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News: Shocking video toughens up image of Canadian Cancer Society

When I think of the Canadian Cancer Society, I can’t help but imagine a field of yellow daffodils. Pretty wimpy. But my perception of the organization just got grittier after viewing their hard-hitting online video entitled, “Fight.” The unscripted piece featuring angry and determined people affected by cancer has been named best video by a large organization at the international Doogooder Non-profit Video Awards held at the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference in Atlanta this past weekend.

While I've grown accustomed to cancer charities using the usual tear-jerking imagry to raise money to support the cause, this video is different. It gets angry. It showcases cancer survivors, care givers and family members not as victims, but as tough, strong and mad as hell at a disease that robbed them of huge pieces of their lives. I think the piece is very effective, as is their latest campaign "Fight Back." Their website's moto: "If you're here to pick a fight, you've come to the right place." Take that, cancer.

What do you think about the Canadian Cancer Society's "get angry" approach?

Related:
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• "I beat breast cancer—at 33."

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We should be speaking more positively about people who have beat cancer and live still today. I believe a more positive approach will bring magnificent results. Give us hope.

How totally ridiculous that the emotional "fight" here is aimed at reality. Cancer is natural and some man-made, however still then a part of reality.

A fight against a lethal and deadly natural disease cannot be "fought" on emotional grounds. So, therefore it is an emotional appeal for money. Even then this kind of emotional appeal is misdirected towards those who do not think much. Just look at the swearing. There is no cause for base vulgarity. The only people who swear like that are people who cannot or refuse to conceptualize their feelings or ideas.

This AD also reveals to me, the cultural collapse of government in medicine.

"Partnerships" with government limit creativity, innovation and cause soviet style stagnation. I have heard of no, - absolutely no - new innovations or progress in the "fight against cancer" and this growing stagnation is a direct cause of the growing lack of freedom in this economic sector. Government control in medicine is the growing cause of stagnations and death in healthcare in Canada. Cancer is no different no matter the emotional facade presented as in AD's like this.

This AD has the same embarrassment one feels for an unfunny comedian on stage who must be told to stop. Just stop it.

WOW!!! That was powerful, I cried watching.

Powerful! Harsh? Most definately, but you tell me one person who had ever been affected by cancer who thought it was pretty or nice? NO ONE.
I never got a say when my father, uncles or aunts were affected by this and died as a result of it. Fight? We all need to! My Dad will never get to walk me down the aisle or see the birth of my children and he damn well should have been able to.

Bravo!!!! really hits home if you have lost anyone to this disease.

I love this ad! It is raw, it is unnerving, it is edgy and it perfectly captures the sense of rage that cancer patients and their families go through. My sister died of breast cancer at the age of 34. 34 YEARS OLD! That was almost 17 years ago and I am still angry. She should still be in my life, my children should have had the chance to know her, and her husband should have been allowed to grow old with her. So yes, I am enraged, even after all this time. And I applaud the Canadian Cancer Society for this excruciatingly honest video.

Cancer stole a year of my life.

WOW .... Finally someone has gotten the right approach here. We need to see the very reality of this ugly and devastating disease we face and so many fight every day.

I think this video is only a slam against god and does have anythingto do with finding a cure for cancer.

Awsome....cuts right to the topic!

 
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