Post-Backlash Feminism

"Rethinkbreastcancer.com" had a great idea: get men to care about breast cancer by filming bouncing breasts. I'm not kidding.

In a public-service-announcement style video published on the website, young (ostensibly cancer-less) breasts are fetishized and marketed as toys for men.

First breast cancer awareness gets pinkified, with cancer victims and survivors infantalized and obscured behind giant pink bows and teddy bears.  Now this.

The message of the video: men's fascination with "the boobs" should motivate young women to take care of the breasts they have. Keep those toys perky and healthy--for the pleasure of others.

The video suggests that If you don't get involved in cancer awareness for the good of women's health, maybe you will if we show you lots of boobies. Breast cancer is a woman's disease, attacking women's bodies and potentially destroying their health. So, shouldn't we all, men, too, be concerned about breast cancer?

Apparently the kind women at this site don't think so. We've got to make the disease a threat to men (it is; it takes daughters, mothers, sisters, partners friends everyday). Hence, a public service announcement warning of the darker danger of the disease: fewer "boobs" to ogle and fetishize. (The insult to men is equally inexcusable.)

Check it out; this ostensibly woman-center, woman-run website offers it up without apology: http://www.rethinkbreastcancer.com/boobyball-cruise.html

"Rethinkbreastcancer.com" essentially devotes itself to bringing younger women into the conversation about breast health. The site offers lots of information about prevention and support. All good things.

But this PSA is not a good thing. It ignores female bodies at the heart of cancer awareness. It insults women surviving and suffering from the disease (not to mention those who love them) . And, piling on the insult, replaces the reality of cancer with sexist portrayals of women; we're worthless without the bouncing playthings so lovingly photographed in the video.

Further, the video reminds us that women envy each other's breasts, and we feel bad when ours don't measure up. The video features a young women in a bikini strutting around a pool where an array of men and women watch her walk. Close ups of her breasts dominate the one-minute piece, wider shots show men's admiration and women's envy. So: women should take care of their bodies in order to please men and make other women jealous? Seriously?

We can't even get respect from our own gender; even our (very serious) health concerns are turned against us in pernicious and sexist ways.

It's so tiresome, isn't it?