Support the Boobies

Those of you who use the popular instant status updating, feed-publishing, messaging, window-into-your-soul web application, Twitter may have noticed over the last few weeks that some of your contacts or those you’re “following” have changed their avatars to include peas.

The peas represent frozen peas, actually, and they’ve morphed into this entire support network that has begun to raise money for cancer research. But what the heck do frozen peas have to do with cancer – let alone boobies? Well one of my follwer/followees Glenda Watson Hyatt explains:

In early December, Susan Reynolds discovered she had breast cancer, and openly shared in her tweets and new blog Boobs on Ice her journey from diagnosis to biopsy to surgery. She shared how a bag of frozen peas was more soothing on her battered chest than a brick-like ice pack. Overnight green peas began appearing in tweeters’ avatars in support of Susan… …A Frozen Pea Fund was then launched to raise money for cancer research. [Do It Myself Blog]

This all unfolded on Twitter a few weeks before the city of Vancouver started bustling about local rock queen Bif Naked’s announcement on the Strombo show about her personal journey and being diagnosed with breast cancer. I listened to that segment as it aired on CFOX and one thing Bif noted was how it was a self-exam that initiated going in and getting a mammogram. She stressed the importance of checking yourself, as it takes no time at all to do so.

Recently a reader also passed along a link to a website – for educational purposes – where women are encouraged to photograph and upload their breasts.

There are a lot of breasts on the internet, but there’s nothing like this. In support of Rethink Breast Cancer, Schick Quattro for Women today launched the Booby Wall, a virtual, interactive exhibit of breasts designed to educate Canadian women about early breast cancer detection by encouraging them to show their breasts some TLC.

The Booby Wall was created to bring Rethink’s Touch. Look. Check. (TLC) early detection program to life. Women across Canada are encouraged to touch and look at their breasts and then take a picture of their breasts to upload to the Booby Wall. [CNW]

Even though the flash-based website is really tough to navigate (I have to expand my browser and remove my toolbars to even view to the scroll bar) and some may use all the images of naked breasts for ‘evil’ instead of good – the thought is encouraging.

It’s not about scare tactics or asking you to pledge more money in support of a cause (although you’re quite welcome to). This is pretty much a public service announcement encouraging women to do self-exams. If you don’t know how, there are man resources including a few guides right on the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website.