Women are more likely to watch a video with a hot guy in it

October 25, 2011 8:32 AM

Rethink Breast Cancer has released Your Man Reminder, a smartphone app that reminds the user to give her breasts some TLC. And that reminder is brought by hot, shirtless man-candy.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey (48 comments total)

Sweet!
posted by Dhertiiboi at 8:38 AM on October 25, 2011

I can't wait to see the one for testicular cancer. Think they'll demonstrate on each other?
posted by jph at 8:38 AM on October 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

I can't wait to see the one for testicular cancer. Think they'll demonstrate on each other?

That sounds pretty good, but I'm holding out for the prostate cancer app.
posted by Edgewise at 8:52 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

This just reminds me that one man's (or woman's) meat is another man's poison. Yikes!
posted by emhutchinson at 8:52 AM on October 25, 2011

Add to list of life regrets: Never being remotely considered "hot shirtless man-candy".
posted by Trurl at 8:57 AM on October 25, 2011

Non-removable shirt?
posted by DU at 9:00 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

My favourite thing about this ad was all the women I know in various other fora online trying and failing to be offended by this somehow.
posted by elizardbits at 9:00 AM on October 25, 2011 [8 favorites]

What is the opposite of "hot shirtless man-candy"? "Cold shirted woman-vegetables"? Doesn't sound right.
posted by emhutchinson at 9:03 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

And, I will selflessly volunteer to provide breast attention for any of the women out there that need it, even if I am not so much man candy as man respectable nutritious meal meal with a yummy dessert in a respectable portion size.
posted by Samizdata at 9:03 AM on October 25, 2011

My "candy" is four smooth friends, most of whom are white? In no way am I denying the attractiveness of the men in question (as they are clearly attractive) but it makes me sad that this character-less form factor is the entirety of male beauty. Brothers and sisters, the gentleman doctor was more interesting to look at. Come to think of it, I think I'd trust him more with my health and well-be... ing...

This PSA wasn't made for me, was it?
posted by cheap paper at 9:08 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

My favourite thing about this ad was all the women I know in various other fora online trying and failing to be offended by this somehow.

Will you accept this woman who's definitely eye-rolly about this?

I can't be worked up into a full froth of offense, largely because I'm so worn out from all of the other "hey let's make breast cancer cutesy somehow" stuff that saturates. Breast cancer is the only kind of cancer that gets this kind of wink-and-nudge treatment -- we don't get "comedic" reminders to screen for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, after all, and every other kind of cancer is treated with much more gravity. But for some reason people's brains all seem to short-circuit because omg boobeez and we get dumb shit like this.

I can respect the impulse to want to lighten-up a bit. But get back to me when there are also funny aps reminding people to screen for melanoma, and it's not just breast cancer that gets the wocka-wocka treatment.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:09 AM on October 25, 2011 [13 favorites]

It's certainly doing a bang-up job increasing breast exam awareness among my gay friends.
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:10 AM on October 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

This reminds me of a card that the Lance Armstrong foundation passed out a few years ago. There is nothing on their website now, but it was similar to this.

And on the back, it had a similar diagram for checking for testicular cancer. The card was plastic, and would hang in your shower. No need for an app.
posted by dfm500 at 9:16 AM on October 25, 2011

A man giving himself a self breast in a sexy manner...

CREEPY.
posted by clvrmnky at 9:16 AM on October 25, 2011

In what way is that creepy, clvrmnky? My uncle died of breast cancer.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:20 AM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Canada ran a related youth employment program ten years ago.
posted by maudlin at 9:20 AM on October 25, 2011

I can't wait to see the one for testicular cancer. Think they'll demonstrate on each other?

[NSFW] Like this? [NSFW]
posted by andoatnp at 9:23 AM on October 25, 2011

how do I order a Glenn?
posted by supermedusa at 9:27 AM on October 25, 2011

Empress your point is very valid and underlines the relative lack of concern (socially and in med community) regarding women's diseases. however, wasn't a female comic recently diagnosed with rectal cancer responsible for promoting the idea of Mr Hanky as spokes-poo and bringing a little humor to her own grim situation?

cancer is a terrible and frightening thing, and the subpar standard of women's health care makes me angry, but humor is life-affirming and can be healing too.
posted by supermedusa at 9:34 AM on October 25, 2011

andoatnp: "[NSFW] Like this? [NSFW]"

Maybe more like this. (also NSFW)
posted by mkb at 9:36 AM on October 25, 2011

Get these guys to do my pap and I'm sold.
posted by milk white peacock at 9:41 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Empress your point is very valid and underlines the relative lack of concern (socially and in med community) regarding women's diseases.

