The uniboob lens

July 9, 2009 3:12 PM

Breast Cancer Media Filter: Looking for (funny/wry/witty/absurdist pov) books, docs, movies. One-woman shows/theatre? Performance art? Installations? Photo essays?

Looking at it not as a death sentence, not as a oh-dear-oh-woe lament, searching for the other side. Crazy Sexy Cancer-type suggestions welcome. And extra points for non-North American examples.

posted by Mrs Hilksom to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Have you seen Marisa Acocella Marchetto's graphic novel Cancer Vixen?
posted by zompist at 3:22 PM on July 9

well, certainly there's the infamous matuschka photo WARNING: this is graphic & makes some people uncomfortable.

hardly witty, but her story & her photo are compelling. she wanted to show that breast cancer not only wasn't the end of the world, but that there is beauty out of damage. she brought an issue that was historically spoken about behind closed doors & in hushed tones into the consciousness of the better part of the free world. i think anything that's come after that owes a debt of gratitude to her.
posted by msconduct at 3:31 PM on July 9

I think Julia Sweeney did a one woman show called "God said Ha!" on the subject of her cancer, but I can't remember what type she had or if it was any good. Some parts of the bit were played on an early ep of this american life, more info on her wikipedia bio
posted by Think_Long at 3:52 PM on July 9

How about blogs? Cancer Bitch certainly has her moments. And some excellent links on her sidebar.

Circus of Cancer is another good one.
posted by chez shoes at 4:40 PM on July 9

I can only offer a story:
When a close friend of mine with a wicked wit faced her double mastectomy from breast cancer, two good friends of hers at work hosted a "Bye-Bye Boobie" party, to which I was invited. It was wonderful -- think a cake decorated with pairs of Hershey's kisses, presents which included Wal-Mart prostethics, the song "Bye-Bye Boobies" written for her, pasties, etc. I bought a pair of past(r)ies on a plate as my contribution.

Although the mastectomy, chemo, and radiation have caused some long-term complications in her life, she is alive years later, working part-time, and finishing her double BS degree, and planning her Master's degree work while launching her two college-aged children into adulthood.

And some of her best (and often funniest) stories surround the breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. I wish I could get her to write these down for you!
posted by lleachie at 6:32 PM on July 9

When my sister got breast cancer I bought her "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips," which she loved. We also had a shaving party for her.
posted by OrangeDrink at 6:42 PM on July 9

Cute breast exam commercial.
posted by BoscosMom at 6:49 PM on July 9

Maybe Charlee Brodsky's photo essay, Knowing Stephanie, which features, as I remember, nude shots that show the beauty of Stephanie's post-surgery body. It's a remarkable study. (Un)fortunately, I don't see any samples online. You've gotta buy the book.
posted by booth at 7:52 PM on July 9

The actress Phyllis Newman's memoir, "Just In Time," deals in large part with her experience with breast cancer, and she is a very funny lady (for example, she was the first woman ever to be asked to sub for Johnny Carson on his show).
posted by ilana at 11:06 PM on July 9

BoscosMom, the commercial has been removed from that site. Another source?
posted by gompa at 11:50 PM on July 9

Meredith Norton's memoir, Lopsided, just came out in paperback. I haven't read it yet, but it's sitting here on my desk.

The back cover blurb describes it as "A hilarious and wickedly irreverent look at life with cancer" and invokes David Sedaris, too.

She's a thirtysomething African-American woman who was living in France at the time of her diagnosis -- maybe that would help with the non-North American element? Seems she got her treatment back in California, though.

MeFi me and I'll mail you the book if you're interested.
posted by vickyverky at 10:20 AM on July 10

(I mean MeMail me.)

Also seconding Marisa Acocella Marchetto's book.
posted by vickyverky at 10:27 AM on July 10

Related: Finding humor in breast cancer is a plot thread in Joshua Ferris's novel, "Then We Came to the End."
posted by Chrysostom at 12:52 PM on July 14

gompa, here's another source for the cute breast exam commericial.
posted by BoscosMom at 1:32 PM on July 15