Commercials

CheeseQueen57

Is it just me...I just hate those commercials that portray those women with metastatic breast or lung cancer living a normal life.  Running,  working full time jobs, looking normal. My bet that’s not the reality for most. I worked for a pharma company and are very familiar with those dopey, naive marketing people and their focus groups and how the develop those commercials.  I’m all for giving hope and informing about new drugs but I really don’t think those commercials are realistic and I’m surprised the FDA allows them. We got called one time because we had too many smiling people in ads for people with diabetes. Imagine!  The other commercial that burns me is the Neulasta commercial. What kind of chemo isn’t serious? Duh?

NoTimeForCancer

Amen sister!  Since my mother

Amen sister!  Since my mother chose not to take any treatment when she found out she had breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 84, she lived 8 years until she died of metastic breast cancer (yes, she was 92).  Pills or not, she was going to die from this cancer.  

I had been talking to one of my sisters on the phone when one of those commercials came on and said exactly what I think is going to happen to the women.  

The only pharma commercial I thought was worth anything was the one for Opdivo - especially when, at the end, they thanked the doctors, nurses, and PATIENTS who particpated in trials.  

Red Corvette

Spot On Cheese

Mrs. Red and I hate those commercials, makes it look like this is some walk in the park which we all know it isn’t. The neulasta ones are the worst. 

Red

EZLiving66

I always get a kick out of

I always get a kick out of people who are portrayed as losing their hair and have on a scarf but have a full set of eyelashes and eyebrows.  I could wear my wig but I had to paint on the brows and a little eyeliner.  I sat next to a lady at our St. Patrick's day dinner tonight and she still has no eyebrows from chemo many years ago. LOL We both had ours painted on. She also walks the big box stores pushing a cart to keep her balance for exercise just like me.  After her chemo, she had a heart attack. Life does not go on as it once did! I'm with you, Queen Cheese!

Love,

Eldri

derMaus

I love the Boondocks

I love the Boondocks, especially for this type of satire:

https://youtu.be/7_zKT3fa-mU

Just about sums up the BS, huh?

Soup52

Right on! These commercials

Right on! These commercials drive me nuts! They need to get real!!

Northwoodsgirl

And another thing

I agree with all of you! Let me chime in and say every time a news or political or sports commentator uses the term ”cancer” as a metaphor when talking about something else it really bugs me. It is cruel to compare cancer to anything else. Just saying...

Lori

evolo58

Northwoodsgirl said:

And another thing

I agree with all of you! Let me chime in and say every time a news or political or sports commentator uses the term ”cancer” as a metaphor when talking about something else it really bugs me. It is cruel to compare cancer to anything else. Just saying...

Lori

Utterly on the "cancer" reference.

It hits me like a plank every time someone does that, and shows a complete ignorance as to just how awful cancer is. There are other and better terms to use, such as "eyesore" or "blight". Use those.

I admit to making fun of these commercials, leaving the sound off. They are so, so alike, and gloss riiiight over the fine points, like, y'know ... possible death from taking them. Yup, if you take Pyzefob (not a real drug ... I hope), you can make pottery! And you can swim, even if you never learned before!

Some of these drugs are lifesavers, but I have a real issue with glossing over the side effects and making it look like you take them, everything will always be peachy-keen.

Abbycat2

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with these posts

about cancer commercials. They irritate me to no end, especially when these women are portrayed as such invalids that their significant others treat them like they may die at any moment. The Opdivo commercial is horrible. A chance to live longer! Woohoo, what does that matter if the woman is suffering?  And then there’s the commercials that show a woman living her “new normal” life style as though she’s Wonder Woman. Geez, get real! Treatment is no picnic and a cancer diagnosis is a hard pill to swallow. I sometimes wonder if my life will ever feel “normal” again. I tend to doubt it and these commercials are a cruel, daily reminder of that and all that I have lost.

evolo58

Abbycat2 said:

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with these posts

about cancer commercials. They irritate me to no end, especially when these women are portrayed as such invalids that their significant others treat them like they may die at any moment. The Opdivo commercial is horrible. A chance to live longer! Woohoo, what does that matter if the woman is suffering?  And then there’s the commercials that show a woman living her “new normal” life style as though she’s Wonder Woman. Geez, get real! Treatment is no picnic and a cancer diagnosis is a hard pill to swallow. I sometimes wonder if my life will ever feel “normal” again. I tend to doubt it and these commercials are a cruel, daily reminder of that and all that I have lost.

Also, "longer" is such a

Also, "longer" is such a vague term. How much longer? 

If there was some miracle drug out there that guaranteed at least five years, and the side effects were more annoying than life-threatening, I think we'd be taking that drug in a flash. It turns my hair green? Fine! I'll live with green hair. But vague claims and promises are not reassuring.

KatnHat

I work for an ad agency that does all the packaging and print ads for many cancer drugs. The photos are all of beautiful people doing fun things with family; I get it, but wish they'd picture at least one bald person! Also, some of the results of these very strong drugs are just a few more months survival. They do all these graphs comparing drugs and the one they're selling (at a very high price I might add) adds maybe five months over the previous (and also expensive) drug. It's HUGE money for these drug companies, as we all know. I guess I should be glad they have such a large advertising budget!