Have you really observed a relative lack of social concern about breast cancer relative to other cancers? That's very different from what I've observed!
posted by John Cohen at 9:43 AM on October 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

My favourite thing about this ad was all the women I know in various other fora online trying and failing to be offended by this somehow.

I've noticed that in online discussions, certain views get marginalized based on the charge that the people with those views are unduly offended, or pretending to be offended. But actually, they may have a valid critique whether or not they're actually "offended."
posted by John Cohen at 9:48 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I do think we should take their word for it that they dislike the sexualization of this one type of cancer. I'm not sure why it matters whether they can jump through the additional hoop of being sincerely offended.
posted by John Cohen at 9:50 AM on October 25, 2011

Yeah, I'm trying to decide whether this is more or less irritating than "Save the Ta-Tas" and the like. Sure, I'd appreciate a timely reminder about breast health. But I'm not so stupid that I won't pay attention unless it comes delivered by "man candy."
posted by ChuraChura at 9:56 AM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Is there a companion one for this for lesbians? Surely they get breast cancer too?
posted by Leezie at 9:58 AM on October 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

I'm a guy, and I find this kind of stuff (as well as the "Save the Ta-tas" campaign) somewhat offensive. Yeah, let's all take something that's a huge source of anxiety to many women and make it cute and vaguely sexy because LOL BOOBIES.

I'm sure the people behind this kind of thing mean well, but I certainly can't blame women for rolling their eyes or being offended or whatever negative reaction they have.
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:58 AM on October 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

I can't bother to be offended by this. But I do get annoyed at the way we insist on either trivializing or sexualizing the prevention and treatment of a deadly disease, just because it starts in your boob.

(Not to mention the ongoing cash grab that is all things "pink for the cure.")
posted by ErikaB at 10:00 AM on October 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

wasn't a female comic recently diagnosed with rectal cancer responsible for promoting the idea of Mr Hanky as spokes-poo and bringing a little humor to her own grim situation?

There's a difference between a comedienne sending an open letter to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and a group creating and marketing an actual i-Phone app. When Parker and Stone APPROVE of Mr. Hanky being used in this way, and the app actually exists, THEN we'll talk.

Yeah, let's all take something that's a huge source of anxiety to many women and make it cute and vaguely sexy because LOL BOOBIES.
=
I do get annoyed at the way we insist on either trivializing or sexualizing the prevention and treatment of a deadly disease, just because it starts in your boob. (Not to mention the ongoing cash grab that is all things "pink for the cure.")


Precisely. Thank you.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:05 AM on October 25, 2011

hot, shirtless man-candy.

*Removes shirt, begins microwaving gummy bears*

...wait, I think I've screwed this up somehow.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:07 AM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh, and having just been chastized last week for not having done my monthly breast exams, I will gladly sign up for the app. Not so much because I would otherwise forget - I just didn't feel the necessity before - but because I'm a sucker for hot, shirtless man candy and the opportunity to have them come up on my phone, but sadly not in real life, is just what I need.
posted by Leezie at 10:09 AM on October 25, 2011

I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, yes, I understand the making-light-of-a-bad-situation thing not being up everybody's alley. On the other hand, women I know make light of mammograms all the time. You sort of have to. I also get the pink fatigue that sets in this time of year.

But when I had to have a stereotactic biopsy once (turned out fine), I came home and told a man I know that "stereotactic" meant they listen to your breasts in both ears. He didn't believe me, but I was actually awaiting results of a biopsy, and I could still find amusement in it. I'm not sure humor and respect for the seriousness of a situation are necessarily natural enemies, although you obviously have to be extremely careful -- EXTREMELY -- about inflicting your sense of humor on people you don't know well.

