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AIBU?

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Original poster

to have had enough of the Macmillan Cancer adverts

32 replies

rshipstuff · 12/10/2011 12:40

I listen to Magic FM quite a lot. (this might be unreasonable in itself...)

They play sort of modern easy listening I suppose.

Anyway I'm there cooking the dinner or washing the dishes and they have got their 'Stress Busters' music on, and every bloody ad break they have this Macmillan cancer ad on with people saying how Macmillan helped them when they were dying of cancer and how 'cancer is a tough journey' etc.

The first time I heard it was ok but it's every adbreak and it really spoils the effect of 'Mellow Magic' and 'Stress Busting' when its pereptually bookended by adverts for dying of cancer.

OP posts:
porcamiseria · 12/10/2011 12:42

DPs mum dioes of cancer and trusn over the challen when the ads are on. My Dad HAS cancer, and I cant watch either

not sure who can bloody bear watching them!

I do support MM, but hate the ads

topsyturner · 12/10/2011 12:43

I have cancer .
I use Macmillans services .
I think they are great .
But I am also soooooo sick of the ads .

So UANBU .

TheTenantOfWildfellHall · 12/10/2011 12:56

My parents both have cancer and both use MM.

I also get sick of seeing the ads too.

They seem to have forgotten that people 'affected by cancer' will see them along with the blissfully unaware.

MissM · 12/10/2011 13:06

My brother died of cancer three years ago and I bloody hate all those kinds of adverts. It's like getting a kick in the stomach each time I hear/see one.

GooseyLoosey · 12/10/2011 13:09

The service is great, but more upbeat adds would be getter. I too have to turn over as they have in the past triggered an episode of depression (bit of a woos me).

HenriettaFarthingay · 12/10/2011 13:11

Had cancer twice - I ignore them.

wordsonapage · 12/10/2011 13:11

I agree tbh I remember all to vividly the " today is a good day" bollocks constantly on the radio and tv and every newspaper when it had been the shittest day ever
(mil died of cancer last year my mum the year before that and fil the year before that)

Scuttlebutter · 12/10/2011 13:20

I've had cancer. My close friend died of cancer earlier this year, and my father died of it three weeks ago. YANBU. But my particular Waterloo is the Cancer Research Campaign ones, particularly the "I shouldn't be here" ones. I hate those with the burning brightness of a thousand suns. So much so that I will no longer give to CRC appeals, sponsorships etc. All I can say is thank heavens for the Sky + box which allows us to FF through them. I don't mind so much the billboards for Macmillan etc as I can sort of filter them out. Don't listen to commercial radio so can't comment on that. But agree - Today is definitely not one of my better days.

Andrewofgg · 12/10/2011 13:24

My survivor gifts go to the Royal Marsden where I was treated. Nearly twenty years ago now so I think I can say successfully!

DejaWho · 12/10/2011 13:27

I'm sick of lots of adverts - the Macmillan ones pale into insignificance compared to the hell that is the Go Compare Tosser.

pissovski · 12/10/2011 13:38

hate them. Appreciate that they need to let people know what they're doing but still hate them. The worst one was a tv one earlier this year, when it shows different people who have been diagnosed with cancer with one of their family and then again saying how great it was when they survived. At the end there is an older man on his own. Hated it cos FIL died five weeks after his cancer diagnosis early this year, while I was pregnant with the 1st grandchild for 20 years (big family), who he was so looking forward to. Both DH and I were in tears regularly, but it was that advert that started us off if we didn't turn over quickly enough

aldiwhore · 12/10/2011 13:45

I don't mind them any more than I mind any other repetitive advert, they're all annoying, which is why I listen to BBC...

On one hand I am getting increasingly annoyed with Charity adverts of any kind, though awareness is needed for most charities, the constant repetition is very very irritating so people either distance themselves from giving out of pure annoyance OR they zone them out, either way, they don't do their job.

On the other hand, large charities need a lot of money and if they catch just a few more regular donators it could be seen as money well spent.

Though big adverts cost big money and that irritates me.

I'd rather plonk a few quid in a bucket than set up a direct debit, but these days charities operate on a cashless system so they get LESS from me and others than they ever did (but it must work else they'd revert back to cash surely?) and don't even get me started on the free pens/cards/writing paper... keep it, use the money for the charity.

