Gilda's Club Changing Its Name Because Young Patients Don’t Know Who Gilda Radner Is

**witchcurlgirl** · November 27th, 2012, 07:10 PM

A Madison-based cancer support group named after legendary Saturday Night Live player Gilda Radner has announced that it will be changing its name to accommodate younger patients unfamiliar with the iconic comic, who passed away of ovarian cancer in 1989.

Gilda's Club — so named for Radner's famous remark likening cancer to membership in "an elite club I'd rather not belong to" — boasts some two dozen affiliates across the country.

But, in a tragic sign of the times, at least four, including Gilda's Club Madison, have recently undergone a name change due to Radner's lack of name recognition among potential new members.

"One of the realizations we had this year is that our college students were born after Gilda Radner passed, as we are seeing younger and younger adults who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis," executive director Lannia Syren Stenz told the Wisconsin State Journal. "We want to make sure that what we are is clear to them and that there's not a lot of confusion that would cause people not to come in our doors."

The club plans to change its official name to Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin. A grand reopening celebration is planned for this Thursday, and after that, "the Gilda name will slowly go away."

http://gawker.com/5963758/cancer-sup...ilda-radner-is

this makes me sad.

**KrisNine** · November 27th, 2012, 07:31 PM

This is sad and stupid.

**shedevilang** · November 27th, 2012, 07:34 PM

sheesh that is so stupid

**Laurent** · November 27th, 2012, 07:44 PM

That's ridiculous bullshit. There are plenty of places, structures, buildings, organizations, diseases, and schools named after people who contributed something to society or to a cause and they aren't renamed because they've been dead too long. I hope they re-think this decision and consider what it says to the people that they're supposed to be helping, that apparently you won't be remembered after you're no longer on this earth when it becomes an inconvenience to explain to people who you were. I think people facing down their own mortality would appreciate it more than almost anyone.

**Zee** · November 27th, 2012, 07:45 PM

I've been in several of the Gilda's club. It pained me to explain the Noogie room name to some of the people there. I guess funding woes have hit the nonprofits since they are combining forces

**Chalet** · November 27th, 2012, 08:02 PM

I love that they have a Noogie room. What a great name.

Judy Miller does not like Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin.

If there's a name on the door then find out WHY it's there and who it belonged to.

**eva** · November 27th, 2012, 08:05 PM

They need to keep the name AND make it their mission to show all college students Gilda Radner clips!

**Waterslide** · November 27th, 2012, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Laurent

That's ridiculous bullshit. There are plenty of places, structures, buildings, organizations, diseases, and schools named after people who contributed something to society or to a cause and they aren't renamed because they've been dead too long. I hope they re-think this decision and consider what it says to the people that they're supposed to be helping, that apparently you won't be remembered after you're no longer on this earth when it becomes an inconvenience to explain to people who you were. I think people facing down their own mortality would appreciate it more than almost anyone.

This.

What the hell is wrong with people? Is that ridiculously long and meaningless new name really any more memorable? They'll still be helping people, but seriously?

**witchcurlgirl** · November 27th, 2012, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Chalet

Judy Miller does not like Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin.

It's the Hate Jennifer Show!

She was brilliant.

**Mel1973** · November 28th, 2012, 07:12 AM

Shame on the parents of college aged kids! It's your job to educate your kids about FUNNY! My son is well-schooled on Gilda, Gene, John, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, etc...

**gas_chick** · November 28th, 2012, 08:40 AM

Yep kids not being raised right. IDGAF if they know who she is or not it is downright horrible that they would change the name.

**twitchy2.0** · November 28th, 2012, 09:05 AM

Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin does not exactly roll off the tongue. This is so stupid.

**MohandasKGanja** · November 28th, 2012, 09:12 AM

Roseanne Rosannadanna, Lisa Loobner, Baba Wawa, and Emily Litella -- immortal SNL characters. I loved that she married Gene Wilder.

**witchcurlgirl** · November 28th, 2012, 09:23 AM

She definitely had cool husbands. She was married to the great guitarist G. E. Smith too.

**JWL** · November 28th, 2012, 09:59 AM

Geez, my 14 year old knows who she is, as well as Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Dana Carvey, The Beatles, The Who, .... history isn't just about what's in the books at school