It doesn't really bother me at all. If it gets a couple of women to be more comfortable saying to each other, "Hey, did you make your appointment? Because GLENN DEMANDS IT," that's okay with me.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 10:11 AM on October 25, 2011

I think the ire, Linda, is that there's a difference between a woman who's facing the seriousness on her own and is using humor to cope, and a media that is only making a joke about it.

I make light of mammograms too. I had two completely pointless ones during my early 30's, and yes, I agree I had to. But that humor was being counterbalanced by the gravity that I accepted was there. These kinds of wink-wink giggle-giggle campaigns don't really acknowledge any gravity in the situation in the first place. I'd love for there to be frank talk about this FIRST, rather than fluffing everything up in girly lace and twee and "hunky manmeat" as the FIRST step.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:29 AM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

I can't say I'm offended, but "eye-rolly" is a good descriptor. I don't get why we have to apparently sexualize everything in existence, regardless of the genders involved. And some of it admittedly grates on me because it feeds the assumption that as a woman I'm supposed to find that sort of thing attractive and it just does nothing for me; I feel majorly put-off and uncomfortable whenever another woman tries to bond with me over oggling guys like that just because it's really presumptuous. I also don't like that it feeds the idea that's what an attractive guy looks like in the minds of men, too, because it's way more subjective than that and god knows we don't need any more people feeling bad about their appearance.

But it's not like I have to use the service, so whatever. It just pushes my kneejerk button for feeling annoyed at the world.
posted by Nattie at 10:51 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

My mom died of breast cancer at age 38. I was 8. I start getting annual mammograms and breast MRIs next year, at age 25.

Fuck this. I am offended.
posted by autoclavicle at 11:17 AM on October 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

No sexy men reminding me to get pap smears?
posted by maryr at 11:19 AM on October 25, 2011

What, more condescending breast cancer "awareness" pink-a-palooza? Now with bonus hunks, because who else but men should remind us to look after our breasts, after all. Where's the shirtless man promoting HPV vaccines? Pap smears? Nowhere, because the anti-breast cancer campaign in all its pink glory is the safe and sanitized way to let people know that corporations and the public care about women. Buy our shit and we'll give 5 cents to breast cancer research, aren't we just so awesome.

For anyone keeping track, I also succeeded in being at least scornful, if not outright offended.
posted by lydhre at 12:02 PM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

*Removes shirt, begins microwaving gummy bears*

Technically that would be hot shirtless bear-candy. But whatever, I can get behind that too.
posted by nebulawindphone at 12:10 PM on October 25, 2011

I can respect the impulse to want to lighten-up a bit. But get back to me when there are also funny aps reminding people to screen for melanoma, and it's not just breast cancer that gets the wocka-wocka treatment.

My google-fu is failing me this afternoon, but I've seen humorous ads for prostate and colorectal cancer awareness, for what it's worth.
posted by blue t-shirt at 12:32 PM on October 25, 2011

This does not bug me too much itself, probably mostly because it's pretty targeted toward those who seek it out, and isn't plastered all over buses and on bumperstickers. Also, because while it is a sexualized campaign, it's not specifically sexualizing women's breasts, at least not directly.

However, I do take offense at a lot of the sexualized promotions like the "Save the Boobies" crap and things like that, because ultimately, it just reinforces the pervasive sexualization of breasts. Breasts are so sexualized that there are people in the US who consider breastfeeding to be indecent. And it's that ridiculous, constant sexualization that is largely responsible for breast exams and mammograms being so psychologically uncomfortable for women in the first place. Which is a big fat reason for noncompliance with recommended testing. Emphasizing that sexualization in "get tested" campaigns is going to have the opposite effect on a whole lot of the people you need to reach.

AND PLUS ALSO, Save the Boobies bugs me extra hard, because it's either some really awkward and shitty synecdoche in which "boobies" means women, or it actually means "Save the boobies," which is actually worse. A lot of boobies don't get saved, and a lot of women take unnecessary health risks in order to save them. So what kind of message does that send to women who've had mastectomies, or those who are considering one? What does that say about the relative value of a woman's whole life vs. the male gaze?
posted by ernielundquist at 12:46 PM on October 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

Will you accept this woman who's definitely eye-rolly about this?

