The picture appeared on the front page of the paper on November 27. Picture: The New York Times
A BREAST cancer survivor whose partly-revealed breast was pictured on the front of the New York Times has reacted to the controversy stirred up by the photo.
The 28-year-old Israeli woman was photographed for a story about the high rate of breast cancer in Israel and the high cost of gene testing and preventive surgeries.
But the point of the article was lost in the furore over the picture, which showed the woman’s surgery scar and part of her nipple.
Online critics called the image "trashy" and too gratuitous for the front page of such a prestigious newspaper. The right-wing Drudge Report called the photo a “Peep Show” in a headline.
The young woman at the centre of the controversy denied the image was “cheap.”
In a statement given to the New York Times she said: “When I first saw the photo I did not find it either provocative or inappropriate. I thought it was powerful and told my story - I am a proud, young Jewish woman who had breast cancer, and I have a scar that proves it.”
She went on: “I didn’t expect such controversy around the photo - but I’m glad the photo caused an impact since I believe that there should be more awareness about breast cancer, genetic testing, the conflict of “what to do” with a positive result, etc.”
The photo also caused a stir because of the Star of David tattoo near the woman’s shoulder.
The woman said: “In response to some readers’ comment on the tattoo I have on my body, I come from a family of Holocaust survivors. When I was 17, I went with my high school on a trip to the concentration camps in Poland. It was a very emotional and difficult trip, and when I returned to Israel I was so proud that I am Jewish and Israeli that I wanted the whole world to know. I will never have to hide my religion or where I come from.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment