Townhall.com’s Greg Hengler seems upset by the fact that MSNBC aired a segment to educate women about self-examination for breast cancer:
This reminds me when Fox News plays a constant b-roll of girls in bikinis during, say, Spring Break while proclaiming, “Ohhhh, isn’t that terrible! That’s so inappropriate!”
MSNBC’s Dr. Nancy — who’s show gets terrible ratings — plays the clip of a 28-year-old woman giving herself a breast exam at the beginning of the segment and asks: Was the decision to air this clip a “ploy” for ratings during sweeps week? Ha! Talk about transparent in her own ploy to get ratings. The two guest doctors agree that the video was more of a ploy than an educational tool. They also mention that it would have been more appropriate to show a 50-plus-year-old woman giving herself the exam than a 28-year-old because breast cancer generally hits the over 50s.
Video:
Honestly, if it saves one life, I really don’t care if a few people see a woman’s boobies.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Hey, it grabbed my attention!
November 1st, 2009 at 9:45 am
After raising 3 daughters, I felt it was completely appropriate. By showing a younger woman examining herself, they could get across the point that every woman should be self aware enough to do this, it’s not just for old women.
I’m not sure if everyone knows a woman who’s died in her 30’s from breast cancer, but their are many out there. It’s not too early, at 28, to start doing breast exams.
Hey, it’s time to grow up. I didn’t see anything tittilating (can I say that) in that video and feel it served a purpose.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:12 am
I dunno. If I were going for a naked ratings grab, I would have picked a prettier woman.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:30 am
“If it saves just one life” is a lousy argument for anything, but I agree this is nothing to be too upset about even if the timing was suspect. Having a 50 year old woman do the exam would have sent a different, not necessarily better message: don’t worry about breast cancer until you’re 50. It’s never too early to start.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:08 am
I think larger breasts would have provided a better teaching aid.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:58 am
I suppose I am a prudish conservative. I’m also the husband of a woman who is at risk for breast cancer. We need to get over the idea that just because some fourteen year old might be momentarily titillated, it’s wrong. Adolescent boys can find ample outlets for prurience without trying too hard.
On the other hand, cancer is deadly serious.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Much ado about nothing. Perhaps the fuzzy spot should’ve been used but still no big deal.
November 1st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
MSNBC is the most ludicrous, embarassing demonstration on cable today. Ranting men calling people ‘whore’s’, then for ratings show women doing breast exams. Ludicrous.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:14 pm
This was already done, quite well, by Meredith Baxter Birney. Available at many Net sites.
So, yes, it’s about ratings.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Those were “boobies”? Pah.
MSNBC, the shit-for-tits network.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
1. A young woman was a poor choice. Maybe a woman in her 50’s would lead women to the wrong conclusion (about when to give self exams), but a woman in her late 30’s to early 40’s would’ve made more sense.
2. A smaller breasted woman was a poor choice. The more tissue in the breast, the more difficult it is to find a tumor. The example didn’t need to be a surgically augmented porn star but in a country where the average cup size is C (trending toward D due to obesity), using a woman with small mammaries seems to miss the point.
Ratings grab or not, if you’re going to do something controversial, it makes sense to at least do it right.
November 1st, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Elizabeth Edwards as reliable spokeswoman? right…
November 1st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Of course it’s a ploy for ratings! So what? I’ll watch that any day of the week.
-jcr
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 am
Not the best idea.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:19 am
That goes quite well with the CNBC show I was watching earlier tonight about the porn industry. During the show, naturally, they were hawking the DVD with added unaired, uh, bonus material.
Examinations of the business side of the porn industry or breast exams, in of themselves, might not mean much, but I’m smelling desperation in the air. One more item like this and I think we can officially say NBC News is desperate for ratings (here’s a hint, fellas, ditch the lunatics and do serious news and opinion).
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
[...] Boobies getting squeezed on TV. No, it’s not the Playboy Channel. It’s a breast-cancer self-exam awareness thing. That’s good, but really shouldn’t they show it on a network that has actual viewers like, say, Fox? Or the Playboy Channel. [...]
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:50 am
Does showing this on MSNBC’s Dr Nancy show count as a private showing? I’ve never heard of her.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
[...] MSNBC’s Dr. Nancy — who’s show gets terrible ratings — plays the clip of a 28-year-old woman giving herself a breast exam at the beginning of the segment and asks: Was the decision to air this clip a “ploy” for ratings during sweeps week? Ha! … November 1st, 2009 at 7:26 pm. Elizabeth Edwards as reliable spokeswoman? right… John C. Randolph Says: November 1st, 2009 at 8:38 pm. Of course it’s a ploy for ratings! So what? I’ll watch that any day of the week. …Read More [...]