Althouse: "The Middleton chapter of Gilda's Club is changing its name to Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin."

November 30, 2012

"The Middleton chapter of Gilda's Club is changing its name to Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin."

"Officials said one reason is because some people might not know who Radner was.... There are 56 chapters around the world. Twenty are known as Gilda's Club, three are Wellness Community and 23 are Cancer Support Community."

36 comments:

ndspinelli said...: "Tough crowd I tell ya'...tough crowd." You're dead a few years and they throw you under the bus.; 11/30/12, 9:39 AM
Bob_R said...: How quickly we (make that I) forget. The name "Glida's Club" did not immediately bring Radner to my mind, and I was certainly a fan. That's probably a good indication that the name doesn't "work."; 11/30/12, 9:40 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: SNL?; 11/30/12, 9:40 AM
KCFleming said...: The Gilda's club in Milwaukee changed to the Cancer Support Community for the same reason.

Sic transit gloria mundi.; 11/30/12, 9:41 AM
edutcher said...: Sic transit Emily Litella.; 11/30/12, 9:42 AM
Irene said...: Susan G. Komen.; 11/30/12, 9:46 AM
SteveR said...: Never mind...; 11/30/12, 9:48 AM
YoungHegelian said...: Well, at least they don't have to compete for air time against the presidential erection anymore.; 11/30/12, 9:52 AM
gadfly said...: Not yet ready for prime time.; 11/30/12, 10:18 AM
SayAahh said...: Harder to do when carved in granite above the building entrance.; 11/30/12, 10:19 AM
sonicfrog said...: You know, if SNL and the powers that be would make more of the old stuf available for general viewing, maybe more people would remember how funny the original cast was and the show used to be.

Oh, they don't want a reminder? Never Mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7gLJr03vNQ; 11/30/12, 10:22 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The dead are useful. Up to a point.; 11/30/12, 10:24 AM
Anonymous said...: It's always something.; 11/30/12, 10:32 AM
Tarzan said...: That's a very nice house dress you're wearing Mrs. Althouse.

(snrkle snrkle) Oh Todd!; 11/30/12, 10:49 AM
tiger said...: Idiots.; 11/30/12, 10:50 AM
Kevin said...: If the charters are written allowing them to change their names then that was a major mistake. I guarantee you McDonalds franchise owners aren't allowed to change their business' names.; 11/30/12, 10:54 AM
Chip S. said...: If you don't know who she is (was), "Gilda's Club" might sound like a weight-loss clinic.

I think even Lou Gehrig's name is gradually giving way to the term "ALS" in referring to the disease that killed him. And he had a famous movie made about him.

The name jump-starts the operation, but over time the cultural references erode. At a minimum, Gilda's Clubs have to incorporate in their names some clearer indicator of what they are. Like this. (According to NPR, the name was originally intended to refer to Gene Hackman's character in The French Connection.); 11/30/12, 11:07 AM
Baron Zemo said...: This is to be expected. Rita Hayworth has been gone for a long time.; 11/30/12, 11:16 AM
Unknown said...: Don't tell Milwaukee native Gene Wilder, it will kill him.; 11/30/12, 11:22 AM
traditionalguy said...: But will a name change make them less ignorant sluts like their namesake.; 11/30/12, 11:36 AM
Chip S. said...: Eponym, not namesake.

Also, wrong SNL referent.; 11/30/12, 11:41 AM
David said...: Sorry SteveR, I missed your earlier comment.

Great minds . . . . . ?

Ah, no . . . . . never mind.; 11/30/12, 11:52 AM
Lydia said...: Do they still make a Shirley Temple?; 11/30/12, 12:01 PM
Levi Starks said...: I've never heard of the organization, but knew instantly what it was just from the name. Right off hand I can think of no other people named Gilda.; 11/30/12, 12:04 PM
Anne said...: Why name anything after anyone then?

I thought the point of naming organizations, charities, scholarships, etc. after the deceased was to keep their memories alive. People don't know who Gilda is? Then tell them.

Is the name "Gilda's Club" somehow inhibiting the work of the organization? I have no idea what "Hy-Vee" means, but I still shop there.; 11/30/12, 12:07 PM
Pastafarian said...: I'm sure that in many references to this organization, the name will be abbreviated to CSCSW, instead of writing out "Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin."

And people won't know what CSCSW is.

This is an oddly stupid and arbitrary move. It makes me wonder if they had some other reason for this name change. Maybe in a few years they'll rename it "Buffie's Club" after the family member of some wealthy donor and this CSCSW transition period will make it seem less obnoxious.; 11/30/12, 12:42 PM
Chip S. said...: Pastafarian, you may be right. OTOH, I don't know how much $$ these groups got from GR's estate vs. the extent to which they were simply allowed to use her name as a fundraising tool. But if their primary purpose is to offer support to patients and caregivers rather than serve as keepers of the Gilda Radner flame, this could be an appropriate change. For instance, does the name "Gilda's Club" send the erroneous signal to males that it's mainly for females?

As for the curb appeal of the name, I don't think they rely on walk-in biz. I think they spread info about their activities at local outpatient clinics.; 11/30/12, 12:58 PM
Chuck66 said...: What is this about making Peurto Rico a steak? What next? A salad bar?; 11/30/12, 1:04 PM
Anonymous said...: You'd think it would be an inducement to find out who Gilda is. Aren't people curious anymore? Never before has information been so accessible.; 11/30/12, 1:29 PM
tim maguire said...: Given that part of the purpose of establishing Gilda's Club was to honor the memory of Gilda Radner, shouldn't they rather try to educate members as to who she was?

To drop her name as easier seems a betrayal.; 11/30/12, 4:34 PM
Clyde said...: Never mind.; 11/30/12, 5:13 PM
Clyde said...: @ Traditional Guy

I think you're thinking about Jane Curtin.; 11/30/12, 5:14 PM
Eric Jablow said...: You ask a lot of questions for someone from Madison Wisconsin.; 11/30/12, 6:03 PM
carrie said...: You'd think that they could keep Gilda in the title somehow. Who was Susan G.Komen? I think that hardest thing about Gilda's Club is the disease that they are helping inherently makes it hard to develop a clientele. Either people die and stop coming, or they go into remission and go on with their life and want to put the sickness at the back of their mind.; 11/30/12, 8:56 PM
carrie said...: You'd think that they could keep Gilda in the title somehow. Who was Susan G.Komen? I think that hardest thing about Gilda's Club is the disease that they are helping inherently makes it hard to develop a clientele. Either people die and stop coming, or they go into remission and go on with their life and want to put the sickness at the back of their mind.; 11/30/12, 8:56 PM
Emil Blatz said...: Well, Susan G. Komen was the sister of the woman who constructed the foundation that has promoted the "Race for the Cure" efforts. I think her name is Nancy Brinker, and she lives down here in Palm Beach.

I don't know about the decision, seems that they could have done the same thing, but perhaps more gracefully. Kind of like the MDA leaving Jerry Lewis at the curb. Perhaps necessary, but could have been done in a million better ways.

And for all you junior grade legal minds out there, consider this as a lesson that the only thing that is permanent is a buttload of cash, managed by a trust which is carefully constructed (see the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, for example, you won't see them change the name of that.); 11/30/12, 10:48 PM