Melissa Etheridge as BC spokeswoman

[TriciaK]

I am glad we are all making Victoria's Secret aware of their gaffe! I have read several comments concerning Melissa Etheridge as BC spokeswoman appearing on Oprah and several other TV shows, representing BC survivors. I didn't see her, but from what some of you have stated that she said, I am incensed. Is there anyone we can write or email or call to voice our objections about the false information she evidently voiced in our behalf? Do some of you who have commented earlier want to add your opinions here if it's worth pursuing? Hugs, Tricia

[Becky]

I will gladly help you out. I was thinking that later tonight I might write a well written letter to Oprah in regard to having Melissa as a guest and try to set the record more right but I will wait to see what you and everybody else wants to do (ie: I can write a letter from all of us but post it here first and get "approval" etc).


So... I will see what everyone wants before doing anything.

Best regards

Becky

PS - still waiting on Victoria

I saw Melissa Etheridge on Oprah and was not offended at all. I think she spoke of her own experiences, which I know at least some of us, can certainly relate to. The diagnosis of breast cancer is devastating and chemo is generally not a "walk in the park". Please let her live her own journey. I felt her new song "I Run for Life" to be very powerful and uplifting. I have downloaded it from iTunes. I certainly would not wish it be included in a negative letter to Oprah!
Leslie

[TriciaK]

Leslie, I didn't see any of the TV talk shows Miss Etheridge was on, so perhaps I am out of line. I am only going on what was reported here by others who did see her. According to what they reported, while it's true she does have a right to her own journey, I would hope that her comments as spokeswoman for BC were more accurate than what I understood. I would be interested in more comments from those who are more knowledgeable than I on this. Do you agree Miss Etheridge's presentations were accurate and uplifting or not? To me the question still is not what her own opinions and experiences are as much as how she represented or misrepresented us all as BC survivors in what she said, and in the information about BC and treatments which she gave out as spokeswoman.
I appreciate and value everyone's opinion and ideas. Hugs, Tricia

[madubois63]

I've seen the interview on Oprah, and while I was not completely happy with the way she portrayed chemo (I think she scared a lot of people), Melissa told it from the only point of view she could - her own - period!!! In her defense, she only had a very short amount of time to talk. The way the commercials were promoting it, I thought she had the show or at least a good part of it. She had just a few minutes, so she may not have been able to say everything the way she wanted to (and maybe she has chemo brain still lingering - I know I do). I didn't see the Dateline interview, but did see the Lifetime special and THAT was great!! The facts were on, it was honest and man, she rocked!! Tears were flowing from everyone in the audience and I cried too. I see know reason to complain to anyone. At least she is not promoting mistletoe injections like Suzanne Somers.

I am a 14 year Breastcancer Surviver. When I saw Melissa on Oprah's show ,I was very happy for her and her recovery. I think that every woman that had Breastcancer has her own experience and thought's abaut it .
After her show I went and baught her new album , witch I played and listent too yesterday. I was very touched by at least 4 song's that brought the whole spectrum of breastcancer and the fight to be brave through it all back to me.
I also bought her pin's that she sells at hard rock cafe and will proudly wear them.
Sometimes the only people that work for a couse are celebeties. They can do alot for us , but can heart us as well. In the case of Melissa Ethridge, I think she truly want's to help. Please let her do that and do not take every little word of her's and twist it.
A suviver , Brigitta Parish

[kristen]

I am not out to lam bast M.E. I think she has every right to tell her story as she knows it to be true. She choose to take on this role and to me there comes a responsibility with it. She could have come out with her new CD and told her story, but she is doing press to do awareness for BC. Am I wrong in thinking that she should be MORE responsible with what she says? There are a lot of women who are listening to her, is it good or bad?
When someone tells an audience on Regis and Kelly that Stage 3/4 are death sentences and you have BC survivors and there parents and children listening to her what are they to think? When she is on the Oprah show and she tells them how dark it was and how bad chemo was, what is someone who is just dx going to think? As if hearing Cancer for the first time was already frightening?

I am sorry she had it so bad, but she made choices that maybe could have prevented some of her side effects. But it's her journey, her dance with the beast and we all do it differently.
Chemo is no walk in the park, I agree, but I bet most, most women, still got up, took there kids to school, some worked full and part time jobs, drove themselves to chemo and only missed a couple of days of work.
I just think that it should have been more of a balanced representation of who and what BC patients and survivors go through.

Tricia, I wrote to the Koman Foundation, like Becky and VS, I have not heard from them, and I intend to write to the Ford Motor Company. I don't hate her, I just want her to be more responsible.
The YSC board wrote numerous letters to Oprah with no response that I have heard of. I went to Live with Regis and Kelly & there is no place to comment.
Should we give her a break because she just got out of chemo and has chemo brain? I don't know you tell me, I just want the sponsors to know that I have walked for them, I have donated money to them, I have bought there cars, but I won't put up with any misrepresentations, we have been fighting this cause for a long time, everyone knows what a pink ribbon stands for, do we really want someone to misrepresent the facts of the strides that so many women have taken, the lives lost before us, the womens lives who are now being prolonged and are stage 3/4 what is the scare tactic for? Chemo is better tolerated now than before am I wrong? Everybody can do what they want, this is just my opinion.
And for the record I like her song too, maybe she should stick to that it's what she does best.

I went to her website and looked at what her fans had to say about what she said and you can link on to them.


http://ubb.fanasylum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php? Cat=0&Number=683449&page=4&fpart=1&vc=.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/thecause/melissa/- Ford promo for SBE

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9673481/- dateline interview

[al from Canada]

I didn't catch the inverview and I'm not really sure what the fuss is about however, heroes and villians all have one thing in common: people love to talk about them. Maybe this will upset the "right" people and they will apply pressure to push even harder for the cure!

When it comes to this disease, my personal view is, "the more noise the better!" Without the noise, good or bad, it will fade into the background. Soooo, let's write our letters, good or bad, make lotsa noise and, as long as we keep the bigger picture in perspective, it will all be for the greater good.

Just my thoughts,
Al

[StephN]

That is the trouble with sound bites - they only give a small part of a large picture. This attention deficit society does not have the patience to sit through much information on one complicated subject. These shows just skim the surface.

Maybe we need to get hold of Oprah's schedulers and offer to have a group of us on for an extended period so they can get a picture of REAL STAGE III and IV survivors. Follow a few of us on an average day and see just how we really DO live.

My 2 cents.

And Melissa Ethridge can promote pot if she wants, but I sure didn't need it and I had a hell of a lot more chemo than she ever dreamed of!!
I think Oprah needs to do a show with all stage IV survivors as a counterpoint to Ms. Ethridge's representation of US.