the magazine, that cover, is old. Yet the ad containing the cover picture, with the little items around magazine cover, yeah, it's new. I have been seeing the ad in a few other magazines lately (yes, I still read magazines but mostly for the recipes and the free little perfumes you get to rub on your arm). Which reminds me, man I have been behind in reading-'n'-recipe reviewing.

   Okay, defensive digression over.

   Where were we? Oh, yes...back to the photo. I saw this ad a few times and decided to actually take a good long look at it. As I did so, I understood why it turned my stomach more than the usual celebs-with-cancer stuff I see. Have you seen this ad? Have you really looked at it, thought about it? 

   This ad, which IS for People, chose this older issue to tug at heartstrings, to sell magazines (yes, everyone seems to use certain kinds of cancer patients to sell product). People magazine is touting their attention to the details as one reason they are so good at telling stories about people worth being in their magazine (that last part about worth is questionable, but I'm going with it for now).

   So, these featured details are items I guess Lunden mentioned in her interview- honestly, this was a while ago and I probably just skimmed it, so now I really do not remember much of it. But, there are pictures with dramatic captions:

   "The sport that kept her active"

   "The razor that took her hair"

   "The bandana that covered her head"

   And others. The reverence in the tone of these little captions, like these items are holy relics or something, just strikes me as so peculiar and odd. 

   I'm sure I am not the first person to point out the fetishizing of breast cancer- and I don't mean just of women's body's and breasts. I mean the fetishizing of actual patients and by extension, these objects belonging to Lunden. Most of the dictionary definitions of fetish–before it gets to the sexual connotation, describe a fetish as objects regarded with reverence or extravagant trust and superstition. Yeah, the reverence part is what I sensed in those captions used by People magazine. Like these items were her weapons in her battle (because they love the metaphor), and if you fetishize some items, they can help you too.

   Now, this post has been picking mostly on People magazine. Like I said in the first paragraph, I know a graphic of Lunden will pop up with this post, and readers will think it is another gripe-about-celebs post–and I tried to deny that, to explain I would be taking the magazine to task instead. But, I do acknowledge here at the end that yes, Lunden is certainly culpable. She has built a little industry around her cancer journey to be sure–I refuse to join her Alive website, ugh! Her cancer shtick isn’t particularly original–it is just the same old stuff I saw when I was first diagnosed, but now packaged with a fake-y morning show journalist’s pizzazz. She’s just sticking to the pre-approved cancer patient script. I don’t find her inspiring, and definitely not deserving of reverence.

   But this is more than just Lunden and People magazine–it is this whole effed up cancer culture. This ad and yes, Lunden too, this whole thing is just a weird example of what I find so stomach churning in cancer culture. Like the old adage about only the positive stories getting to the podium, but magnified.Ugh, my cancer experience was just so NOT a fairy tale.

   Ah, but here I am, a giant hypocrite. I’m sticking to my pre-approved cancer script too, because I am not saying anything new here–these are old gripes for me. It was just the presentation in this ad, the way those objects were laid out and captioned like religious relics that just exasperated me more than usual.

   And as usual I offer no solutions. And I don’t believe in giving advice. But I will offer comfort. If you find these usual presentations of the cancer story–the sanitized, pretty-in-pink, I’m a warrior who kicked cancer’s ass stuff–as stomach turning as I find it, well, to expand on Alice Roosevelt’s saying, your place is here next to me.

   And that is just my opinion....but of course I don't have the pink cancer so mine is not over fetishized. My ribbon is white...boring, plain old white. 

   Love you all...mean it,

    Shanna xoxoxo

Personally, I think I am so much cooler than Joan Lunden anyway. :P