Joel Ortiz

Mr. Carlos Chism

Pre-English

July 20, 2017

Rhetorical Analysis: Please Put That Pink Can of Soup Down and Put Your Bra Back On.

Cancer is an invidious life destroying disease that put many through depression and

hardship. This why it is no surprise that there is a multitude of individuals & groups that have a

deep animosity towards such a ravaging health condition. Now in the article Please Put That

Pink Can of Soup Down and Put Your Bra Back On by Leisha Davison, she shows nothing less

than her anger toward the many, especially conglomerates that take advantage of a horrifying

disease for monetary gain. Leisha employs sorrowful personal experiences, scientific

terminology/diction, and stabilizes herself as someone who has done her research when it comes

to cancer research organizations.

To begin, Leisha who is clearly angry is angry at the ignorance of others towards the

realities of the common day cancer survivors. She employs the following rhetorical devices in

order to reach out to the many that truly want to help and those that are unaware. She begins her

analysis by utilizing a personal experience and introducing some worldly contemporary

examples, that she classifies as insensitive and completely useless to someone struggling with the

repercussions of cancer. She starts her analytical criticisms by talking about, National No Bra

Day which she views as totally insensitive to the many men & women cancer survivors. Events

such as these don't even correspond nor perform what they are idolized to bring awareness.
Leisha utilizes sarcastic methods to show how ridiculous such methodologies are in bringing

about awareness for breast cancer. She describes an event that takes place worldwide specifically

on social media, advertised as National No Bra Day and as a fun way to support people and

How on earth could a day where girls and women are encouraged to post and share photos of

their braless breasts and to walk around with their nipples poking through their shirts be

supportive. This textual support appeal to the emotional mindset of the audience because it

represents how she feels especially since she is a cancer survivor. It displays how insane the

connection between helping breast cancer awareness is incompatible by showing off women that

are in perfect health. She makes the reader ponder on the question if this is supposed to inspire

hope, much less awareness. She calls to question if survivors that have lost their entire breasts

are supposed to see these healthy women and feel inspired and not the complete opposite,

angered, jealousy, or depression.

After, describing her personal perspective she goes in-depth on her battle with cancer and

her emotional journey, Though I had a terrific surgeon, it was a physically and emotionally

disfiguring surgery. This is how she describes cancer which allows the audience to attempt to

see even if simply at the surface level how emotionally devastating it can be if you're lucky. And,

how thoughtless our society can be in trying to conduct awareness. Additionally, by introducing

a photo it allows for a better visual understanding of her struggle to beat cancer. This last point

brings together her whole point of insensitivity, the image of her recovering from surgery reveals

how contradictive society is when it comes to awareness. You wouldnt bring awareness to gun

control by offering guns to those victimized.

Subsequently, after this description, diction such as nerve damage, invaded, death, fear,

taboo, and phantom are just a few examples that represent how introspective and painful a
condition such as cancer can be. Making a connection to death and phantom really brings

out the reality of that fear experienced every day. This diction creates the undertone of, Will I

still be alive tomorrow? This undertone reveals to the reader the tragedy of her situation. Making

it clear that this is a serious case that shouldnt be partially symbolized as, fun. For instance,

antibiotics, swelling, and always being on the edge of death can really interconnect multiple

fears. The usage of her specific syntax over the longevity of her argument really brings out a

multitude of perspectives that help her argument in making more connections to her and others

ideology of death.

Additionally, she describes how many individuals in our society are preyed upon by

companies into paying into the idea that they are buying into a cause. By repassing through

common disassociated events and advertisements we can notice how we are failing to

acknowledge these ideas of awareness. With this in mind, it lets the audience see how frustrating

it is to see many cashing in on this victimization, Because those dollars spent on pink flowers,

pink shirts, or a pink box of crackers or spaghetti sauce could be going to research, our only real

hope of beating this horrible disease. This quote displays in full light how quickly as a society

we are to make a quick buck or buy into the illusion of contribution. Pink washing is a

connection multiple readers can converge upon since most of us have bought products for

external symbolic reasons. Ranging from a grocery store purchases or as lavage as a pink shoe

that only appeals to us, not because of the color but because of the symbolism conveyed or so we

try to believe. Which is in her view on conglomerate methods in which companies attempt to use

the theme of cancer research to make money. By discussing its unethicality, it branches her

breadthways for ethos.

 Contrastingly, she proves her extensive knowledge on foundations via this quote.

granted $161 Million Dollars to ten Dream Teams of scientists and researchers, one

international translational research team. Exemplifying, the idea that while many foundations

may misuse funds there are still others who are fighting tooth and nail to find a cure. And, by

including an extensive list she is informing the reader. Through Leisha expansion on the topic of

effective foundations, she further proves the point that she has a strong repository of knowledge

that conveys her credibility to the reader. This technique allows her argument to be carried past

the emotional aspects.

Consequently, she also uses logical evidence to support her experience when it comes to

breast cancer. For instance, she highlights specifics on her diagnoses, Even after months of

chemo, my surgeon took as much tissue and skin as possible and went deep into my axilla

(underarm area). These details not only give an idea of the shocking consequences of the

surgical procedures but also expresses it in a manner that is very scientific in terminology.

Diction such as metastasized, lymph nodes, cancer cells, and inflammatory Breast Cancer all

give off a sense of importance and realism. Along with the definition, we also only get a

paradigm for a specific type invasive cancer (inflammatory breast cancer) that is difficult to

detect and creates a mist of scientific mystery.

In summation, through the employment of these specific elements, the reader can begin

to question if what we are doing as a society is truly helping the cause. With the following

methodologies of logical terminology, a recap of personal experiences, and stabilizing herself as

a credible source this creates a level of argument balance. This is critical to her arguments

perspective on our societies extremely insensitivity.

Citation: Davison-Yasol, Leisha. "Please Put That Pink Can of Soup Down and Put Your Bra
Back On." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 July 2017.