'Breasts' or 'Boobies'? Does language matter?

robynkk, you make a good point about the teenage boys wearing those bracelets.  Of course they "heart" boobies, as do most males at that same age.  And, in their case, I doubt it has anything to do with support for breast cancer research.

badboobee said, "When I see a pink ribbon I am reminded that this is a battle and a cure needs to be found for breast cancer."  I guess that's where some of us differ.  When I see a pink ribbon, I think of a sweet little girl like my granddaughter.  She loves the color pink -- it's her favorite color; and some days everything she wears is pink.  So, unless I'm immersed in breast cancer business at the time, or unless it's October (don't get me started on that one), a pink ribbon makes me think of little girls and innocence and giggles and the scent of baby powder.  But, isn't that why the color pink was associated with breast cancer in the first place?

Finally... I live in a state that was devastated by last week's tornadoes.  At last count, 236 people in my state are dead; hundreds more are missing in just one of our cities; many thousands are homeless; and the search-and-rescue has just changed over to recovery and rebuilding.  There is a tremendous amount of work being done here on behalf of the tornado victims -- fund-raising, donating, cooking, ferrying, cleaning, building, helping.  There have been "special" programs on local TV stations and lots of publicity on the national news describing the devastation.  Already there have been telethons and "benefit" concerts to raise money for the relief effort.

(Hang on -- I'm getting to the point.)

Throughout all of those programs, not one single time did I hear anyone making a joke out of the tragedy in an effort to "raise awareness" for the tornado victims.  Nobody found it necessary to be cute or funny in an attempt to get people to "talk about" the loss of lives and property.  No one used slang when describing the heartbreak of finding a child's body underneath a concrete wall, or when interviewing an elderly couple whose home is now a pile of rubble. 

Instead, the words and images people have used to describe this crisis have captured the very worst of what has happened -- the most tragic situations; the most heart-wrenching stories.

So, why is it that some people think campaigns to inform others about breast cancer need to be funny or whimsical to be effective?

otter

I'm trying to think of any other disease awareness campaign that uses funny euphemisms for anatomical parts, but really, I can't think of any! I find most of the terms used in the original post derogatory. I'd personally only use "boobs" when talking with my friends.

In our area, a little girl got into major trouble at school for wearing a "I heart boobies" pink bracelet, and I think a court (yes, of course it went to court) ruled that she had the right to wear it. What that expression has to do with breast cancer is beyond me!

As for "Save the tatas", I agree with others about trivilization. I'd rather see campaigns that talk about saving women's lives rather than body parts.

This is the only one that's ever made me smile:

otter

Earlier treatment still means the same thing "TREATMENT:................which means you have the disease, and they will "treat" you to get rid of it........................How nice not to have to get Treatments (which beat the hell out of women...................lose your hair, get sick as hell..........destroy your immune system............burn the hell out of you..................destroy your bones....................sit for hours being infused................yea, lets find earlier treatments............or how about better treatments.........let's see. ok..........maybe a pill that works so you only throw up 5 times instead of all night.........or a miracle ointment that helps to take the Rad SE from crispy to just well done...........................

Sorry I don't care what virus, or bacterium, or cause they have to search for.........just find it, and then find a VACCINE............Vaccine's stop diseases.............stop the disease you no longer need "better treatment, or earlier treatment.............

FIND A VACCINE..............I think most will agree with me. It won't help us, but it will help our daughters, and grandaughters........................

Worked for a Pharma Co. for 15 years in Research and Development.............cancer drugs are Big Business...........money makers.............. 

Listen, what would you expect from a gal who's avatar is a cookie after a lumpectomy...but I don't mind it.

I actually wear my black "bad-ass tata's" t-shirt to events sometimes.

I realize others feel differently, and that's ok, but before I had bc, I found bc awarness scary and tried to block it all out.

Anyway, from that point of view, something a little sassier, might not have been as intimidating, and might have even got me screened earlier before I was stage 2. I also like breast cancer blogs and books that are funny, like "Alright Tit".

Anyway, don't hate me, I accept that some of you will feel differently. We don't all have to agree.

Maybe this has something to do with being a "young survivor" but maybe not.

JB, annual mammos for women in their 20s is not recommended since young women have dense breast tissue (the younger the denser) so mammos are close to useless for most young women.

Yes, annual mammos, wonderful tool. Usually. Had a mammo at age 56, found a lump 10 months later - Stage III at dx, Stage IV now.

Nothing, no diagnostic or tx, is 100%. Mammos miss approx 10% of cancers. I had a 20% chance of "distant recurrance" (mets) after tx.

And I had my breast removed, not my boobie.

