Letters to the Editor
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Re: The Ball Wall
>>try to imagine men sending in shots of their sacks to promote testicular cancer awareness. Charming, isn't it?<<
It isn't charming when men post pics on craigslist.org as a way to entice women, and it sure ain't charming in this context. Totally agree with Quiet Type.
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hmm
I dunno, I haven't gone to the site (i'm still at work, and they're still breasts after all...I don't know if I really feel like getting into a discussion about the deeper implications of the site should a superior walk by ;). But it seems to me that a large part of the appeal is simple playfulness.
Which is, you know, okay.
So many illness awareness campaigns are so damn serious all the time. Don't get me wrong, cancer is obviously serious, but who's to say you can't raise awareness about self-exams AND have a laugh at the same time?
A few years back a friend's band was part of a benefit concert for breast cancer awareness called..."Rockers for Knockers", which just killed me (and proved to be a very successful night if I recall.)
anyways...
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"Booby Wall"
It's not my cup of tea - in fact, it seems curiously retro to me -- but if it causes just one woman to get a mammogram and have breast cancer diagnosed in time to cure her, it'll be worthwhile.
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if it causes guys to look --
And if they then realize how precious breasts are (in every possible way), and if it makes them think about and care about breast exams, then it's worth it. Anything associated in a guy's mind with bare breasts, stays associated.
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Bodies
This reminds me of a much more interesting and useful group of images a photog friend worked on called "The Belly Project". It had tight shots of waistlines, naked and in bright light, listing the number of pregnancies, births, miscarriages, etc. Some had scars, some sagging... every age and race represented. It was a real departure from the airbrushed 15 year old models in every other glossy we were used to seeing. It reminded the viewer that a body is human and has the possibility of giving life instead a perfect machine.
But just seeing the headline on this one, all that comes to mind is people checking out boobs. (Yes, boobs or tits, not breasts.) Maybe those types will be drawn to this site, however pitiful. Then again, nudity is no big deal and America has always been a little uptight about bodies.
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"Rockers for Knockers"
Very funny! I like it.
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dot ca
It's a Canadian site. Canadians in general don't have the same hang ups about their bodies as do American Liberal Females.
Remember Alanis Morrisette at the CMAs when she came out in that nude suit?
To someone like TC-F, any show of flesh has to be exhaustively justified or it is immediately suspect.
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I'm not sure I understand the problem with this..
Funny idea, good cause, different take on the issue, helping the repressed American; trying to figure out what there is to not like about this...
BTW "pornification of American women"???? sorry, missed the moment when porn became a verb.
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"Nipples 'n Tits"
I think that would be a catchier name than "The Booby Wall."
But why no lactating or breastfeeding breasts? Is this discrimination against pregnant or nursing women?
Hey, I just got an idea. Maybe I can make my own "Nipples 'n Tits". That would be great decor for the big empty wall in my apt. I wonder how many women would snap a pic for me? Maybe I could offer to donate $1 to breast cancer research for each one.
Any takers on Broadsheet?
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Anti-Booby Wall
How about a wall of photos of women's chests post-mastectomy and post-lumpectomy (breast conserving surgery). I think that might scare young women into self-examination, a healthy life-style and diet.
If I had foreseen what breast surgery would do to me, I would have gone to the doctor sooner and had that lump removed while it was small and likely benign.
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Nice commercial... NOT!
Who thinks that breast cancer awareness really needs to be raised? Haven't we already been bombarded enough with this kind of message? I find this site, with it's blatant advertisement, ridiculous and offensive. Is anyone but me worried that this disease will never be cured as long as it's such a big money maker? I'm personally sick of the color pink, ribbon pins and boobies.
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Alienating Breast Cancer Survivors
What I find most distrubing about the campaign is how it seems to alienate the very people it is trying to advocate for. By displaying (predominantly) healthy breasts, women who have had mastectomies are further aware of their cancer and treatment. Though raw and touching images, another commenter stated that the pictures of the treated patients could serve as a "warning." I think this is a dangerous message to portray-- as a 'sick among the healthy' by highlighting the difference among healthy and 'non-healthy' breasts, the campaign-- at least to me-- seems to superimpose a fear of cancer for vanity reasons. Further, these women should never have to serve as a 'warning.' Breast cancer wasn't a choice.
I also think the message is convoluted. If this was for another type of cancer-- say skin cancer-- people who get naked are not necessarily in solidarity or support of those with skin cancer. Though I try to support breast cancer as many ways as I can, some of the ways they try to reach the public can be twisted-- like primarily pink products. Pink because grown women are sick? Am I meant to feel solidarity and be drawn towards pink objects? I put aside this sense of feeling demeaned to support the cause, but I never see prostate campaigns portrayed in such manners (light blue products, etc.)
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Head for the hills
Oh Dear, naked booby's, head for the hills. hide the children, I'll get Pat Robertson on the phone. Honestly, I love this. The boobs on the wall are from real women, all shapes and sizes, from survivors and women who have lost loved ones. If anyone thinks this looks like Porn, you need to seriously re-evaluate the definition.
It appears that goal is awareness among young women who (as I often do) feel immune to this disease. There isn't a donate button, which I could find, I'm not being asked to send money, this seems to be pure awareness, and as a marketer I know how difficult that is to achieve.
What I appreciate here, is the honesty of the pictures and the comments. The last time I saw a Gillette commercial I was greeted by 20 something models prancing around a beach. there is a realness about this which I like and appreciate.