Breast cancer and “aunts”

The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation’s latest campaign is drawing criticism for the use of the word “matante” in its slogan.

Olivia Levy
The Press

The campaign slogan? “Knitting isn’t just for aunts. Neither does breast cancer. It is aimed at young women, as it is the most diagnosed cancer among women aged 30 to 49. The slogan is declined in two other versions with embroidery and pottery, hobbies from another era that are coming back into fashion among the youngest.

Clumsy, insulting, distressing or sexist advertising, this is what we can read in particular in the comments on the Facebook page of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Others rather evoke the catchy side of the campaign.

Evelyne Morin-Uhl stresses that it is essential to make young women aware of breast cancer. At 39, the co-host of the podcast show The cancer card, broadcast on Radio-Canada’s OHdio platform, is undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer. She does not understand why the Foundation used the word “matante”, which she considers disrespectful.

“I’m the first to make cancer jokes, but here, ‘aunt’, it’s pejorative, it lacks sensitivity, it’s sexist, reductive, and frankly, who still uses this term, ‘aunt’? Young people ? Really ? And at what age exactly does one become a nun? For me, “aunt” is a state of mind more than an age. You can be at 25 or at 70, just like “mononcle”, by the way. »

She believes there is a way to be irreverent and respectful at the same time and cites the example of Testicular Cancer Canada’s Testicular Cancer Awareness Campaign for Men from 2016. “The video The men who whispered in the ears of the balls was really hilarious,” recalls Evelyne Morin-Uhl.

Karine-Iseult Ippersiel, President and CEO of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, explains that the Foundation did not want to shock. “Our wish was to have a touch of humor with this slogan to attract attention. We don’t call anyone an aunt, we call cancer an aunt. We are not insulting anyone. The aim of the campaign is to ensure that women under the age of 49 are alerted that breast cancer can happen to them. Because younger people tend to think that it is a cancer that affects older women, ”she explains.

Prevention

Fashion journalist Lolitta Dandoy had breast cancer at 29. She has been talking about prevention for 10 years and wants to change the perception of cancer among the youngest. “The message of the Foundation is so important,” says the one who has already participated in campaigns for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

She believes that this new campaign is very beautiful visually, but that the word “matante” was not the best choice. “The 15 second videos are very successful, as is the idea of ​​the campaign, but why use the word ‘aunt’? she wonders. By sensitizing one part of the population, we stigmatize another. You really have to focus on the message, which is prevention. »

Karine-Iseult Ippersiel believes that this campaign is not a criticism of women in her age group (she is about to turn 50) or the oldest.

“Did we shock people? I’ll be the first to apologize, that wasn’t the point. It’s the breast cancer statistics that are shocking, and that’s what we need to focus on, educate women on the subject, adjust the health system for better screening. She explains that the diagnostic time in Quebec is too long. “In Alberta, it takes an average of 5 weeks; here, it’s 8 weeks, it can go up to 17 weeks. And these are figures that we have for the over 50s. »

Quebec is the penultimate province in Canada for prediagnosis. “There is a lot of work to do. »