Prostate Cancer Ken and Breast Cancer Barbie: The Happy Couple, Together at Last
I decided to make Prostate Cancer Ken because I was so pissed off last year when Mattel came out with the pink ribbon Barbie doll, the doll I call Breast Cancer Barbie.
I thought if I did a gender-reversal people would better be able to see how stupid this Barbie doll is, and how offensive it is to a woman like me.
So now I've done it, Prostate Cancer Ken has joined Breast Cancer Barbie as part of my Wall of Shame.
The words behind Ken on the inside of the box:
The Big C ... I’m Afraid ... Real Men Don’t Do Support Groups ... Viagra ... A Diaper? How Embarrassing Is That? ... Man to Man ... Viagra ... The Strong Silent Type ... I’m Afraid ... Get Your Finger OUT of There!
While the inside of the Breast Cancer Barbie box says Empowerment, Hope,and Strength in flowing script--I hate those buzzwords, especially "empowerment." But that's another rant for another day.
Right now Prostate Cancer Ken doesn't strike me as very funny, perhaps because I am still sad about the two cancer deaths that touched me in the past week, Rose, and also a woman who came to my presentation on cancer and blogging. I was going to get together with her again and help her find some information on the Web about her cancer, but she went into the hospital. Then I was going to visit her in the hospital, but she wasn't doing very well.
And then she died.
I'm also feeling a little discouraged about my Boycott October campaign. I don't understand why so many people don't get it. And why they won't listen to the women with breast cancer who are saying, We HATE Pink!
Most of the people who write to me defending pink ribbons and cause marketing have (or had) a relative or close friend who had (or has, the verb tenses are killing me here) breast cancer. I don't think a single woman who herself has (or had) breast cancer has written to me to say that she likes pink ribbons and she feels supported by this campaign.
So why are they doing it, if so many of us with cancer are saying "STOP"?
Prostate Cancer Ken: The Back of the Box
Prostate Cancer Ken: The Back View
Prostate Cancer Ken: Ken's Accessories
Read my rant about Breast Cancer Barbie.
Support this blog:
@ Jeanne Sather 2007.
Excellent.
Posted by: Amorette | October 20, 2007 at 02:33 PM
I love your doll, and I think more people are paying attention to your boycott than you know. I had a friend over last night who is in the medical field and she was so excited to hear about your blog. My friend who finished breast cancer treatment last year agrees, particularly about the unhealthy muffins and candies.
And I'm really sorry about your losses. Those kinds of things hit very very hard.
Posted by: Amy | October 20, 2007 at 07:38 PM
Amy--thanks. I know I have a lot of support, I was just discouraged tonight.
I'll get back in the fight tomorrow.
The Ken doll turned out better than I thought he would. My favorite part is the backless gown. Well, maybe the teddy bear ...
Posted by: jeanne | October 20, 2007 at 07:48 PM
I think you should market the lad ...
It would be a REAL wake up call for everyone, but especially MEN.
Your blog remains a favourite because you're blunt, honest and wildly hilarious ... PREACH IT SISTER, PREACH IT !!!!!
Posted by: shawn | October 20, 2007 at 10:10 PM
Shawn--I am going to put up some info about prostate cancer, because there are a lot of things that people (men) don't know. For example, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is 100% if it is caught early, which is a very good reason to go in and get that embarrassing "finger in the butt" digital exam. But men don't/won't do it.
Posted by: jeanne | October 21, 2007 at 09:18 AM
I think the doll is great and your attitude is even better. I love the way you can interject humor even when it's very difficult. As ever, Carver
Posted by: carver | October 21, 2007 at 05:27 PM
Friday after I picked the kids up from school, I went to the Dr for my first physical in TOOOOOO long ... complete with the digit exam ...
THEN, I come home and find Prostrate Ken ... I laughed ... your timing was perfect ...
I too want to do something around the issue of men and cancer ... I have some ideas ... stay tuned ...
Posted by: shawn | October 21, 2007 at 07:23 PM
Shawn--that is TOO funny! Good for you for getting the exam. Too many men don't.
Posted by: jeanne | October 21, 2007 at 07:54 PM
ha ha ha! loove that gown. (altho i always make sure they're properly fastened before walking with my patients!)
in my experience, not all insurance companies will pay for viagra/cialis. which is particularly strange when they cover the surgery, and then it become necessary for (many) people to use the medication.
i'm sorry for the loss of your friends.
Posted by: rae | October 21, 2007 at 10:11 PM
Nicely done. :) I'd love you to send it to the president of Mattel -- at least the pictures.
If anyone at Mattel ever tries to get you on copyright infringement, tell 'em you did it in self-defense.
That, of course, is not an appropriate legal defense (parody is, though). But it's true anyway.
To Mattel's credit, on its collector showcase website it does state that a *minimum* of $100,000 will be donated to the Komen Foundation from proceeds of their "Pink Hope" Barbie. Compare and contrast with Yoplait's *maximum* return on lids collected. Still...
I like how Breast Cancer Barbie still has both her perfect plastic breasts, all her original plastic hair, and whatever dignity she ever possessed remains as unperturbed as ever. I like how you left Ken's hair and complexion alone to mirror that. We like our victims sexy! Buck up! Suffer in silence! Try to at least make an effort! Feeling sad and scared and like you might not make it? Go cry to your teddy bear, privately please. We the public are only interested in brave survivors and their value to us as inspiration. Oh, and we need them to look hot, too.
BTW, I know you knew this already, but just in case your other readers didn't, there really are "dummies" books on both breast cancer and prostate cancer. No, really.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=cancer+for+dummies&z=y
Posted by: Sara | October 22, 2007 at 12:05 PM
Sara--I should have made that clear about the Prostate Cancer for Dummies book--it is real. I took a photo of the cover and a friend printed it to the right size for me to make a mini-book.
I know the author, and have interviewed him to write Web pages about prostate cancer, he is Dr. Paul Lange, who is here in Seattle at the UW.
He is a prostate cancer survivor himself, which he says has made him much more sensitive to what his patients are going through.
The book is pretty good, too bad he did it in the "Dummies" series--I hate those titles.
Posted by: jeanne | October 22, 2007 at 03:58 PM
Perfection! This is perfection down to the last detail- that gown enhances those handsome blue eyes! Coincidence- I doubt it. Jeanne you've outdone yourself here. Now how about GI Joe? the prostate cancer fightin' man!!! GO JOE!
Posted by: Jacqueline | October 24, 2007 at 08:09 PM
Jacqueline--you're right--GI Joe! Maybe instead of Breast Cancer Ken, I should make Breast Cancer Joe? Next year, though, the pink sea is depressing me.
Posted by: jeanne | October 25, 2007 at 09:22 AM