Hi, I'm not sexist

[artemisofluna]

I just got this message sent to me on Facebook (ignore the Pirate English, that's due to my language settings):

Regaarrding: Fun for cancer awareness

"Some fun is going on.... just write the colour of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send this on to ONLY women, no men .... It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men will wonder why all the girls have a colour in their status... Haha"

You know...first of all, I fail to see how this is going to spread the wings of any awareness, but that isn't the point of my issue here. It says 'send this message only to women, no men'. Uhm...if the point of it is to spread breast cancer awareness, SHOULDN'T WE SPREAD THE AWARENESS THAT MEN CAN GET IT TOO?!?!

*headdesk repeatedly and repeatedly and repeatedly*

I know it's rare, but that, again, ISN'T MY POINT. I found a website from Australia which says Breast cancer is uncommon in men, accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancers. In Australia in 2001, a total of 95 men were diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer in men occurs more commonly in those aged 50 years and older.

Even so, how many of those 95 men would even have KNOWN it was possible? They probably thought "Uh...isn't this a woman's disease?" If we're 'spreading awareness' we shouldn't be so sexist about it. Things like this are supposed to be silly and cute, but they piss me off.

Awareness shouldn't cut off 50% of the population, geniuses.

(Also, I am sick AGAIN but this is the fault of the meds. Bloody things.)

Comments

[phfa.livejournal.com]

ARGH.

They mean well but they just don't THINK.

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

Exactly. If they're spreading awareness, they might want to try HAVING SOME.

[phfa.livejournal.com]

Argh people.

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

It's just frustrating. It's like they're trying to keep this ladies' club. This fun little haha secret. Which isn't what it should be at all.

[athenarising.livejournal.com]

And I get annoyed that things like that tend to discount the men who are effected by breast cancer in women they love. It's not just a women's issue in that sense, too. Every woman who gets it has a father, brother, husband, son, friend, who is also effected, and it's not like they don't have just as much concern and empathy about it. I don't think they'd be amused by the "hee, hee, we have a secret that doesn't involve you" bit, either. Just another side of the rant! And, P.S. "girls" tend to have an even lower rate of breast cancer than men.

LY

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It's just... *sigh* People don't THINK. It's frustrating.

[bad-ideas-bear.livejournal.com]

Here here! I agree wholeheartedly. It is ridiculous to discount 50% of the population. It also shows the growing trend to set up a Facebook group for these major social or political issues instead of actually doing something about it. Obviously a fair few people are also directly involved or donating money as well, but there are those who think joining the Facebook group is enough. Twitter isn't going to cure cancer, people!

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

No, it really isn't. Actually doing something is a far greater thing than flapping your gums about it. 'swhy I'm studying to become a Social Worker. To actually do something, though not necessarily about this per se...

I have a feeling most women KNOW about breast cancer. They are aware. Shouldn't the 'making people aware' be about the part of the population who AREN'T aware?! It gets to me, it does!

[timotab.livejournal.com]

My uncle died of Breast Cancer.

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry to hear that. I wish there was more information out there to warn men that this is a danger. It always seems to target women and I don't get it!

[athenarising.livejournal.com]

I just got the thing. It annoyed me. It would've anyway. It's worse than a forward e-mail b/c you can tell if the recipient (that would be me, I'm not a forwarder!) ignored you or not. We went to a church once that wanted people to hold their tithe envelopes in the air so everyone could see who was giving. This reminds me of that. I'm not so into public displays of much, so I'll pass, thanks...

[artemisofluna.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yes, I KNOW! Though I'm a Big Mouth so I went back to the people who sent it to me. It wasn't their IDEA so I wasn't harsh. But I was certainly direct. Because, you know...that's me.