Katie Couric Channels Sydney Sweeney in Colon Cancer Awareness PSA: “Screenings Save Lives”
Katie Couric is using humor and pop culture to deliver a serious message
about colon cancer screening in a new public service announcement — and she’s
doing it by spoofing Sydney Sweeney’s much-talked-about American Eagle
commercial.
“That ad showed how pop culture and a pair of
jeans could really shape the cultural conversation,” Couric, 68, told PEOPLE. “It was everywhere. So we thought, why
not ride that wave a little longer and have some fun while spreading an
important message?”
The PSA opens with Couric reclining in a denim
jacket to the tune of sultry music — an intentional nod to Sweeney’s original
ad. But as the camera zooms out, it becomes clear this isn’t your typical
fashion promo: Couric is lying on a hospital gurney in a medical gown, moments
away from a colonoscopy.
“It was funny for me because, well, I’m a
little older than Sydney Sweeney,” Couric joked. “I was trying to get that jean
jacket to sit just right.”
In the ad, she opens with a cheeky twist:
“Speaking of genes,” she says — mimicking Sweeney’s delivery — “did you know
that most people who develop colon cancer don’t
have a genetic link to the disease? That’s why doctors recommend everyone 45
and older get screened.”
This campaign is part of the Lead From Behind initiative, spearheaded
by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Maximum Effort, the creative agency
co-founded by Ryan Reynolds.
“The mission of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance
is very near to my heart. And my ass,” Reynolds said in a statement. “When Rob
[McElhenney] and I livestreamed our colonoscopies to launch Lead From Behind, we were really following
in Katie’s footsteps. She did it first — and bravely — 25 years ago.”
Reynolds was referring to Couric’s
groundbreaking televised colonoscopy on The
Today Show in 2000, which dramatically increased awareness and screening
rates across the U.S.
“Having her now involved in this campaign is a
full-circle moment — or as I like to call it, a full-starfish moment,” Reynolds
added.
Couric’s dedication to raising awareness about
cancer screening is deeply personal. Her husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon
cancer in 1998 at the age of 42. Since then, she’s become one of the most
prominent advocates for early detection.
“I'm a grandmother now,” Couric told PEOPLE. “My girls have graduated college,
and these are huge life moments their dad never got to see. I don’t want other
families to go through that. So I feel an obligation to share what I’ve learned
and encourage screenings.”
She’s remained consistent in her efforts —
from taking Jimmy Kimmel for an on-air colonoscopy in 2018 to co-founding major
cancer initiatives like the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, Stand
Up to Cancer, and the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health.
In the PSA’s closing scene, a narrator
announces, “Katie Couric gets regular screenings. And if you’re 45 or older,
you should too.” With her signature wit, Couric adds: “Mine are televised.”
Screenings, she says, are too often pushed
aside. “People don’t think about it. It’s not at the top of their to-do list.
But regular screening can save your life — and that’s something we can’t afford
to ignore.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, colorectal cancer typically starts as small, benign growths called polyps, which can develop in the colon without causing symptoms. While not all polyps turn into cancer, removing them early significantly reduces the risk. That’s why early and consistent screening is vital — especially for those over 45.