Leah

I was going for an elective bilateral bmx. Mammo in aug08 negative. Got the "seeyou next year letter NED". My MRI was in DEC 08 because there was no imperative, but I was continuing to work towards the elective. Oh wow ---whats that------a cancer.  Went from elective to have too. Still went with bmx with recon with implants. In a do over I think I would have choosen a diep flap. It's two and 1/4 years and I still have the iron bra feeling. AND of course the PS didn't follow my directions of SMALLER--------he gave me max fil @850cc. I maitain that it should be agreed to in writting on the consent. Failure to follow directions. I get to inject the full amount into his scrotal sack or labia as the case may be.

This whole thread reminds me of George Carlin.  I'm sorry I do not find the words boobies to be disgusting.  I find when men can't talk to me and look me in the eyes, because they are so busy talking to my chest to be disgusting.  I find when men hire women with bigger breast or mor perky breast to be sexist. I find men who are willing to give a pass to women who simper and cry over little things, just because they wear low cut, tight fitting shirts, to be demeaning.  Words...bah.  Don't care.  Actions hurt more.

You are preaching to the choir here in wanting early detection for all-my 5mm tumor was found by mammo.

But I have to say there IS research currently underway on vaccines that prevent BC from developing, as well as what you were referring to in preventing recurrence - although that is not a bad thing to be working on as well.

Since we all know of too many who started at stage 0 or 1 and things turned out different. The unfortunate truth is active cancer cells provide excellent research material- which is why I wholeheartedly gave all my breast tissue to science following mastectomy (save what was reserved for my own testing of course). One step at a time.

I was detected early but I still was diagnosed with BC. The goal is for that not to happen and for those who have it happen to keep it from recurring.

There are far more drugs in development of which there is no news out as it is highly competitive field and the public will not have a hint until they hit the formal clinical trial stage. Not a hint. That is a fact.

but regardless, I think we all are on the same page in wanting the crap gone, prevented, stopped whatever. Now, I am going to go look at my new boobs and see how they are doing as they are still very odd to me as they have no nipples-unless I put my plastic ebay ones on. Ah, the places BC takes us,

Breast cancer doesn't need to be caused by a virus or a bacterium in order for a preventive vaccine to be developed.

Vaccines work by teaching the immune system to recognize a protein as "not-self" and thus generate antibodies against this foreign protein (antigen).

A lot of the proteins expressed by breast cancers are ubiquitous ("everywhere") in healthy bodily tissues as well, so a vaccine that teaches the immune system to attack these proteins would wreak havoc in the body -- basically, an iatrogenic (doctor-caused) autoimmune disease.

But some of the current work on vaccines to prevent BC is looking at less-ubiquitous proteins. For example, Dr. Vincent Tuohy and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic are working on a vaccine that targets a protein expressed only during lactation -- and in high amounts in most breast cancers.  Of course, this work is only in the mouse-model stage, and such a vaccine would only work in postmenopausal women (or maybe high-risk women who choose tubal ligation prior to menopause) -- but still, it would be something.  And there remains hope that other proteins more specific to breast cancers could be discovered, and targeted by a vaccine.

[see: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v16/n7/full/nm.2161.html]

Morning- I must say I am quite happy with the boobs this morning. How very odd...I woke up and was washing my face = looked in the mirror and actually smiled. Good way to start the day.

JB- I hear you on the waste of money= funny, frigging insurance companies battle ya on all kinds of stuff then send/allow useless crap. I tried for years to get help for my autistic son when he was young and while they would not consider speech therapy they sure did offer a wheelchair...and um, well, he walks just fine thank you. Argh. I shoulda taken it and sold it.....

Most ulcers are caused by a bacteria called H. Pylori........When I was working for the Pharma Co. we did mountains of research on ulcers, and it was thought they came from stress, type A personality, and certain foods......................They actually realized that people who were taking an anti-biotic for another condition, but who were ulcer patients were finding they were getting relief with their ulcer problems while taking the anti-biotic, thus realizing "hey maybe this is being caused by a bacteria, and not personality quirks..................This applies more to Peptic ulcers then Gastric ulcers which are different.................

The ulcer caused by bacteria is then aggravated by the excess acid caused by the stress of ones daily life............would be the finding.

Ok, enough talk I feel like I just came out of retirement...have a great day ladies, off to Rad #13.

Here is a photo of the bracelets

Can you imagine going to the doctor for a gynaecological issue and him saying Let's see your:

squeeze box

muffin

twat

pee pee

.....or even bracelets with those slang words on them? It would NEVER work. So why boobies?

I'm 62, so I should probably be a little more uptight than I am, but 14 years of living on military posts all over the world has resulted in my being more open-minded.

Pit bulls, although one of my favorite breeds, are the dogs being targeted for banning in various parts of the country.  One of the animal rescue groups thought the Susan G Komen race for the cure would be an excellent way to support breast cancer research as well as their beloved pitties.  The team?  "Pitties for Titties"  I loved it!