Television shows often portray breast cancer in unrealistic ways. As a survivor, it's my job to pay attention to the details and check them for accuracy.
BY Bonnie Annis
PUBLISHED February 27, 2019
Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.
There’s a late-night television series I enjoy watching called A Million Little Things. The show deals with various friendships and the challenges they face. I’m not usually one to get caught up in TV dramas but this one caught my eye for a couple of different reasons.
In one touching episode, the show involves a scene taking place in a large meeting room. Women are sitting in metal folding chairs arranged in a large circle. After the women talk for a few minutes, it’s evident this is a support group meeting and all of the women are breast cancer survivors. The camera pans in and the group facilitator asks a new member if she’d like to introduce herself. As this woman begins to speak, she suddenly becomes flustered. The camera shifts and we see a male figure in the circle. As the camera zooms in on his face, the newcomer questions his presence. In the next moment, the male actor speaks up boldly and says, “Men get breast cancer, too. It’s a real thing.” Like most of the viewing audience, I gasp. I wasn’t expecting that.
For the past few months as I’ve watched this controversial show, I’ve found myself particularly interested in their coverage of breast cancer. Not only does the show include a woman’s breast cancer story, they also include a man’s. Instead of focusing mainly on the woman’s plight and how men react to women with cancer, the writers developed a very tender story about the male character’s breast cancer diagnosis and how he struggles.
In one touching episode, the show involves a scene taking place in a large meeting room. Women are sitting in metal folding chairs arranged in a large circle. After the women talk for a few minutes, it’s evident this is a support group meeting and all of the women are breast cancer survivors. The camera pans in and the group facilitator asks a new member if she’d like to introduce herself. As this woman begins to speak, she suddenly becomes flustered. The camera shifts and we see a male figure in the circle. As the camera zooms in on his face, the newcomer questions his presence. In the next moment, the male actor speaks up boldly and says, “Men get breast cancer, too. It’s a real thing.” Like most of the viewing audience, I gasp. I wasn’t expecting that.
For the past few months as I’ve watched this controversial show, I’ve found myself particularly interested in their coverage of breast cancer. Not only does the show include a woman’s breast cancer story, they also include a man’s. Instead of focusing mainly on the woman’s plight and how men react to women with cancer, the writers developed a very tender story about the male character’s breast cancer diagnosis and how he struggles.
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