OP YANBU. Cancer is shit, and although we need to know about it, and although cancer charities need every penny, if you have cancer or know someone with it, sometimes you just need a break from it.

dippydoodah · 12/10/2011 13:55

YANBU, they are immensely depressing and I think their money would be spent better elsewhere.

thefirstMrsDeVeerie · 12/10/2011 14:04

I hate them. I also hate those 'I shouldnt be here' scuttle. They make me want to throw things at the tv.

The ones where they are sitting on sofas and the mother hugs her DD.

All of them. They enrage me.

But but but

They are necessary because charities have to advertise and they have to put across how cancer affects families and that people DO survive and its worth contributing to research/treatment.

There is always this difficulity with any medical/aid/disability charity because the charity model is so bloody awful. It is demeaning and patronizing.

But people wont give money if we say 'its all lovely'

MarginallyNarkyPuffin · 12/10/2011 14:05

They are seriously OTT. Family member who was going through chemo had the odd good day mid cycle when we'd go out and do something nice. A chance to be normal for the day rather than a patient, and forget about being ill. It was always ruined by some bastard place selling pink ribbon badges or bloody daffodils. I know they're giving money to help etc etc but it means you can't escape it anywhere. Relative lost a parent to cancer and was going through it themselves- they didn't need reminders.

And they loathed the Macmillan Nurses - found them patronising, touchy feely and thick as mince when it came to understanding that not everyone wants a stranger's arm around them and a shoulder to cry on.

MarginallyNarkyPuffin · 12/10/2011 14:06

Actually they used to give money to those charities every time they saw a collection box - because of theoir relative. Now they avoid them.

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 12/10/2011 14:08

YANBU.

The add on tv where they're sat on sofas and it finishes with a heartbroken person alone, shreds my heart, my grandma died of cancer last year and I struggle to cope without that popping up!

MarginallyNarkyPuffin · 12/10/2011 14:10

Also that they had entrenched ideas of what you should be feeling - and got quite put out if you didn't. For some people losing their hair is harder than losing other body parts. It's an individual thing. But they weren't having that. My relative got lectured on how she should be feeling about it. And this isn't second hand because I was in the room for a lot of it.

MissM · 13/10/2011 17:41

Scuttle - feel exactly the same about CRC. After my brother died they had all those 'I shouldn't be here' adverts all over the tube and I wanted to throw paint at them. I appreciate them trying to raise money and to keep people's spirits up etc, but I wanted to say 'guess what, people actually do die of cancer and you know they do'.

Anniversary coming up and I usually get quite bitter around now.

MissPenteuth · 13/10/2011 17:46

Poor you OP, having your peaceful moment spoiled by a charity trying to raise money to help people.

I can see why other people on this thread would find the adverts difficult to see/hear, or tiresome, but for your deep lack of sensitivity in your own reasoning, you can have my very first Biscuit

DaisyDaresYOU · 13/10/2011 18:22

I hate that make a wish advert they kept putting on at christmas.My brother died close to christmas his wish was to find a cure Sad cuts me up everytime.

TakeThisOneHereForAStart · 13/10/2011 18:22

I think any advert can loose it's impact by being repeated too often, and when it is for such a good cause it is a shame to alienate people or just have them 'tune out' the message you are trying to get across.

They can also be very upsetting to people who have been affected in whatever way.

I find the Pampers advert very difficult to watch, the one where they say they will give newborns certain vaccinations, because they sing that mournful version of Happy Birthday. I also find it very hard to watch the Save the Children advert, because they say no child should be born to die. And the ones with the mothers whose daughters have respectively died in a fire and choked to death are unbearable.

It must be hard to strike a balance. However I have seen advert breaks on television where the first and last advert are the long and then short version for one particular charity and this double showing is repeated through all the following advert breaks too. It can be too much, especially for something that has affected you or your family on a personal level.

HalfTermHero · 13/10/2011 18:33

Agree that many of these adverts are into the category of actually being really insenstive and very upsetting to anyone who has had their life touched by cancer.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 13/10/2011 18:39

I hate those type of adverts.

I have had cancer, both MIL and FIL died of cancer and I ran a marathon raising money for Macmillan as they did a lot to support MIL and FIL but those adverts do drag me down.

YANBU

upahill · 13/10/2011 18:41

Switch over to Planet Rock.
They aren't on there.