Katieโข Couric Recreates Sydney Sweeney Ad โto Promoteโค Colon Cancer Screening
AUSTIN, TX – Katie Couric parodied a recent American Eagle advertisement featuring actress โSydney Sweeneyโข in a public service announcementโฃ released Friday, aiming to raise awareness about โthe importance of colon cancer screenings.โค The PSA, created in partnership withโ the Colon Cancer Alliance, features Couric recreating iconic scenes from Sweeney’s ad, but with a โคfocus โคon the life-saving benefits of early detection.
The humorous approach seeks to destigmatize a vital, yet โoften avoided, health check.Colon cancer is the second โleading cause of cancer deaths in the United States,but is highly treatable when caught early. Couric’s personal connectionโข to theโ disease – her first husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer in 1998 – fuels her advocacy for preventative screenings.
The โPSA references Couric’sโฃ widely-viewed 2000 televised colonoscopy on NBC’s “Today”โค show,โ a moment that dramatically increased public โawareness of the procedure.In the new spot, โขCouric playfully adopts Sweeney’s poses and dialog, interweaving messages about the importance of regular screenings for those 45 andโ older.
“I’m a grandmother now,” Couric told People โmagazine. “I don’t want that toโฃ happen to other people. And so I think of him often, and โขthink of other Jay Monahans that might be out there, whose livesโค I canโ potentially save with this information. So I feelโ such an obligation and a responsibility to do that.”
Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, but credits early โฃdetection through regular screeningsโ with enabling triumphant treatment. She has been a long-time advocate for cancer research and preventative care. The Colon Cancer Alliance hopes the PSA will encourage more people to schedule screenings and learn about the risks and symptoms of the disease.
