AIBU to feel really strongly about the new Cancer Research UK ad

[Gattasyl]

I keep hearing it on the radio and it's really starting to annoy the c*ap out of me. I think to keep putting the emphasis on cancer as a battle, as something you can win if you fight hard enough is just unfair and untrue and to be honest misleading.
This new one says 'so and so is a cancer fighter by night' because she's running the marathon...' I don't know... I find it really offensive towards people who have not 'beaten' the disease! AIBU??

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who objects to it...even my DD aged 10 can't stand it!

There have been (I think) three posts here out of 130 that say CRUK's approach has helped them. But presumably it's a successful approach because they're raking in the money and generally get a lot of support. Is it because people will donate for the cause even if they don't like the message, or are people on MN just afraid to go against the tide and say they support it?

I LOATHE it! I have started a thread about this very thing in the past.

My mum was diagnosed with cancer on Monday and I find it so offensive - gives me the rage am quite ragey at the moment anyway

Sorry to hear about your Mum's diagnosis, Vulva - hope that she gets the treatment she needs.

There's a radio ad for a cancer charity (not sure which one as I'm usually ranting) which says "...donate to us and we WILL beat cancer sooner"

They have absolutely no idea if cancer will EVER be truly beaten.

Is interesting the attention different diseases get against how many actual deaths occur.
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/mortality-statistics--deaths-registered-in-england-and-wales--series-dr-/2012/sty-causes-of-death.html

My mum had a mastectomy prob 15yrs ago and then the other as a precaution and then 6-7 years later persistent cough and riddled with lung cancer followed by prolonged death. My parents were funny about the McMillan? nurses I think, believing them not to be as altruisitc as the make out. I remember finding the palliative nurse a bit weird but then again they do have a tough role.

Thank you. Bad times at the moment

I lost both my parents to cancer and am working in drug development for cancer and I also hate these ads. Cancer survival is not a battle, it's a lottery. You might or might not get cancer - it might be treatable - you might live near enough to a really good centre - you might or might not get funding for the treatment you need - and if you are really really lucky it might work for you. unfortunately positivity or 'fight' has absolutely no effect on outcomes and to suggest otherwise is quite frankly unkind to people who are suffering or their loved ones. As the late Iain Banks wrote ' you have as much chance of curing cancer through positivity as you do of putting out a house fire through the medium of modern dance'.

Hello everyone,

We have heard from Cancer Research UK, below is their response to comments on this thread.

Thanks

"Hi Mumsnetters, thanks for your comments about our new campaign. We’re sorry if we have caused any offence in using fighting terminology. It was by no means our intention to do so.

"This year's Race for Life campaign is based around the idea of women uniting together to defy cancer. Like a giant 'Pink Army' -this year's theme highlights the unique army that embodies the fighting spirit of the women who take part in Race for Life to help beat cancer sooner. This theme is played out throughout the advertising campaign, as well as in other media.

"The campaign was also centred on the fact that we are a turning point in the fight against cancer; where in the past more people died from cancer than survived, today half survive. We’re working to accelerate that progress into the future with our bold ambition for 3 in 4 people to survive cancer within 20 years. This campaign conveys a stronger sense of confidence in our vision, accompanied by a sense of certainty that with determination and conviction we will beat cancer sooner.

"We believe that our fight against cancer is something that can be won and in order to do so we need all of the UK public to get behind our cause and ‘join the fight’ with us, showing that collectively, any action taken, will help beat cancer sooner. We conducted consumer research prior to launching our new campaign and ‘join the fight’ tested very well with people – both close and further away from cancer.

"It is not about someone’s own personal battle with cancer but instead about the overall fight against cancer. Today, thanks to research funded by the UK public and everyone’s hard work and determination, we are starting to win our fight against cancer and two out of every four people with cancer will survive ten years or more. Sadly, we know this means that half of people will still not survive and our aim in using ‘join the fight’ as a call to action is recognising that there’s more to do done, and showing how the general public can get involved."

Doesn't really say anything we don't know though. The implication and their message was not well received.

Patronising in my opinion. Whatever the subject, if the message isn't got by the audience then it's a rubbish ad.

I love that Iain banks quote

I also find the fakish Northern accent pretty irritating, as though they think it adds grit and authenticity...it doesn't, it's just annoying!

Yes, in the particular advert mentioned in the OP, I took the 'cancer fighter' bit to mean raising money for research into cancer cures/treatments, rather than an individual with the disease themselves.

I thought that was quite obvious wasn't it?

However a) I do find the personification of cancer quite annoying and b) I really dislike it when people say 'they beat cancer' when referring to someone has actually survived having cancer.

That's one of those lovely "Sorry you feel that way" non-apologies, isn't it.
It would be better if they sat up and listened to what people say rather than dismissing it in a "oh we didn't mean it like that so we'll just carry on" sort of way.

I had something similar on my status once. I posted about my son's latest diagnosis. He was born at 29 weeks and neglect had left him with CP and a few other issues. To me my status is my mountain top when I need to shout. I don't talk in front of my kids about their limits (3/4 are disabled) so I need that safe place and people want to know. Someone replied and had a go about me being negative (I was factual) and it wouldn't help my children. She then used cancer as an analogy about positivity One of my friends lost a very positive daughter to cancer so I left the education to her as she got in first.

You do though get people like my aunt who could have survived but refused treatment from any hospital but a particular one so went in the waiting list. She was always a snob.

I actually interpreted the cancer research ad pretty much as they intended it. Mind you my brain is wired in an unusual way.