I just watched the movie 50/50, about a guy who gets cancer and his journey. It made me really mad how the myth of cancer is propagated by movies like this.

In case you haven't seen it, here is a broad description, with 'translations':

Opening scene: leading man is seen jogging (translation: he is in good shape and looks after himself)

He goes to the doctor with a backache, and finds out after tests that he has a tumour on his spine. He protests in shock that he doesn't even drink or smoke. The doctor mumbles something about it being a rare genetic type of cancer. (Translation: it has nothing to do with lifestyle; it just 'strikes' randomly.)

He starts chemo. There is no question that he won't do exactly as the doctor says. Nothing is mentioned about any kind of other natural treatment. (Translation: chemo is the ONLY method of treating cancer. Don't even bother thinking about any alternatives).

During his treatment he hangs out with some other cancer patients, and during one scene 3 of them drink some wheatgrass juice. It is treated with amusement and ridicule; they laugh and mention how horrible it tastes. In the next scene he finds out one of his friends (the guy whose wife had adminstered the wheatgrass shots) had died. (Translation: wheatgrass juice is a useless joke).

He finally gets better after undergoing surgery. During the 'happy ending' final scene, his girlfriend calls round bringing... pizza! (Translation: once again, do not worry about any dietary adjustments where cancer is concerned, they are completely irrelevant, just carry on eating junk food.)

OK, rant over!! By the way, I'm not saying that cancer is only ever caused by diet or lifestyle.. but it just annoys me the way Hollywood subtly puts these messages across. One good things about the movie - the lead guy was seriously hot!

Have you ever seen a woman giving birth in a movie? My Gawd, I can not believe how manipulatively degrading and ridiculous that is to watch. Fekking ignorant.
Good work though perpetrating stereotypes that keep people fearful, unimpowered and dependent on the medical establishment.

have you seen Dying To Have Known i like that movie
this movie sounds like a downer .

haha
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life vs lifelessness

Coco, you're so right, don't get me started on birth in movies and tv!! lol... they all follow the exact same routine: the minute the woman goes into labour there is a big panic to get to the hospital (ie omg there's no way you can have a baby unless lots of people in white coats are surrounding you with plenty of drugs and machines on hand) Then the big drama of the screaming panting and agony (and that's just the husband, heh heh), then once she gives birth the baby is whisked off to be sanitised and wrapped up (god forbid its skin actually comes into contact with the mother's). Drives me bloody mad!! I definitely prefer the Monarch's version

As you can imagine I'm a nightmare to watch a movie with... lol... lots of muttering about brainwashing and stereotyping...

Diagonez, thanks for that link, looks interesting, I've bookmarked it to watch, cheers

xx

I love Joseph Gordon Levitt--I would watch him watching paint dry--but from the first trailer I could tell "50/50" was cancer porn, and declined to go see it.

I do believe things are changing, though; no one isn't aware that wheatgrass juice is good for you. Baby steps.

Oh my goodness this sounds so much like my partners parents. His father died about 1 year and a half ago. He was the model of moderation, and good health. Although he got cancer well into his 70's. He was physically fit, ate low fat, very little animal products at all, and mostly whole grains. He died of cancer.
Everyone thought that the mother would be the first to go because she has had a longer history of health problems. She decided after his death that his lifestyle didn't matter or influence health, she has since upped the consumption of processed foods, full fat animal products etc... Her favorite thing to eat is coco pops or whatever its called.

I am continually surprised how someone who has had to take multiple medications for years to control multiple health problems can justify this. Her husband didn't have any health problems, except cancer. No medications. Who knows what the cause was. From a conventional point of view his diet and lifestyle was probably as close to perfect as anyone can imagine. That is without doing something 'weird' like raw foods and complete veganism. He was religious in a sense that he went to church regularly, but he wasn't a fanatic by any means. Also active in a social club, made donations to charities etc. So I think he was blessed in alot of ways.