No, I mean, I am too, and so are they. But my point is simply that they were like "let's discuss the various things that could be better about this! ....after we watch it a few more times, or course." Which is totally normal. And totally amusing.
posted by elizardbits at 1:01 PM on October 25, 2011

But my point is simply that they were like "let's discuss the various things that could be better about this! ....after we watch it a few more times, or course." Which is totally normal. And totally amusing.

Nope, still eye-rolly here. No interest in seeing it even just once, already know it's dippy and insulting.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:09 PM on October 25, 2011

You get that I am talking about other people I know on other sites, right? And that I'm not attributing any of these actions/thoughts/feelings to anyone here in this thread? And that I share your eyerolly opinion that this is silly?
posted by elizardbits at 1:14 PM on October 25, 2011

Ah, it wasn't clear that you were also thinking it was silly. My apologies.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:49 PM on October 25, 2011

"Add to list of life regrets: Never being remotely considered "hot shirtless man-candy"."

You know... I was about to get all ranty about how the male gaze must show up in even women's breast cancer threads, but perhaps objectifying men and creating an expectation that men must be objectified to be valued sexually isn't empowering to anyone. In addition to how distracting this is from the real fight against breast cancer.

Of all the major cancers to so heavily promote constant screening for, breast cancer is about the silliest. Breasts are heavily vascularized organs which means that cancer spreads within and from them comparatively easily and quickly. We also have very few treatments that are actually strongly effective at prolonging the life of breast cancer patients. The big secret of mamograms is that "not clear whether screening does more good than harm" and one in 2,000 women will have her life prolonged by 10 years of screening, however, another 10 healthy women will undergo unnecessary breast cancer treatment. Additionally, 200 women will suffer from significant psychological stress due to false positive results. The data shows little real epidemiological effect from mass screening. This is not to say that you should not get an annual mamogram, especially if there is a family history, but this absolute focus is madness in the face of clear data.

As a researcher on the molecular side of things, my colleagues are the other place where breast cancer money going. Most of our understanding of Cancer generally has come from breast cancer research but most of that money has gone to basic research that ended up finding cures for other cancers more amenable to therapeutic interventions.

If we really wanted to make a big impact on breast cancer specifically, it would be in epidemiological and toxicological research into the likely many and various amenable environmental risk factors. Its amazing to me how little money there is in it and how much the purveyors of those likely risk factors donate to to groups, which should be funding environmental research, for 'awareness' of screening and profitable pharmaceutically oriented research.

Barbara Ehrenreich's essay cancer land
posted by Blasdelb at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Yuck.

How about an app reminding your man to find his woman sexy after she has a double mastectomy, whether she chooses implants or not? How about an app reminding your man that his woman without a mane of long hair isn't less feminine? How about an app reminding everyone that advertisements capitalizing on possessive pronouns to deliver a message are creepy?
posted by desuetude at 10:38 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, this "save the boobies" stuff gets more grating every year. My friend is in her mid-20s (not a typo, she totally lost the genetic lottery) and has spent most of the last year fighting breast cancer, and it has been horrible, and oh my god I wish she'd get the damn double mastectomy but she wants to keep her breasts *so badly* even though for her they are basically two ticking time bombs strapped onto the front of her body. She's a smart girl and has a lot going for her beyond the physical, but she has a lot of her sense of self-worth wrapped up in her appearance. "Save the boobies" is the exact opposite of the message I want her to be getting, especially from dudes, who seem to have embraced the message wholeheartedly (with the best of intentions, I'm sure).

It's completely evil that breast cancer "awareness" campaigns are all about how great tits are and how much we want to care for them and keep them healthy. No. If you have cancer in your breasts I want you to get those breasts off your body toot sweet, dammit. And I want everyone in the whole damn world to internalize that that's fine.

I feel like I've really learned a lot about a lot of things watching her suffer through this. And it's made me really loathe the cultural narratives that have developed around SO MANY aspects of breast cancer, its treatment, its survivors, and its risk level.
posted by troublesome at 11:51 PM on October 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

Ah, it wasn't clear that you were also thinking it was silly. My apologies.

No worries, dude. I definitely could have expressed myself better there.
posted by elizardbits at 11:21 AM on October 26, 2011