DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 1997             TAG: 9710280068

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Larry Bonko 

                                            LENGTH:   67 lines

``MURPHY'' EARNS LAUGHS AND GRATITUDE

IS BREAST CANCER funny? Of course not. It's taken the lives of far too many women.

Is it possible to deal with breast cancer in a TV sitcom without trivializing the disease and exploiting its victims for the sake of a one-liner? Yes. That is precisely what has been happening this month on ``Murphy Brown,'' which airs Wednesday nights on CBS at 8:30.

Candice Bergen's character at first refuses to acknowledge the cancer that dared to invade her strong, otherwise healthy body. ``I have this thing,'' she says.

But the tough ol' bird of a TV reporter who learned long ago that a fact is a fact eventually stops fooling herself and vows to fight the cancer. ``I'll be around longer than the commercial where Santa Claus goes sledding on that Norelco shaver,'' she tells her son.

That's a line straight from sitcom central.

``Murphy Brown'' is trolling for laughs while dealing with breast cancer. Does this offend Betty Busciglio of Virginia Beach who 11 years ago underwent a mastectomy?

``Murphy Brown'' as cancer patient offensive? On the contrary.

Busciglio believes the producers of ``Murphy Brown'' have approached breast cancer with honesty and good taste. And that a good laugh never hurt anyone.

``I'm totally in favor of using the format of a sitcom to get the word out about detecting breast cancer early. It's a way of delivering the message to women who might otherwise not get it,'' said Busciglio, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society's Eastern area office in Norfolk.

That office says the ACS nationally is handling 10 times the normal amount of calls since Bergen began posting a 1-800 number at the end of recent episodes. ``Our callers are telling us that the `Murphy Brown' episodes are being well received,'' said Lauren Hawlett of the Eastern area office.

The local office is grateful for what Murphy Brown said and did in last week's episode, which dealt with her having a lumpectomy while trying to dodge the paparazzi.

The hospital sent Brown home a few hours after the operation.

That set her off.

``Home? Now? What is this? A drive-through? I have cancer, for God's sake,'' she said.

Hawlett said she expects area legislators to introduce a bill in the General Assembly in January that would please Murphy Brown. If the bill becomes law, women would have at least 48 hours in the hospital after breast surgery.

In its 10th and last season on CBS, ``Murphy Brown'' has become a crusading sitcom. And the series, which has stumbled of late, has been revived by Bergen as she leads her character through a crisis. Last week's episode, in which Brown tried to slip in and out of the hospital without notice, was a gem.

She's a terror in the operating room.

``Did everyone here wash their hands?'' she asks. ``Nobody here went to some mail-order medical school in Trinidad did they? When we're finished, count your tools. I don't want to set off alarms at the airport.''

While breast cancer isn't funny, Murphy Brown in a hospital is a riot. Remember her giving birth?

When discovered by another patient also diagnosed with breast cancer, Brown admits to nothing more than having a nip and tuck - a butt lift. She also lies to herself about the lumpectomy until the episode's final scene, when Brown is heard saying the C-word out loud:

``Cancer. Cancer. I have cancer. I'll fight it like crazy.''

As the episode wraps up, Bergen appears on screen to salute the women who have faced breast cancer with ``courage, dignity and even humor.'' She could be talking about Murphy Brown.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu