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Who Should Take the ‘Heat’ for the Melissa Etheridge/Sheryl Crow AARP Article?

Who Should Take the ‘Heat’ for the Melissa Etheridge/Sheryl Crow AARP Article?

I wasn’t going to blog about the recent Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow AARP article that caused a bit of a ruckus on social media and elsewhere. Sometimes I just get weary of this celebrity stuff. But I guess you can tell how my plan to keep silent turned out…

Sometimes I wish celebrities would just keep quiet about their disease woes and triumphs, but then they do often provide fodder for bloggers like me, right? That’s supposed to be sarcasm. Seriously though, I am all for everyone and anyone (including celebrities) sharing personal stories about cancer or whatever it might be. I am totally for free speech, sharing stories, offering advice, reaching out to help others and so on. But what I do not support is someone coming across as making her story the right story as Melissa Etheridge seemed to do in this piece, or more specifically, in the ‘lessons for all of us to learn’ image at the end of the article, which is the focus of this post.

Many, including me, found some of her comments on the lessons page to be inaccurate and even offensive.

But so what? Maybe some of mine are sometimes too.

My problem with the article isn’t so much with what either of these two ladies said, well, except for that cancer is a gift comment they made almost in unison at the end of the article. Lordy, don’t get me started on that one, but I won’t digress to that topic in this post…My problem is with something else, which I’ll get to.

I actually thought Sheryl Crow’s comments on the lesson page were okay. And on a side note, I reviewed Sheryl Crow’s cookbook way back when. It’s a lovely cookbook, but guess what? I have not used a single recipe from that cookbook. This alone might speak volumes about our different life styles, or maybe it just means I’m a lousy cook. ..

On the other hand, I didn’t care for much of what Melissa Etheridge said on her side of the lesson page. For instance, stating that when she got her body back in balance was when her cancer disappeared is misleading. Umm no, it disappeared because she had treatment. Suggesting we can control our environments and keep the mutations turned off, as if this is all in our power, is judgmental and problematic.  And finally, stating that testing isn’t something she encourages other women to do, when in fact she had it done herself, is wishy-washy at best and at worst, just plain bad advice she has no business giving.

In saying these things, I feel she stepped over some kind of line, though admittedly, what line I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s some sort of ‘brca line’. I don’t know.

However, again, my main beef is not with the two women and what they said; no, it’s with AARP because of the manner in which this image of ‘lessons for all of us’ at the article’s end was presented.

In a nutshell, this grand finale part is the biggest problem with the whole article for me.

These are not lessons. They are opinions offered by two famous women who have had breast cancer and who happen to be doing really well right now, which of course, is a wonderful thing.

From what I remember about lessons, you’re supposed to study them, learn them, practice them, and incorporate them into your mind or life.

So if AARP had merely had a different title for that final lesson page, or inserted a few words like, these things are what Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge believe, or something along those lines, things might have been fine and dandy, well, maybe just fine.

Celebrity voices do matter. I checked Melissa Etheridge’s Twitter page and she has 63,000 followers. She has 460,000 fans on Facebook. Sheryl Crow has even more with 236,00 followers on Twitter and around 1,238,000 fans on Facebook.

So celebrities do have a responsibility to preface opinions about important stuff like ‘how I beat cancer’ (which is a really dumb title for a cancer piece in a major publication in the first place) with ‘this is my opinion or experience’ or something to that effect.

And major publications such as AARP have a responsibility to get the words, messages and yes, titles of article and images right too. AARP has taken some heat for this one, as they should.

Okay. That’s it. I’m done.

Until next time, and we all know there’ll be a next time.

Note:  I know everyone (including me) is sick of seeing the image below, but I felt I had to share it just in case anyone reading this post missed it.

Were you offended by any part of this article, or more specifically, by this lessons image?

Why or why not?

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Opinions, yes. Lessons for all? I think not.

Opinions, yes. Lessons for all? I think not.

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Tucker

Monday 13th of November 2023

I am late to the party concerning this article and have pretty much chosen not to pay attention to anything regarding breast cancer since I was “cured” from stage 3 12 years ago. However, after seeing the news about Olivia Newton-John’s death decades later, I can no longer pretend it was just a short period of my life that is long gone. I do still deal with the after effects everyday- I just deal. So thank you Nancy for being real and speaking truth without all the pink bullshit. Now to answer the question- Melissa Ethridge is an idiot at best and dangerous at worse. I agree, AARP is completely irresponsible to present the article the way they presented it. And right now I am pissed off, so I will say no more.

Nancy

Thursday 16th of November 2023

Jennifer, You're not too late coming to the party concerning this article. No deadlines here! I think Olivia Newton John's experience was a "good" reminder for many. And yeah, the Melissa Ethridge article, well, you know my thoughts. Thank you for sharing yours.

Terri

Monday 23rd of October 2017

I've always been a fan of both of these ladies but a few years ago I got into a huge argument at a gathering when a friend of mine told me cancer was a gift, knowing that my boyfriend died of cancer. The woman hosting the gathering died of cancer two years ago. And the woman I got in the argument with died from a head injury after that. I doubt she thought that was a gift. I've had several friends and family die from cancer because they don't have insurance or even when they do. Cancer is most definitely not a gift.

Nancy

Wednesday 25th of October 2017

Terri, I'm sorry you've lost dear ones to cancer. Good for you for voicing your opinions at that gathering. Sad how things turned out for the host and for the person you argued with, too. Cancer is most definitely not a gift. Not for me and my family anyway. Thank you for sharing.

Sarahlou

Wednesday 19th of July 2017

I believe that 'celeb' articles such as these can result in people shutting down so that they feel unable to say openly when at times they might feel really bad. Recently there was a tv journalist who, just at the beginning of her treatment said in a video blog that breast cancer treatment was 'do-able' - this is insulting to those who are unable to continue with their treatment for whatever reason. Celebrities have a responsibility to REALLY think before they speak out, e.g. dodgy dietary advice. Our day to day lives are full of ambiguity, ambivalence and complexity; let's remember the article above is a 2 dimensional image in every respect!

Nancy

Thursday 20th of July 2017

Saralou, Thank you for sharing your spot-on insights. I agree completely.

Joyce

Wednesday 19th of July 2017

Thanks, Nancy for blogging on this. Considering the age of the population AARP addresses, ME's "lessons" are dangerous, and if taken to heart could cost lives. Shame on AARP for publishing this, especially in the way they did. I'm not a member, and will remain so.

Nancy

Thursday 20th of July 2017

Joyce, Thank you for reading and taking time to comment too.

Beth L. Gainer

Wednesday 26th of November 2014

Hi Nancy,

Ooooh, you hit one of my hot buttons. I was infuriated by the AARP article. I thought the same thing: how could AARP do such a silly thing? Personally, I feel the opinion pieces shouldn't have run at all as a cover story. I also found Sheryl's viewpoint more common sense and less offensive than Melissa's. Ironically, I was always a fan of Melissa Etheridge before her cancer and after she was diagnosed. I'm no fan now. She needs to stick to what she does best, making music and singing.

It's alright to share one's viewpoint as a celebrity, but to say that one way is the truth is hard to swallow. And the nonsense that Melissa said was impossible to swallow. Yet, public consumption is real, and the general public may buy into these false ideas.

Thank you for writing about this, Nancy. Great post!

Nancy

Friday 28th of November 2014

Beth, Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts. I like your point about not making an opinion piece a cover-type story. Again, there was some journalistic mis-stepping going on here for sure. Thanks again.