Angelina Jolie on ‘The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, NYC, December 4, 2014. Photo: Diane Cohen/FameFlynet
Pretty much every time I watch The Dr. Oz Show, I have an anxiety attack, so I try to take what he says with a grain of salt. And, I definitely avoid quoting him at all costs because he really isn’t the be-all-end-all authority on all things, as his people have branded him to be. He’s brilliant, no doubt, but also very extreme — in my humble opinion.
But I do love his response to Angelina Jolie’s recent announcement that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy, so I thought I’d share.
“This shows us what the future of cancer will look like,” he tells People Magazine. “What Angelina did was to change the dynamic — when a young, sexy woman electively, because of remarkable advancements in technology, allows some of her most sensuous parts to be removed in order to save her life so she can be here for her kids, that’s a seismic shift.”
Seismic, indeed. Angelina’s act of writing publicly and openly about her double mastectomy is, I really do think, a giant step for women. I loved her before, but now I see her as a truly intelligent woman whose goal in life, aside from raising her six kids, is to make a real difference on this planet. I don’t know what you all think, but of this I’m wholly convinced now.
It is reassuring that [my kids] see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity. (from Angelina Jolie’s “My Medical Choice.”)
Yes, she’s a celebrity and has the money and resources to have this procedure and this knowledge, but she’s also, as an A-list Hollywood sex symbol, the perfect person to bring awareness to these medical advancements, to challenge our society’s superficial obsessions and remind us, above all, that life — our health, our loved ones — is precious.
You can read Dr. Oz’s entire response at People.com.
Read more: On Angelina’s double mastectomy>
Love…
xo Haley-O